What are the key characteristics and concepts of computational thinking? And, how can a student’s performance of computational thinking be assessed? In this edition of Researching education: Five further readings, we are sharing a range of resources which seek to answer these questions and more.

Today is RUOK? Day, a national day of action dedicated to reminding everyone to check in on their loved ones and ask ‘Are you OK?’ In today’s Behaviour Management episode, we’re joined by Professor Fiona Brooks from the University of Technology Sydney to discuss the relationship between mental health, wellbeing and student behaviour at school.

Educators have been on the 'frontline' of the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting students and their families through this challenging time. For some, this will have taken a serious toll on their own wellbeing. Here, Professor Alison Calear from ANU discusses some of the mental health impacts of being in this caregiving role, and how we can do more to support teachers during this time.

What challenges do teachers face when delivering inclusive education? How could we begin to address this? In the first of two articles on the topic, Dr Erin Leif, Dr Laura Alfrey and Dr Christine Grove from Monash University explore these questions.

Bernie Hawker, Head of Department Teaching and Learning at Goondiwindi State High School in Queensland, joins us to talk about the school’s award-winning STEAM Program, which has been successful in improving student writing outcomes. You’ll also hear about the strong culture of sharing and collaboration among staff, including through Professional Learning Communities, that’s been key to the program’s continued growth and success.

The majority of 15-year-olds living in Australia expect to be working in a professional occupation when they are 30 years old, but there is a large divide between the expectations of students from advantaged and disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, according to a new ACER report.

In this monthly series, we take a look at some further readings available on a particular topic, including open access research papers from various online databases, and Teacher archive content you might not have come across yet. This month we’re looking at teaching spelling.

‘I started out teaching with my heart and soul overflowing, committed to the success and wellbeing of my students. But over time I became conflicted.’ Teacher and counsellor Anne Miller shares how for years she struggled with the administrative demands of teaching, and why she’s now an advocate for valuing the importance of a teacher’s heart and soul.

We’re delighted to let you know our annual reader survey is opening today. It’s the seventh year in a row we have invited you to share your feedback, and this year, if you complete our survey you’ll go into the draw to win a $500 VISA prepaid gift card.

Dr Gary Stager joins Teacher to discuss his 30-year study into laptop use in schools. We discuss the challenges they faced in the early 1990s in the implementation of the program, how students engaged with the technology in the early days, but also what he’s learned about the way computers are used in schools today.