Convened by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), Research Conference 2023 will explore how to improve the continuity of learning from birth to 12 years. It’s a big topic made compelling through the latest research from experts in early childhood and primary education.

We are excited to launch our latest project – Teacher Awards – aimed at recognising outstanding approaches to teaching and school leadership. The Judging Panel for the awards is comprised of 10 experts in education. Find out more in today’s article.

Australia’s results in the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) were released last week. In our latest expert Q&A we speak with PIRLS National Project Manager for Australia and ACER Senior Research Fellow Kylie Hillman about some of the interesting findings to come from this cycle.

How we can improve the continuity of learning from birth to 12 years? That is the question that will be explored at Research Conference 2023, held in Sydney on 3 and 4 September. In this Q&A, we speak with Conference Convener and ACER Senior Research Fellow Dr Claire Scoular, about the conference theme.

In today’s expert Q&A we talk to Professor Pauline Taylor-Guy – Director of School and System Improvement at ACER – about the research on what leads to every student learning successfully, and the role of leaders, wellbeing and student voice.

In today’s Q&A we catch up with Dr Dan Cloney – a Senior Research Fellow in the Education Policy and Practice Program and a Member of the Centre for Global Education Monitoring at the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) – to discuss early years transitions, assessment and learning progressions.

A new research study is currently being undertaken to investigate the factors that help or stop young female students participating in digital technologies at school. In this article, the research team share their findings so far, and resources for teachers and students.

The Deadly Gaming action research pilot project is investigating how the use of digital gaming might engage and motivate Indigenous learners in the primary school years. In this reader submission, project leader Dr Troy Meston shares details of the initiative and some of the early findings.

‘PD needs to be well-designed, selected, and implemented so that the investment is used well.’ In our latest reader submission, Hannah Matthews and Susannah Schoeffel from Evidence for Learning share the mechanisms of professional development, and how schools can consider the overall quality of PD programs for their school setting.

In this special episode of The Research Files, Teacher magazine’s Dominique Russell and Zoe Kaskamanidis take a look back on last month’s Research Conference, sharing and discussing some highlight sessions.