‘… research published in recent months has shown how students’ dispositions to learning are shaped by us, and how these dispositions in turn influence achievement.’ In his latest Teacher column, Professor Martin Westwell – Chief Executive of the South Australian Department for Education – discusses the maths gender gap.

What are the persistent teaching dilemmas you find yourself thinking about in your spare time and circling back to time and again? Professor Brianna Kennedy from the University of Glasgow joins the podcast to talk about a 2-stage process for cracking persistent challenges in the classroom, how teachers can use it in practice, and the impact it has on student learning and engagement. 

Transitioning to formal schooling, and from primary to secondary school, is a big change for students. New research shines a light on the impact of student absenteeism during these transition years, and recommends primary and secondary schools work together to support attendance. We’re joined by the study’s lead author to find out more.

This term, thousands of 15-year-olds around Australia are sitting PISA – showing how they can apply their knowledge and skills to real-life problems and situations. Here, we look at what’s new for the 2025 cycle of this global assessment, and how teachers and leaders can use PISA insights to inform their own practice and drive school improvement.

Each cycle of the global Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) includes a student questionnaire. One questionnaire topic – effort and persistence in mathematics – is essential for students’ success and skill development. The data provide useful prompts for teachers when considering their own students.

When you consider your curriculum planning for the term, or the year, linking learning goals and lesson activities to key events can be a great hook, and a chance to bring students and teachers from different year levels together. Today’s article looks at free curriculum-aligned resources for National Science Week, and a school example of planning in action for this annual celebration.

STTOP’s free, fast-paced sustainability program has landed in Aussie classrooms. What started as a series of fun, fast-paced YouTube videos has evolved into a national education program helping Aussie students take action and become advocates for a more sustainable future, right from the classroom.

In today’s Global Education podcast we’re joined by Dr Pauline Martinot, the lead author of the groundbreaking French study that points to the first year of school as the time and place where a maths gender gap emerges in favour of boys. Dr Martinot shares how her colleagues went about conducting the study of over 2.6 million children, some key findings, and the impact of this research on schools and teachers around the world. 

‘We all feel the pressure of keeping up with the latest technology innovations. This is especially true in schools where we are preparing young people for the future.’ In part 2 of his 3-part series on technology in education, Dr Ralph Saubern questions how schools and teachers can choose the right EdTech in the first place.

A new report from the OECD draws on PISA 2022 data to reveal the top 10 most popular expected occupations of 15-year-old girls and boys from around the world and compares these new results to the data from PISA 2000. Here, we share how career expectations have changed over the last 22 years for girls and boys.