Mental health is now the number one national concern for young people in Australia, according to Mission Australia’s annual Youth Survey – the first time in its 16 year history. Coping with stress, body image and depression also take out three of the top four spots in the list of personal concerns.

In this instalment of The Research Files we discuss student fitness and wellbeing, specifically, two simple exercise programs – the first is a new project aimed at improving adolescent health and wellbeing, and the second is being used by thousands of early years and primary students across the world.

Online learning environments have been a game changer for Australian distance educators. The technology allows teachers to provide one-to-one support and immediate feedback to students who are struggling with issues such as anxiety, helping to build their confidence and self-esteem and re-engage with learning.

Earlier this year Canadian educator Maggie MacDonnell was named winner of the Global Teacher Prize. In today’s article, she tells Teacher about the impact the prize has had on her students and explains more about the positive educational programs she’s implemented in her remote school community.

The best schools of all types know their students as learners and as people, according to Professor Stephen Dinham. In today’s video, he also discusses why students essentially want teachers who care and are fair.

Following her session at Research Conference 2017, Associate Professor Bev Flückiger joins Teacher to share more on her research into age-appropriate pedagogies. In this Q&A, she discusses the importance of play and recognising the agency of children.

‘We know that self-concept or self-esteem has a significant effect on student learning but the mistake we’ve made is to try and boost student self-esteem and self-concept artificially and that doesn’t work,’ Professor Stephen Dinham shares with Jo Earp in today’s video.

In this extract from Early Childhood Playgrounds: Planning an outside learning environment, Prue Walsh discusses why outside play is important for children with special needs.

The Global Teacher prize awards US $1 million to an exceptional educator who has made an outstanding contribution to their profession. Here, we take a look at those who made the coveted top 10 shortlist.

A teacher who has spent the last six years working in a fly-in Inuit village in the Canadian arctic has been named the winner of the Global Teacher Prize.