The FlexiSpace initiative in Queensland is aimed at reconnecting disengaged students and supporting them to stay at school. Evaluations of the pilot and first phase of expansion provide early evidence of their effectiveness. Peter Kelly, Deputy Director-General at Queensland Department of Education, shares details of the approach, and the impact it’s having in participating schools.

The 12 finalists for the annual WISE Awards have been announced, with organisations across the world being recognised for tackling a pressing education need in their communities in innovative ways. Here, we share some of the finalists working to meet the needs of students in K-12.

‘[Our school] vision is to develop young people who are active, resilient, lifelong learners. One of the priorities in our strategic plan relates to promoting student voice and agency…’ Richmond High School Principal Dr Lars Andersson shares how staff are working to ensure students are active participants in their learning.

For many schools, the shift to remote learning during the pandemic has led to new conversations about the possibilities of Blended Learning as a more integral aspect of regular learning and teaching programs. Today’s article looks at how a research-practice partnership is supporting four schools in Queensland to investigate this further.

Staff at St Rita’s College in Brisbane have worked with researchers to implement an academic reading skills intervention for Year 7s. The ‘Lost in Transition’ project merges evidence from the literature with research in the context of the school to meet student needs.

‘While we found that a lot of elements in our lives can be replaced by an online substitute, after a year of lockdowns we still have not been able to replicate the “human” element. The lack of peer-to-peer interaction was perhaps felt most by children.’ Professor John Toumbourou discusses the role of peer support programs in rebuilding student resilience.

Translating academic research into classroom practice is traditionally a one-way relationship – from research to practice. University of Queensland colleagues Stephanie MacMahon, Jack Leggett and Annemaree Carroll share details of a collaboration with educators making it a two-way process of engagement.

As a primary school teacher, how confident would you say you are at teaching music? What areas of music do you feel you need the most support in? A pilot professional development program has improved the confidence of general primary school educators in music teaching. In this podcast we speak with the research team to find out more.

Learning to read is a complex task for children, and there are many evidence-based approaches to teaching children to read. So, how do children learn to read? How can teachers be most successful in reading instruction? We share five resources which seek to answer these questions.

‘In the context of remote learning, it is likely that those students who had already developed metacognitive strategies and skills were better prepared to learn and apply that learning independently.’ Today’s article shares how a senior secondary school is developing metacognition and self-regulation in learners.