Critical thinking

26 total results
Expert Q&A: 5 essential skills for learning
Expert Q&A: 5 essential skills for learning

What are the essential skills we need for learning and life, and how can teachers help students to develop them? The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) has been working with more than 30 countries to identify 5 essential skills and design a suite of free educator resources. Dr Claire Scoular shares more details in this expert Q&A.

Will schools of the future be different?
Will schools of the future be different?

In his first Teacher column for 2025, Professor Geoff Masters AO poses these questions: will schooling be different for children born this year, and if so, how? He then offers 3 suggestions for how learning at school might evolve by 2040.

ACER Advance Awards: Challenging high-achieving school students
ACER Advance Awards: Challenging high-achieving school students

A free new competition from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) recognises high student achievement in Literacy and Numeracy. Here, we celebrate the inaugural award winners and talk to educators about the value of challenging their high-achieving students.

Students’ science literacy – national insights
Students’ science literacy – national insights

A new national report explores latest achievement data for students’ science literacy, and offers insights into what’s happening in Australian classrooms to help develop their knowledge, understanding and inquiry skills

The power of design thinking in education
The power of design thinking in education

In today’s reader submission, Anam Javed – Master Teacher in Residence for Technologies at the Victorian Academy of Teacher and Leadership – provides an overview of design thinking, including 2 illustrative examples, and shares some misconceptions of the approach.

Reform challenges in school education
Reform challenges in school education

‘Schools everywhere face ongoing challenges in better preparing young people for their future and ensuring that every student learns successfully and meets high expectations.’ Professor Geoff Masters AO argues addressing these challenges will require fundamental reform of the framework within which schools operate.

Designing playable video games with primary students
Designing playable video games with primary students

Year 5 and 6 students from MidCoast Christian College in regional New South Wales were tasked with designing their own video games. We speak with educator Melissa Tindall about the process of designing the games from scratch, and how it allowed students to explore the 21st Century skills of critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and communication.

Reader-response: Boosting students’ critical reading skills
Reader-response: Boosting students’ critical reading skills

Developing children’s reading skills as they start primary school can often mean meeting children at a range of different levels. In this article, we speak with Dr Lexie Scherer who explains how the reader-response method can help teachers find that special ‘hook’ that can open a child up to the wonders of reading.

School Improvement Episode 40: Computer education in Australia – the challenges and opportunities
School Improvement Episode 40: Computer education in Australia – the challenges and opportunities

In this episode in our School Improvement series, we hear from Dr Jason Zagami from Griffith University, who shares some of the current challenges and opportunities of computer education in Australian schools, and how teachers can better prepare for future technological advances.

How primary teachers are implementing the 7 General Capabilities
How primary teachers are implementing the 7 General Capabilities

There are 7 General Capabilities (GCs) in the Australian Curriculum – so, how are teachers implementing them in the classroom? A new research study offers some insights. We find out more from Chief Investigator Dr Don Carter.