Curriculum implementation

In early 2025, all 9 of Zoos Victoria’s Asian elephants were relocated to a state-of-the-art habitat at Werribee Open Range Zoo. Students visiting Werribee can now observe herd dynamics up close, with educators guiding inquiry into animal behaviour, welfare science, and the complex ethics of human-animal relationships.

At ACER’s Research Conference 2025, poster presenter Peter Axford – a Senior Teacher at Malanda State High School and PhD candidate at James Cook University – showcased his research exploring an agency approach to student engagement with the curriculum. Here he shares the impetus for this research and how the findings influenced his own classroom practice.

How can teachers meaningfully integrate Indigenous perspectives? In this expert Q&A, Indigenous curriculum specialist Melissa Serrurier discusses culturally responsive teaching, making the shift from tokenism, using authentic resources, and the ways schools can respectfully build and sustain genuine partnerships with local communities.

'In embracing EdChat, we chose responsiveness over rigidity, learning over waiting, and trust over control.’ In his latest column, Professor Martin Westwell – Chief Executive of the South Australian Department for Education – shares the thinking behind a generative AI chatbot that has been custom-built for teaching and learning, and its initial impact.

Excursions, camps and incursions are a great way for teachers to tap into external expertise and learning experiences to support needs and complement what you’re doing in the classroom. Just like your regular lesson activities, you’ll need to plan well to get the most out of them.

In the latest Teacher reader survey, you let us know you’d like more content on the topic of curriculum implementation. At the ACER Research Conference 2025, poster presenter Dr Liana Luyt showcased her research into effective incorporation of the General Capabilities of the Australian Curriculum. Here, she shares the details and an implementation guideline resource for school leaders. 

‘By fostering empathy, critical thinking, and cultural awareness, drama plays a vital role in shaping the next generation of global citizens ...’ Lauren Backhouse – Phase Leader, Upper Primary at the Budapest British International School in Hungary – shares how she has incorporated drama into her own classroom practice to teach Global Citizenship Education.

‘Educational provision includes what students learn … how they will be taught … and the culture in which they will be taught ... Gifted students benefit from the opportunity to interact with differentiated versions of each of these.’ Professor John Munro explains 3 areas of differentiation, and shares examples of what this could look like in the classroom.

‘What we've done is aimed to answer the questions about how to enact global citizenship and what does it look like when you do it well?’ In this episode of our Global Education podcast, Dominique Russell is joined by ACER Senior Research Fellow, Rachel Parker, to unpack the new Global Education Monitoring Toolkit. 

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.