Expertise

In his latest Teacher column, Professor Martin Westwell, Chief Executive of the South Australian Department for Education, argues explicit instruction, classroom technology and AI raise the same essential question: who is doing the thinking? ‘The aim is not to make learning harder. It is to make sure the hard thinking is happening in the right place.’

As a teacher, what can you learn about your students from a good assessment? How can a good assessment support your understanding of individual students and help you plan for the next steps in teaching and learning? We’ve called on our ACER colleague, Dr Dara Ramalingam, Research Director of Assessment Development, to unpack these questions.

Flexible professional learning allows school educators to focus on the skills relevant to their work. Free, self-paced online modules make it easier to fit learning into busy teaching schedules. Funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and delivered by Adelaide University, the Micro-credentials for Classroom Confidence have been designed by experts in direct response to teacher needs, offering strategies that can be applied directly in the classroom. 

At Teacher, we love hearing from our audience about the positive impact their teaching is having on students in their settings. It’s not just teachers and school leaders that we hear from. Teacher reader and school parent Barbara Vieira contacted the editorial team to share the impact a teacher had on her daughter and her achievements in STEM.

Dr Kay Oddone and Kasey L Garrison published research in the Australian Journal of Education that examines when and how information literacy skills are introduced to students. In this article for Teacher, they draw on that paper and further highlight the need for teachers to have the support of qualified teacher librarians to introduce and build students’ capacity to use information critically and ethically.

‘Community collaboration does not need to begin with a new program or excursion. Often, the simplest starting point is creating a small, clear role for an organisation within something your school already does.’ Churchill Fellowship recipient Dr Luke Steller, Questacon Regional Leader for the NT, shares 6 practical ways educators can build stronger school-community partnerships.

Day one of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL) National Conference 2026 has kicked off in Perth with keynotes and presentations on the theme of Bold Leadership: New Frontiers in Education. Presented in partnership with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), the conference has drawn delegates from around the world to explore complex leadership, the future of learning and the evolving role of educators.

The release of the results of the latest cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) made headlines around the world. More than 760,000 students assessed internationally, representing around 33 million 15-year-olds from 91 countries and economies. But the initial data are just the beginning.

‘Neuro-affirming practice requires us to genuinely examine our assumptions, our language, our pedagogical decisions, and our classroom design.’ In this StoryBoard article, Monash University shares how small adjustments and intentional shifts in how educators design learning environments, build relationships, and respond to learner differences can make a big difference. 

Ahead of the 2026 ACEL National Conference – presented in partnership with ACER – Teacher editor Jo Earp is joined by Lisa Newland, CEO of ACEL, and Lisa Rodgers, CEO of ACER, to unpack the conference’s theme of bold leadership. Lisa and Lisa tell us about their approach to leadership, what they’ve learned over the years, and more.