Expertise

It is important that teachers feel confident to respectfully and effectively address religion and beliefs in diverse classrooms. In today's podcast, Professor Peter Sherlock discusses why it’s important for schools to engage with religion and belief systems, how to engage students in meaningful conversations about religion in a respectful way, and resources available to help teachers build their confidence in this space. 

The winners of the 2025 Prime Minister’s Prizes for Excellence in Science Teaching have just been announced. The national award includes prize money of $250,000 and is presented to one primary and one secondary teacher in Australia. Find out more about the 2025 winners in this article. 

Have you asked your students if they can see the writing on the board, in their own textbooks, or on devices clearly? Here, optometrists Amanda Lea and Rebecca Dang share common eye-related behaviours to look out for in the classroom and practical teacher tips for encouraging good visual behaviours at school. 

Earlier this month, Australia’s results from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (or TALIS) were released. Here at Teacher, we covered the results in several different formats. In this episode I’ll run you through the highlights, including an overview article of key findings, a podcast episode with the report’s lead author, and an infographic that shares teacher views on the use of AI. 

Teaching assistants (TAs) and other specialist support staff are important resources in a school. In this edition of Researching education: 5 further readings, we share 5 resources on this topic, including guidance reports designed specifically for leaders and a report on the role of Aboriginal Education Workers.

Teacher editor Jo Earp finds out how the Aspect Learning Improvement Collaborative is using a mainstream learning framework developed by Dr Lyn Sharratt, adapted to suit an autism-specific education setting. We’ll hear from Lyn, Aspect Education's Deputy National Director Karilyn Gumley and principals Kaye Perry, Joanne Tisdell, and Michelle Zikmundovsky.

Joy Russell, a teacher at Scotch Oakburn College in Tasmania, organised a professional learning event all about financial literacy earlier this year. In today’s Q&A, she explains how it helped participants to build a strong support network, share practical ideas through connections with local business leaders, and take valuable lessons back to their own classrooms.

Australia’s results from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) have just been released. The survey captures the firsthand knowledge and experiences of school educators. Here we explore some of the key findings on staff wellbeing, collegiality, mentoring support, and use of AI.

‘While intergenerational trauma remains a reality, we are also seeing powerful examples of intergenerational success.’ Dr Jennet Hansen from Sevenoaks Senior College in Western Australia tells us about the Follow the Dream program, how she encourages students’ connections to their culture and Country, and the impact it has had on their learning, achievement and post-school pathways. 

More than 7,000 Australian school educators have enrolled in the free, online Micro-credentials for Classroom Confidence since their launch in July 2024. Funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and delivered by the University of Adelaide, the 3 micro-credentials have been designed by experts in direct response to teacher needs, offering strategies that can be applied immediately in the classroom.