Long reads

Australia’s 15-year-old students continue to perform above the OECD average across science, reading, and mathematics, the latest OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results show. In today’s article we share more about Australia’s performance and explore how it compares internationally.

‘Every time we speak about teachers with respect, invest in their expertise, hold high expectations, protect their time for the things that matter most, celebrate their impact, listen to their professional voice and support them to grow, we tell a different story about teaching.’ In her latest Teacher column, Rachael Lehr explores what it means to truly value teachers, and why how we lead them matters just as much.

‘Alongside asking, “What do students need to know and be able to do?”, we might ask, “Where will students need to stop an immediate response in order to learn successfully, and how can we help them get better at doing that?”’ In his latest Teacher column, Professor Martin Westwell, Chief Executive of the South Australian Department for Education, argues self-regulation is a powerful yet underused contributor to successful learning.

A recent 2-year research project into outdoor spaces in secondary school settings found many students report insufficient seating at their school. In this article, researcher Hannah Richardson shares considerations for how schools can improve seating options in their setting. 

It’s National Science Week – a time to celebrate curiosity, inquiry and shared learning. In today’s article, we learn more about the Victorian Space Science Education Centre and how its immersive STEM experiences contribute to knowledge acquisition, but also to the development of teamwork, communication, resilience, and connection.

‘Our ambition was never a polished framework that looked impressive on a classroom wall. It was to strengthen the quality of teaching inside every classroom, every day.’ In today’s article, Michael Rosenbrock and Martine Gill unpack key lessons from Clover Hill State School’s journey to develop and implement a pedagogical model that impacts teacher practice.

When students are in the early stages of developing skills, knowledge and understanding, or encountering new material and concepts, explicit teaching, and the gradual release of responsibility are crucial for progressing the learning. In today’s article, teacher, instructional coach and researcher Dr Nathaniel Swain discusses the importance of structured approaches, teacher judgement, being responsive to students, and the potential benefits and caveats around shared curriculum materials.

Spending time outside supports student wellbeing and physical health. New research has examined teachers’ experiences of enabling outdoor play during the school day with the aim to understand how their autonomy, competence, and relatedness interact to shape decision making. We speak to researcher Dr Brendon Hyndman to find out more.

‘How can schools help young people learn to use AI thoughtfully, ethically and effectively?’ In today’s article Kara Baxter – Deputy Principal, Learning and Teaching, at Strathcona Girls Grammar School in Melbourne, Victoria – shares the thinking and process behind the development of the school’s AI policy.

‘The practical challenge of designing units that genuinely extend gifted learners within a mixed-ability classroom, without simply adding more of the same work, remains one of the more complex tasks in primary teaching’. Wesley College’s Lanella Sweet shares a tiered unit of work built around real-world measurement tasks.