Long reads

Pre-service teachers in Queensland who have had the final year of their course disrupted by COVID-19, have been creating and delivering online learning resources to students, as an alternative to school placements. Here, we speak to pre-service teachers about their experiences.

What is biophilic design? How does it differ from sustainable design? And why should schools be taking a lead from early childhood settings in adopting this approach for projects and programs? Architect and author Sarah Scott discusses biophilic design and its benefits in today’s article.

The OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey shows almost six in 10 Australian teachers say they feel quite a bit or a lot of stress in their jobs, significantly higher than the average across participating OECD countries. In her latest column, Dr Sue Thomson explores the factors that contribute to teachers’ stress at work.

Most Australian teachers believe the advantages of being a teacher outweigh any disadvantages, but fewer than half feel that they are valued by society for the job they do, according to new data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018.

Building strong, purposeful relationships with staff, students and school communities is a trait of highly effective principals – but what happens to that relationship dynamic when expected ways of working suddenly change?

‘Feedback is identified as one of the most powerful strategies to progress student learning.’ Today’s article explores the nature and impact of high quality feedback, and shares how one school’s focus on teacher feedback on students’ writing is driving real change and improving outcomes.

‘These are unprecedented times and teachers have done an incredible job adapting to the many challenges the pandemic has presented.’ In her latest Teacher article, Julia Gillard discusses how Australian schools have been putting a greater focus on mental health and wellbeing, and shares advice and resources to support staff, students and families.

Family and teachers are seen to be the most trusted news sources for young people, and often act as a news filter for children and teens, according to new research from Western Sydney University and Queensland University of Technology. In today’s article we speak to the report’s lead author, Dr Tanya Notley.

‘I believe we could dispense with ATAR at almost no cost, but significant benefit. There are several observations that lead me to this conclusion,’ Professor Geoff Masters AO writes as he makes the case for change in his latest Teacher column.

The International Mathematical Modeling Challenge asks students to work collaboratively on a mathematical task related to the real world. Here, Ross Turner, who leads Australia’s involvement in the challenge, describes this year’s task.