Research news

As a school, understanding the reasons for student absenteeism in your context is key to providing targeted support. Drawing on data from PISA 2022, new OECD research shows school attendance problems are widespread and increasing. In this infographic, we share the reasons students missed 3 or more consecutive months of schooling.

In this episode of The Research Files, Teacher editor Jo Earp is joined by Mason Zhou and Professor Dot Dumuid to talk about a South Australian study into the impact of secondary school transition on student wellbeing. One of the key findings is it’s not a short-term dip – students may be struggling in their second year, too.

A survey of teachers in Australia has examined teacher perspectives on the role of teachers and schools in fostering respectful debate and discussion of contemporary issues. Survey topics include teacher confidence in facilitating discussions, and the barriers they face.

New research involving almost 4,000 students aged 13-18 in the UK has found many are divided over appropriate use of AI in their homework and a majority would like to see their teachers use AI in the classroom. The research also asked students and their teachers what support they would like to receive on AI. Find out more in this article. 

In this episode of The Research Files, editor Jo Earp is joined by Professor Sandra Gattenhof and Dr John Nicholas Saunders who share findings from their study exploring declining enrolment numbers in year 12 arts subjects in Australia. They also talk about the implications for schools, including the arts educator pipeline, and practical supports for out-of-field teachers.

A UK study involving over 125,000 children and young people has shown an uptick in enjoyment of reading and daily reading habits. Latest findings also include gender differences for reading habits, and insights into what encourages young people to read for pleasure.

Absent students miss more than just lesson content; they miss the opportunities to build the habits and skills to succeed at school and in life. New OECD research shows ‘school attendance problems are no longer a marginal issue; they have become a challenge affecting classrooms in nearly every country’.

A new report has revealed the most popular ebook genres for K-12 students. The results were calculated by analysing 2025 data from all schools serving students in K-12 across Australia that use the Sora student reading app. Here, we share the most popular genres by state and territory. 

A collaborative study involving Aboriginal Elders, families, educators and children across 3 urban schools in Perth, Western Australia, is working to deepen Aboriginal children’s understanding of, and pride in, who they are by strengthening their connections to culture, Country and kin. Professor Cheryl Kickett-Tucker from Curtin University tells us all about the Moombaki Cultural Learnings Project and the impact it is having on Aboriginal students.

Last month, the OECD released findings from the 2025 International Early Learning and Child Well-being Study (IELS). In today's episode, Dr Dan Cloney, Senior Research Fellow at ACER and Lead Researcher for IELS, unpacks some of the key findings from the study, explores what made the assessment design unique, and discusses why it's so important to ensure every child arrives at school with the strongest possible foundations.