Research news

Prep teacher Sarah Ferguson has been working with Australian academics Dr Jill Cheeseman and Dr Andrea McDonough to explore young students’ perceptions of maths learning.

Student expectations of their future in education are shifting, a report released today has found. The report – which analyses PISA results from 2003 to 2015 – has shown an overall decline in the proportion expecting to go on to tertiary education.

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) measures Year 4 students’ reading literacy achievement. When the last study cycle was conducted in 2016, students in the Russian Federation outperformed their peers in all 50 participating countries and 11 benchmarking regions.

A new paper published in the Australian Journal of Education explores the reasons why many students, especially girls, choose not to study advanced mathematics in Australian secondary schools. Author Dr Helen Law joins Teacher to share her findings.

Discussions and debate around the education of refugee students can often focus on the challenges and difficulties. Finnish researcher Mervi Kaukko has come to Australia to explore the other side of the story – how are teachers helping students to be successful at school?

In this episode of The Research Files, we speak to Helen Egeberg about her latest research on what students believe to be effective classroom management, and what classroom teachers can take away from her findings.

Australian research has found that new victims of bullying and new bullies emerge in each year of high school, and the likelihood of a student’s involvement in bullying may depend on their experiences in primary school. Here, the authors of the study share their findings.

In the second article in a series related to ACER’s Communication Student Learning Progress project, Jonathan Heard and Dr Hilary Hollingsworth examine recent and current reporting trends and practices in schools, and the growing use of digital systems and tools.

A report examining the effects of taking students on excursions to see live theatre has shown that it produces significant educational benefits, including higher levels of tolerance and stronger command of the plot of those plays. Co-author of the report, Distinguished Professor Jay P. Greene shares more about the findings.

How early should educators be introducing children to the basics of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and engaging them in STEM-related learning activities? An Australia-wide research project is zeroing in on preschool.