Student engagement

What strategies do you have to smooth the transition for children in their first year of formal schooling? Students feeling like they belong at school is a key factor, and new research has uncovered what makes young students feel like they belong at school. 

‘I wanted to make a meaningful change in how our kids see themselves as mathematicians.’ Mathematics teacher Holly Wedd has been making a significant difference to the way students at her school succeed in maths by boosting their confidence and reducing mathematics anxiety. 

Last term, we shared the 2025 winners of the Australian STEM Video Game Challenge. Teacher aide David Jeffery was the mentor for one of the winning student teams. In today’s Q&A, he tells us about the benefits of the challenge for student learning, and shares advice for other schools wanting to have a crack in 2026.

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. 

‘Too often, civics and citizenship education is framed about students rather than with them.’ In his latest Teacher column Professor Martin Westwell – Chief Executive of the South Australian Department for Education – shares details of the first Active Citizenship Convention, which gave prominence to student voice.

What opportunities are available to your students to develop skills in data analysis, game theory and digital citizenship? eSports might be one vehicle for schools. In this article we speak to the eSport Coordinator at Ripley Valley State Secondary College to find out about its eSport Academy.

‘I’m proud that Future Thinking has become a fantastic case study in how curriculum can evolve to meet the needs of the present and the possibilities of the future.’ Liam Bassett – Director of Digital Learning (P–12) at Westbourne Grammar School – shares details of a new year 9 subject designed to challenge, provoke and inspire.

At ACER’s Research Conference 2025, poster presenter Peter Axford – a Senior Teacher at Malanda State High School and PhD candidate at James Cook University – showcased his research exploring an agency approach to student engagement with the curriculum. Here he shares the impetus for this research and how the findings influenced his own classroom practice.

‘Students are uniquely placed to bring to conversations something which only they can, their lived experience of what it means to be a learner in their school.’ In today’s article, John Cleary asks if ‘student voice’ is enough, and discusses how educators can instead partner with students to ensure their voices (and views) are heard and acted upon.

As a school leader, have you consulted your students, staff and community members on the topic of student attendance and engagement? New research has explored First Nations student engagement and attendance in remote Australian schools by gathering valuable insights from those on the ground.