Student engagement

In this episode of School Improvement, we’re taking you to Ireland where research has been conducted looking at engaging students in the school self-evaluation process in a meaningful way. Shivaun O’Brien from Dublin City University joins us to unpack the impetus for the research and to talk us through some of the findings.

How effectively do you think you’re delivering Indigenous content in the curriculum? Would you say you have enough knowledge and confidence in this area? A program established by the University of New South Wales’ Matraville Education Partnership is looking to address these two areas of teacher practice.

Getting students engaged and invested in their learning leads to improved outcomes. It also makes the lesson a more enjoyable experience for everyone, including the teacher. Enhanced lesson engagement was just one of the benefits of a small-scale study focusing on quality teaching in Physical Education.

‘Schools are increasingly being asked to support the mental health and wellbeing of our children and this has created an opportunity to reframe the teaching the learning environment.’ Ben Sacco discusses three elements – safety, relational trust, and shared language – that can directly support schools to improve teaching, learning and wellbeing.

A new study involving students in Grades 1 and 2 from three primary schools in Melbourne has assessed the impact of implementing active breaks throughout the school day on the focus and learning of students.

In Creating Trauma-Informed, Strengths-Based Classrooms, Dr Tom Brunzell and Dr Jacolyn Norrish share what they’ve learned about working with students who present unmet learning needs in the classroom, including research, theory and lots of practical tools and strategies for educators to use and adapt to their own context.

In their series for Teacher on Virtual Reality in education, Dr Susan O’Donnell and Adrian Rayner have explored the potential of VR technology and five elements of a successful school program. In this final instalment, they share feedback from students and staff who have been using the technology in their learning and teaching.

In this episode of School Improvement, we’re taking you to a school in rural New South Wales where students in Years 5 to 9 are reading 12 books each year. Head of Middle School and English teacher Alex Wharton joins us to share how this has been achieved.

Teachers at Kalkie State School have designed and delivered a pilot STEM program aimed at increasing student engagement in science and technologies and improving digital literacy for both staff and students. Digital Technologies teacher Samantha Ephraims shares the details in today’s reader submission.

Christ Church Grammar School in Perth established The Wynne Centre for Boys’ Health and Wellbeing to ensure staff were consistently striving to offer a holistic, well-rounded educational experience. In today’s article, the centre’s Director Liam Casson explains the school’s health and wellbeing strategy, and why collaboration is a key enabler.