Short articles

‘Addressing the gender imbalance in digital technologies education and careers is an important goal. The research highlighted several areas where educators can contribute.’ Research from ACER for CSIRO has identified several factors that could support greater engagement of young women in digital technologies education. Find out more in this article.

Our latest Teacher’s Bookshelf features Building a World-Class Learning System: Insights from some top-performing school systems, by Professor Geoff Masters. It explores what British Columbia, Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong and South Korea have in common, the strategies they employ, and the decisions they are making to support students now and in the future.

In our latest expert Q&A we talk to Greta Rollo, who leads the Primary Early Childhood and Inclusive Research team at the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), and ACER Research Fellow Dr Kellie Picker, about the place of phonics in early reading instruction.

In this edition of Researching education: 5 further readings – the series where we take a look at some further readings available on a particular topic, including open access research papers from various online databases – we’re sharing 5 pieces of content on the topic of citizenship and political voice.

‘My experience as a teacher and researcher in Japan has allowed me to observe and study classrooms in depth. The first thing that caught my attention was the use of chalkboards.’ Dr Shirley Tan shares how the traditional Japanese technique of bansho board writing can enhance teaching and learning in your own classroom.

Building strong relationships and creating a positive learning environment is conducive to improving student outcomes. Humanities teacher Andreas Katsanos shares a step-by-step process he undertook to refine his own classroom practice in these 2 areas.

In this extract from their new book, Leading Improvement in School Community Wellbeing, Dr Donna Cross and Dr Leanne Lester are discussing the role of ‘wellbeing champions’ in a school setting, and the 4 key elements school leaders need to prioritise when it comes to staff wellbeing.

‘In my work supporting mathematics teachers’ planning, I am often told “I just wish we had more time!” That is, more time to understand the concepts, reflect on assessment data, source high-quality tasks, and discuss strategies for supporting diverse learners.’ Dr Aylie Davidson shares 5 tips that her research has shown can help ensure teaching teams stay maths-focused when planning.

‘[Do] teachers need to be trained therapists? A resounding no. Teachers can provide the best support to students impacted by trauma by developing positive relationships, implementing evidence-informed classroom practices, providing effective instruction and managing the classroom environment so that all students, including those affected by trauma, can thrive,’ Dr Lorna Hepburn writes in our latest reader submission.

We’re heading into tax time here in Australia, and that means you’ll be thinking about what to include in your return. This article shares examples of common expenses incurred by teachers and education professionals that you can claim for, and some of the things that aren’t tax deductible.