Australia Association for Research in Education
Teacher quality
TeachING quality is not teachER quality. How we talk about ‘quality’ matters
The language we use to discuss the work of teachers in the public domain matters. It matters to our shared understanding of education as a society and it impacts on teachers’ work both directly and indirectly. My research at the moment focuses in part on the notion of quality in education, specifically how issues of …
Understanding educational theory: vital or a waste of time for student teachers?
My student teachers often question the value of educational theory in their initial teacher education. Also often early …
Does professional development improve teaching?
Most Australian teachers returned to their schools last week, and for many their first day back was a …
Roll back curriculum constraints and give teachers the freedom to make professional judgements
The role of the teacher in an Australian classroom is changing, and not in a good way. As I see it, the relentless pressure for schools to perform well in NAPLAN, the demands of various mandated curriculum and the ubiquitous concerns about ‘quality teaching’ are making teachers lose confidence in their own professional abilities. There …
So who wants to teach these days? (Be surprised)
The quality of teachers is a growing focus of educational reform around the world, with new policies attempting …
Positive personal attributes: why teachers need them and how teacher education can help (despite negative media)
Positive personal attributes such as fairness, humour and kindness, I believe, should be considered necessary attributes for a teacher. Currently much of the discussion around ‘quality’ teaching, teacher entry and teacher education is about a suite of high-level competencies and standards. However the nature of teachers’ work and the uniqueness of the education profession should …
Do Australian teachers have poor literacy skills? Let’s look at the evidence
Australians have been sold the idea that our primary school teachers today have poor literacy standards, not only …
‘Growth mindset’ is not just for school students, teachers can grow their minds too
Most educators would be aware of the term ‘growth mindset’ by now. The idea is you can work …
‘Nothing you learn at university has any relevance in a classroom’
Reading professional experience reports, written by teachers about the student teachers practising in their classrooms, is a disturbing …
Donnelly and Wiltshire offer ‘expert’ advice on how our teachers should teach, but how expert are they?
My Facebook and Twitter feeds have been awash with irate teachers for a number of months now, as a constant trickle of announcements, leaks and policy statements from our federal and state governments and political parties have grown into what can be viewed as an attack on Australian teachers, curriculum, and public schools. The most …