Teacher Magazine (ACER)

Last week, the latest 2025 results for the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (or, PISA) were released. PISA is the world’s largest international assessment of student learning, and it shows how well 15-year-old students can apply their knowledge and skills in science, reading and mathematics to real-world situations. PISA 2025 involved 760,000 students internationally, and in Australia, more than 14,500 students from 766 schools participated in the assessment. ACER is responsible for the design and implementation of PISA globally and it led the transition to a fully digital assessment platform for PISA 2025. In today’s episode, I’m delighted to be joined by Dr Jonas Bertling, Research Director of ACER Implementation and Reporting and co-author of the report sharing Australia’s 2025 PISA results. We’re going to talk all about what the results tell us about the specific knowledge and skills students possess across science, mathematics and reading; how teachers can think about and use the results in relation to their own school contexts, and have an interesting discussion about technology and AI. Host: Dominique Beech Guest: Dr Jonas Bertling

Welcome everyone to this special episode. We're going to be talking about leadership burnout with educational leader Brad Gaynor. It's a timely topic. It's R U OK? Day in Australia today. Brad's recent book, From Burnout to Breakthrough: The Leadership Reset, looks at the growing pressure on school leaders and how that can impact wellbeing. He also shares his own lived experience of burnout. There's a lot to reflect on from this really important discussion.

It’s Teacher Editor Jo Earp dropping into your podcast feed to give you a heads up on a special episode coming up tomorrow to coincide with RU OK Day. We’re going to be talking burnout with educational leader Brad Gaynor. He writes about it so candidly in his book From Burnout to Breakthrough: The Leadership Reset – sharing his own lived experience. I really can’t recommend this one enough – it’s such an important discussion and there’s so much to reflect on. Listen to the full episode tomorrow!

In this episode of School Assembly, Teacher editor Jo Earp catches up with the leaders from all 3 series – Dan McShea from Notre Dame P-12 College in Queensland, Jo Camozzato from Bemin Secondary College in Victoria, and Dr Ray Boyd and Rachael Lehr from Dayton Primary School in Western Australia – to hear all about the progress made at their schools since we last spoke.

Throughout the school year, there are many important events and celebrations on the education calendar, and this month has been no exception. From Australian Primary Principals Day to National Science Week, we've marked these occasions by sharing stories and resources that we hope resonate with educators across the country. In today's Teacher Staffroom episode, we take you through the highlights. Host: Rebecca Vukovic

Ahead of the 2026 ACEL National Conference – presented in partnership with ACER – Teacher editor Jo Earp is joined by Lisa Newland, CEO of ACEL, and Lisa Rodgers, CEO of ACER, to unpack the conference’s theme of bold leadership. Lisa and Lisa tell us about their approach to leadership, what they’ve learned over the years, and more. Host: Jo Earp Guests: Lisa Newland and Lisa Rodgers

It’s Teacher Editor Jo Earp dropping into your podcast feed to give you a heads up on a cracking new episode coming up tomorrow. It’s all about leadership and I’m joined by 2 guests with a wealth of experience on the topic – Lisa Rodgers, CEO of the Australian Council for Educational Research, and Lisa Newland, CEO of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders. We’re speaking ahead of the ACEL National Conference, with the 2026 theme Bold Leadership: New Frontiers in Education. ACER is partnering with ACEL to deliver the conference this year. Join me for tomorrow’s episode to hear Lisa and Lisa talk about their own approach to leadership, great examples they’ve seen over the years, and the importance of amplifying educator voice and elevating the profession.

In this episode Dominique Beech is joined by Dr Rebecca Collie who shares the findings from a new study that captured annual snapshots of teachers’ wellbeing over 6 years since COVID-19. She also reflects on some of her prior research into teacher wellbeing and shares practical tips for school leaders supporting teachers through future education disruptions. Host: Dominique Beech Guest: Dr Rebecca Collie

In this episode, out tomorrow, Dominique Beech is joined by Dr Rebecca Collie who shares the findings from a new study that captured annual snapshots of teachers’ wellbeing over 6 years since COVID-19. She also reflects on some of her prior research into teacher wellbeing and shares practical tips for school leaders supporting teachers through future education disruptions. Find it wherever you get your podcasts, out tomorrow!

We're joined by Andrew Fuller, a renowned clinical psychologist, author and family therapist. Ahead of the National Education Summit in Melbourne this September, where he'll be presenting 2 sessions, Andrew sits down to discuss his work on converting neurodiversity into ‘neuro-advantage’. In this episode, we explore 3 key themes – transitions and regulation, school belonging and finding your people, and how educators can help turn neurodivergence into a genuine advantage for young people. This is a highly practical conversation where we move beyond theory and into real-world examples. Andrew tells stories, provides scripts, and even role-plays scenarios that are likely to resonate with teachers and school leaders. Host: Rebecca Vukovic Guest: Andrew Fuller

Hello, it’s Rebecca Vukovic jumping into your podcast feed to let you know about a new episode that will be in your ears tomorrow. Ahead of the National Education Summit in Melbourne this September, I'm sat down to record with Andrew Fuller, a renowned clinical psychologist, author and family therapist, to discuss his work on converting neurodiversity into neuro-advantage. In this episode, we explore 3 key themes – transitions and regulation, school belonging and finding your people, and how educators can help turn neurodivergence into a genuine advantage for young people. Listen to the full conversation tomorrow – available wherever you get your podcasts!

This week we're celebrating Australian Primary Principals Day – a chance to recognise the incredible work happening in primary schools across the country and the dedicated teachers, support staff and principals who make it possible. To mark the occasion, we sat down with Anthony Boys, Principal of Marist Catholic College, North Shore in Sydney, a co-educational kindergarten to year 12 school. Our conversation explores the vital role principals play in shaping school culture, supporting teachers and helping young people thrive. In this episode, Anthony shares his approach to instructional leadership, explains how distributed leadership works in practice at his school, and reflects on his involvement with the Menzies Leadership Foundation and the influence it has had on his own leadership journey. Host: Rebecca Vukovic Guest: Anthony Boys

Hello, it’s Rebecca Vukovic jumping into your podcast feed to let you know about a new podcast that will be in your ears tomorrow. Of course, this week we're celebrating Australian Primary Principals Day – a chance to recognise the incredible work of principals in primary schools across the country. To mark the occasion, I sat down with Anthony Boys, principal of Marist Catholic College, North Shore in Sydney, a co-educational kindergarten to year 12 school. He has a unique perspective of leading a school that spans from the earliest years right through to year 12. It gives him a broad view of how young people grow, develop and learn over time. Listen to the full conversation tomorrow – available wherever you get your podcasts!

If you listened to Episode 76 of Teacher Staffroom, you might recall that I brought you some recent content we published where we spoke with experts in the education field and brought you important research updates. I mentioned in that episode that we love to speak with school staff about the incredible work they’re doing in their school settings to improve student outcomes. That’s because a key focus of Teacher is providing a platform for educators to share with and learn from each other. So, in this episode of Teacher Staffroom I’m going to share some wonderful recent school examples we’ve published. And don’t forget, like all of our other episodes of Teacher Staffroom, I’ll be posing some questions for you throughout this podcast, so you can feel free to pause the audio as you go, gather some colleagues, and discuss together how these stories might be relevant to your school context. Host: Dominique Beech

Thinking about the outdoor space in your school setting, how well is it serving students? How well is it serving yourself and your colleagues? When was the last time you reviewed the space, or asked students, staff and families for their views? In today’s episode of The Research Files, we're joined by Dr Gweneth Leigh and Hannah Richardson from the University of Canberra. They’ve just released what they’re calling a Schoolyard Greenprint – a series of free-to-access papers sharing their findings from almost 2 years of research into outdoor spaces in secondary school settings. In our conversation, you’ll hear why it was important for them to focus on the secondary school setting specifically, what educators and young people told them about the outdoor spaces at their schools, and how these resources can support work in your own setting. Host: Dominique Beech Guests: Dr Gweneth Leigh & Hannah Richardson

How well is the outdoor space in your school serving students and staff? In this episode of The Research Files, Dominique Beech speaks with Dr Gweneth Leigh and Hannah Richardson from the University of Canberra about their 2-year study into outdoor spaces in secondary school settings, which resulted in plenty of practical tools for educators. Hear the full episode out tomorrow!

In this episode of The Research Files, Teacher editor Jo Earp is joined by Mason Zhou and Professor Dot Dumuid to talk about a South Australian study into the impact of secondary school transition on student wellbeing. One of the key findings is it’s not a short-term dip – students may be struggling in their second year, too. Host: Jo Earp Guests: Mason Zhou, Professor Dot Dumuid

Recently on Teacher, we shared the news of the inaugural winner of the Global Schools Prize. Lebanon’s The Alsama Project – an education organisation supporting displaced Syrian and Palestinian teenagers to remain engaged in education – has taken home the US $500,000 in prize money to scale its impact globally. The Global Schools Prize is an initiative of the Varkey Foundation that aims to recognise and celebrate the world’s most innovative and impactful schools that are reimagining education for the future. The prize is organised into 10 categories, and each category winner is awarded US $50,000. Excitingly, Australia’s very own Larrakeyah Primary School in Darwin were recognised as a top 5 finalist in the AI transformation category for the Prize. They were recognised for transforming education through IntelliLearn – a custom-built AI writing platform that provides students with curriculum-aligned and scaffolded feedback. It’s an incredible achievement, particularly because the platform was designed by teachers at the school. In this episode, we're delighted to be joined by Larrakeyah Primary School principal Fathma Mauger to hear all about IntelliLearn. Host: Dominique Beech Guest: Fathma Mauger

Recently the winner of the Global Schools Prize was announced – chosen from over 3,000 nominations. Excitingly, Australia’s Larrakeyah Primary School in Darwin were named as a finalist for the prize. In this episode, Dominique Beech is joined by Fathma Mauger to hear all about the custom-built AI writing platform they were recognised for. Hear the full episode out tomorrow!

AI tools are becoming more embedded in students’ lives. As a result, teachers, leaders and school systems are asking: What does this mean for teaching and learning, and how should we respond? At Teacher, we know this is a topic that educators are seeking practical support on, and so this month, we’ve published a range of articles to help. In today’s Teacher Staffroom episode, we’ll take you through the key highlights, along with a few extra pieces that you won’t want to miss. Host: Rebecca Vukovic