Cultural background

Research has found that educators working in primary schools in Australia lack the confidence and competence to address racial issues in the classroom. As well as this, white normative teaching and the belief that minimising discussions about racism is better than drawing attention to them are common behaviours. In this podcast, we discuss the role of school leaders in addressing these behaviours, and how teachers can confront their own biases.

A refugee student mentoring program has proved to be successful with South Sudanese students at a school in New South Wales. Here, Greg Whitby sits down with Melinda Bowd to discuss how the program supported students by preparing them for life after school.

Creating and implementing a school Reconciliation Action Plan is a way to formalise your commitment to building and sustaining strong relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, embedding respect, and providing opportunities to improve outcomes for students and the wider community.

Integrating Indigenous perspectives into the curriculum has seen these Queensland students conduct a hands-on inquiry into the science of the woomera – an Australian Aboriginal spear-throwing device. Find out more about the project and curriculum links in today’s article.

A systematic review of research from the past two decades has investigated the link between leadership and learning to analyse how principals affect student learning and overall school culture. Here, we look at the skills displayed by principals that have emerged to have a positive effect on schools.

‘One of the biggest challenges facing educators is to find better ways to meet the learning needs of the many students who fall behind in our schools.’ In her latest Teacher column, Dr Sue Thomson explores the issue in an Australian context, and the progress made in recent years.

Reducing the disparities in the schooling experiences of students was one of the issues identified by Teacher columnist Professor Geoff Masters AO in his influential series on the ‘big five’ education challenges facing Australian schools. What does the latest evidence say, and where do we go to from here?

In Australia, one of the aims of civics and citizenship education is to develop understanding and appreciation of Indigenous histories and cultures. This infographic looks at students’ attitudes towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, traditions and peoples.

What opportunities do school students have to learn about other cultures, perspectives, and global events? Students participating in PISA 2018 were asked 10 questions about the different learning activities they are exposed to. Today’s infographic looks at the OECD average results.

At Tulliallan Primary School in Melbourne, teachers and students have been working with local Indigenous groups to create an immersive Acknowledgement of Country. STEM teacher Nick Pattison shares the story from different perspectives.