Mobile phones are currently banned in all Australian state schools and many Catholic and independent schools around the country. This is part of a global trend over more than a decade to restrict phone use in schools. Australian governments say banning mobile phones will reduce distractions in class, allow students to focus on learning, improve student wellbeing and reduce cyberbullying. But previous research has […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
We looked at all the recent evidence on mobile phone bans in schools – this is what we found
‘Definitions are often very western. This excludes us.’ Our research shows how to boost Indigenous participation in STEM
Australian politicians and major government reports keep emphasising the importance of STEM (or science, technology, engineering and maths) skills for our economy and society. As the Universities Accord report noted last month, engineering and and science are experiencing “significant skill shortages”. Then there is a federal goal to have 1.2 million tech-related jobs by 2030. This comes amid […] … learn more→
What do schools need to do to have a good culture and healthy approach to gender?
Cranbrook in Sydney’s east is one of the most elite boys schools in Australia. On Monday night, the ABC’s Four Corners program aired claims some female teachers had been bullied by male staff and sexually harassed by students. Amid the school’s decision to go fully co-ed by 2028, there are concerns about whether Cranbrook will be a safe space […] … learn more→
Can reading be encouraged among schoolchildren if their future teachers barely read?
Reading is essential to integrate into society. We live surrounded by written information with which we learn. But it is also an excellent leisure activity. In Spain, for example, 98.1% of people over 15 years of age can read. Recognizes spellings, letters and words and is able to follow the thematic thread of a text. But if there is no will […] … learn more→
Navigating special education labels is complex, and it matters for education equity
The Ontario Ministry of Education’s special education policy and resource guide provides instructions to school boards and schools on administering special education programs. It also emphasizes the importance of education equity, and involving parents in special education designations. As researchers, we explored the rights of Latin American and Black Caribbean youth when it comes to special education in our […] … learn more→
Six uses of augmented reality in class with the potential to transform teaching
Imagine a history class in which the events studied come to life before our eyes: while the teacher narrates the key events of the French Revolution, the students are immersed in an immersive visual experience. Historical figures emerge as three-dimensional holograms in the classroom, recreating the most crucial moments. Robespierre delivers his speeches, the clamor of the […] … learn more→
How teens benefit from being able to read ‘disturbing’ books that some want to ban
Should we worry, as massive book-banning efforts imply, that young people will be harmed by certain kinds of books? For over a decade and through hundreds of interviews, my colleague, literacy professor Peter Johnston, and I have studied how adolescents experience reading when they have unfettered access to young adult literature. Our findings suggest that many are helped rather than […] … learn more→
Understanding how the brain works can transform how school students learn maths
School mathematics teaching is stuck in the past. An adult revisiting the school that they attended as a child would see only superficial changes from what they experienced themselves. Yes, in some schools they might see a room full of electronic tablets, or the teacher using a touch-sensitive, interactive whiteboard. But if we zoom in […] … learn more→
How educator Gloria Jean Merriex used dance, drills and devotion to turn around a failing elementary school in a year
When Duval Elementary – a school that served mostly Black and poor students in East Gainesville, Florida – failed the state’s high-stakes standardized test in 2002, district leaders pressured the school’s educators to more closely follow the curriculum. But Gloria Jean Merriex, who taught third and fourth grade reading and fifth grade math, wasn’t interested. She argued […] … learn more→
Happy teachers: a key to improving academic results
Nine in the morning, the doorbell rings. The boys and girls rush to enter the classrooms. His teacher is waiting there. She has been at the center for more than half an hour arranging the classroom to carry out a dynamic that she hopes will work and capture attention better than yesterday. Among the large […] … learn more→
