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Reality Now: Tobacco and Vaping Report
Full text linkThis report presents findings from data collected through the Reality Now program, providing a long-term study exploring tobacco and vaping behaviours among Australian secondary school students. Conducted from 2018 to 2024, the program collected nearly 30,000 responses from students in Years 7 to 11. Using a social norms approach (SNA), the program aimed to identify and correct misperceptions about peer substance use and promote healthier behaviours. This report focuses on tobacco and vaping behaviours, whereas the broader program also examined the use of alcohol, cannabis, and MDMA. The findings show that while actual tobacco and vape use remain low, students consistently overestimate how many of their peers engage in these behaviours. These inflated perceptions can influence decision-making and increase risk-taking. This report explores how these misperceptions evolve, the impact of attitudinal shifts across year levels, and the effect of demographics on attitudes and behaviour. Considerations from the findings for teachers, students and parents/cares are provided
Collaboration: Skill development framework. 2nd edition
Full text linkACER\u27s skill development framework addresses the challenges associated with teaching and assessing collaboration. It is designed to synthesise and harmonise existing theory and research on collaboration to provide a holistic perspective. It outlines collaboration processes along prescribed strands and aspects that are informed by a sound evidence base. It is based on three strands: Building shared understanding; Collectively contributing; and Regulating the group
SDG 4.1.1 Minimum Proficiency Levels. Definition and blueprint for assessment
Full text linkSustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 aims to ensure that, by 2030, “all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.” The primary indicator 4.1.1 concerns the proficiency of girls and boys in two learning areas (reading and mathematics) at three stages of education: at the end of lower primary, at the end of primary, and at the end of lower secondary. Large-scale learning assessments are essential tools to capture data on learning outcomes and to provide system-level evidence on education quality and equity. In the context of SDG 4, it is important that these data can also be used to monitor countries’ progress with achieving this goal – by reporting on SDG indicator 4.1.1 – the proportion of learners achieving at least a minimum proficiency level (MPL) in reading and mathematics at three stages of education. While the number of countries implementing large-scale learning assessments has increased substantially over the past two decades, these vary substantially in the assessed target population, learning areas, domains and constructs. In light of this, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics is supporting Ministries of Education, assessment agencies and organisations, education donors, partners and other stakeholders to use various national, regional and international large-scale assessments to report against SDG indicator 4.1.1. The UIS has specified a set of 7 key reporting criteria, each containing a set of technical requirements that assessments must meet to be eligible to report against SDG 4.1.11. This document has been created to support the application of reporting criterion 1 – Alignment to the MPL and construct validity, by providing a clear definition of the MPLs and a blueprint for each educational stage – a) at the end of lower primary (Grades 2/3), b) at the end of primary, and c) at the end of lower secondary
National Assessment Program Civics and Citizenship 2024 : Technical report.
Full text linkThis report describes the procedures and processes involved in the conduct of the National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship (NAP – CC) 2024. The report is divided into chapters covering: the assessment framework and instrument design, item development, test design, scoring student responses, the student questionnaire, student background information, sampling and weighting, data collection procedures and data management, and scaling procedures. The report include an extensive collection of tables and figures
Teacher Practice Improvement Tool. Preliminary version
Full text linkResearch shows the profound impact teachers can have on student outcomes. The Teacher Practice Improvement Tool describes the practices of highly effective teachers, based on an extensive review of international research. Five domains—or aspects of practice—have been identified from this evidence. These areas of teachers’ work are strongly interrelated. The TPIT provides a point of reference for teachers to reflect on their current practices and identify areas for professional growth. This tool can be used for teacher self-reflection and to identify specific areas for further professional growth. The TPIT can also be used by aspiring teachers and other education professionals who support the work of teachers. The TPIT is part of ACER’s suite of improvement tools. ACER offers a range of school and system improvement services using these tools
TIMSS 2023 Australia. Volume II: Student and school characteristics
No full textThis is the second of 2 reports that look at the results of TIMSS 2023 and Australia’s performance. This report, Volume II, presents the results from the contextual questionnaires, and examines the home, school, and classroom contexts in which learning and achievement occur, as well as student attitudes. Each chapter focuses on different indicators concerning the school community; the school learning environment; mathematics and science teacher characteristics; mathematics and science classroom learning environments; and, students’ attitudes and beliefs and use of technology. Together, the different indicators of student and school life illustrate some of the many key aspects that make up the school experience. The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is an international comparative study of student achievement directed by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA). TIMSS was first conducted in 1995 and the 2023 assessment formed the eighth cycle, providing 28 years of trends in mathematics and science achievement at Year 4 and Year 8
Understanding the impact of transnational education: Insights from UK TNE Alumni
No full textThis study explores the impact of UK transnational education (TNE). The research is based on analysis of survey data from 550 UK TNE alumni augmented with interviews of 27 UK TNE graduates. As transnational education (TNE) continues to expand – across borders, institutions, and delivery models—so too does the imperative to understand its impact. This extends not only to students and graduates, but also to the local communities in which TNE is embedded. This is a global study capturing views of individuals who have experienced UK TNE across over 70 countries. The study reveals the substantial impact of UK TNE on graduates and on the local environments where they live and work. On a personal level, alumni consistently cited the relevance of their UK qualifications and highlighted enhanced skills in areas such as critical thinking, research, and communication.The research also highlights a strong desire among alumni to maintain ongoing connections with the UK. While physical mobility may deliver deeper personal engagement with the UK, this study demonstrates that TNE also fosters meaningful cultural understanding and positive sentiment towards the UK
Infographic: Music teaching support needs
Full text linkNew findings from a survey of over 700 teachers across 95 primary schools in New South Wales shine a light on their current understanding and own experience of music education. Here are some of the survey results on teacher confidence and professional learning.https://research.acer.edu.au/teacher_graphics/1241/thumbnail.jp
The Teaching and Learning International Survey 2024: Non-Response Bias Analysis Report for Australia
No full textThis report considers potential non-response bias in the 2024 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). Analysis in this report demonstrates that Australia’s ISCED 1 and ISCED 2 respondents are representative of the broader school and teacher populations, strongly supporting a ‘Fair’ rating for data quality, particularly given the high in-school principal and teacher responses rates
PISA 2022. A closer look at mathematics in Australia
Full text linkThe Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international comparative study that assesses how well 15-year-olds, who have nearly completed compulsory schooling in most participating educational systems, can use their knowledge and skills to meet real-world opportunities and challenges. In each cycle of PISA, students are assessed in the domains of reading, mathematics and science. Each cycle has a domain that is the major focus and for which there is a higher proportion of questions than from the others. Mathematics was the major focus in the 2022 cycle. The mathematics assessment framework includes 2 mathematics subscales that reflect the complexity of mathematics. The content subscales (Change and relationships; Quantity; Space and shape; and Uncertainty and data) represent the core areas of mathematics knowledge that students encounter in educational curricula worldwide. The process subscales (Formulating situations mathematically; Employing mathematical concepts, facts and procedures; Interpreting, applying and evaluating mathematical outcomes; and, Mathematical reasoning) reflect the mental actions required for effective problem-solving in mathematics. This report presents the mathematics results on the content and process subscales for Australia as a whole, for the Australian states and territories and for the other groups in PISA 2022. This report also presents the results from the teacher questionnaire about the teaching of mathematics and explores the perspectives of teachers on the constructs of: goals and views about teaching mathematics; encouraging mathematical thinking; fostering reasoning; and, teaching of mathematical reasoning and 21st-century mathematics topics. Each construct examines the similarities and differences in teachers teaching of mathematics between countries, the Australian jurisdictions and different demographic groups. Similarly, the student questionnaire ascertains student perspectives about the constructs of: effort and persistence in mathematics; mathematics self-efficacy in mathematical reasoning and 21st-century mathematics topics; and, mathematics anxiety. The constructs present the similarities and differences in students\u27 attitudes and behaviours toward learning mathematics between countries, the Australian jurisdictions and different demographic groups