Professional standards for teachers have become a near-ubiquitous policy tool in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development member countries in efforts to improve teacher quality and student outcomes. The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers differ from teaching standards implemented in comparable countries, with its system…

Early childhood educators have a high risk of burnout, leading to a high turnover rate and, potentially, poor educational outcomes for young children. In this systematic review, we investigate the causes of burnout, and the effectiveness of interventions that seek to reduce burnout among educators. We searched "Web of Science" and…

This study, which is a replication of three previous studies, explored the perceptions of pre-service primary and early childhood teachers who undertook a service-learning course as part of their Bachelor of Education degree at an Australian university. The practical component of the service-learning entailed 13 hours of community engagement where…

Adolescents' empathy is an essential socio-emotional concept that helps mediate friendships and family relationships. Year 10 boys, aged 15-17 years, were invited to participate in a five-day experiential education program (Design Week) based on a social equity challenge using a Design Thinking concept. Students worked in small groups, mentored by…

Teachers enhance their professional competencies, knowledge, and performance by attending various professional development activities, whose main goal is to assist them in helping students to achieve better results. The effectiveness of such events depends on matching the professional development to teachers' needs, experience, and objectives.…

This paper presents the findings of a systematic literature review that answers the research question: how does current literature define effective professional development? In answering this question, a set of design principles for effective professional development have been produced for utilisation by researchers and practitioners within and…

This research explores the development of environmental caring character through the Adiwiyata Green School program, with particular reference to a school's inclusive provision for students with special needs. This study used the CIPP (context, input, process, product) evaluation model, including semi-structured interviews, observations and…

This paper investigates the implementation and outcomes of "Growing Better Beginnings": a family literacy program for four and five year olds. The program builds on "Better Beginnings: Birth to Three" launched in 2005. Parents, teachers and librarians were surveyed and interviewed to ascertain their perceptions of the program.…

As in many other nations, the Turkish education system has undergone many significant curricular and structural reforms in the last decade. This study was designed to learn from teachers about the quality of professional development programs that were designed to support national reforms. Ten years into a period of intensive national reform,…

Tutor development is an essential part of academic staff development, yet is comparatively under-researched. This article examines what tutors value as most and least important in a program. Using data from more than 300 participants in three years, and using the dimensions or worth, merit and success as an analytical framework, the article…

Young people from refugee backgrounds face significant academic and social challenges in mainstream secondary education in Australia. Research suggests that mentoring initiatives and tutoring can help students remain engaged in education and achieve positive educational, social and emotional outcomes. The Classroom Connect Project is a joint…

Initial teacher education programs are continuously looking for ways to grow and evolve to meet the changing needs of pre-service teachers (PSTs) who will face a diverse student population when they begin their careers. This study examines a short-term, cross-cultural, service-learning immersion undertaken by 21 undergraduate PSTs to an internally…

Professionals' learning and motivation is regarded as social, situated and constructed. For successful implementation of new professional learning, consideration of both person and context is needed. Individual motivational beliefs regarding activities are, for example, inseparable from and mutually shaped by the social context in which these…

This paper is based on a year long research project that examined changes in participation of 31 students in a Year 4/5 classroom, where bullying was occurring. The teacher (first author and researcher) facilitated authentic learning opportunities to make the social practices explicit during weekly class meetings. A socio cultural perspective and…