Guidance reports and research summaries of the best available evidence for policy makers and education leaders.
For policy-makers, education leaders and teachers
Educational performance and economic consequences
Cognitive capacity of the population is a key driver of economic growth, primary schools make the most significant contribution to a nation’s cognitive.
Summaries
- The Role of Cognitive Skills in Economic Development, Eric Hanushek
- The role of education quality for economic growth, Eric Hanushek
- NSW Productivity Commission white paper: Improving teaching as a productivity boosting strategy
- Summary of national comparisons in educational performance, Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), OECD
Science of Learning
The Science of Learning is a summary of existing research from cognitive psychology on how students learn, and practical implications for classroom practice.
Summaries
- Science of Learning, Deans for Impact
- Cognitive Load Theory: Research that Teachers Really Need to Understand, Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation
- Cognitive Architecture and Instructional Design, John Sweller and colleagues
- Cognitive Load in Action – The Book, Ollie Lovell
- Critical Thinking: Why is it so Hard to Teach? Daniel Willingham
Science of Reading
The Science of Reading is a summary of how to teach reading based on research conducted across a variety of discipline areas over the last half century. This research emphasises five key components for effective reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.
Summaries
- Hard Words: Why Aren’t Kids Being Taught to Read? Emily Hanford, AMP Reports
- Primary Reading Pledge, Five from Five
- The Simple View of Reading, Professor Anne Castles, NSW Department of Education
- Reading as a Cognitive Process, Professor Anne Castles, NSW Department of Education
- Effective Reading Instruction in the Early Years of School, Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation
- SOLAR: The Science of Language and Reading, Pamela Snow, La Trobe University
Go further
- Five from Five
A community education initiative of MultiLit Pty Ltd that aims to improve literacy levels by ensuring all children receive effective, evidence based reading instruction. - Learning Difficulties Australia
A non-profit organisation for education professionals dedicated to using scientifically based methods to improve learning for all students. - Dyslexia Speld Foundation
Evidence-based advice and information on learning difficulties and disabilities. - SOLAR lab
The Science of Language and Reading Lab at the School of Education, La Trobe University
Curriculum resources
Knowledge-rich, coherent, sequential and systematic curriculums with high ambition for students and quality lesson materials for teachers are a powerful strategy to raise educational outcomes.
Summaries
- What We Teach Matters: How Quality Curriculum Improves Student Outcomes, Learning First
- Curriculum and Educational Reforms in Portugal: An Analysis on Why and How Students’ Knowledge and Skills Improved, Nino Crat
- Why Knowledge Matters, E.D. Hirsch interviewed by Greg Ashman (podcast)
- The Knowledge Gap, Natalie Wexler interviewed by Ollie Lovell (podcast)
Evidence-informed Teaching Practice
There is a body of evidence showing the types of instructional strategies and approaches have an impact on improving educational outcomes across socio-economic contexts.
Research summaries
- Overcoming the Odds: A study of Australia’s top-performing disadvantaged schools, The Centre for Independent Studies
- High Performing Primary Schools: What Do They Have in Common? Bill Louden
- How to Improve Student Educational Outcomes, McKinsey & Co
- What Works Best in Practice, Centre for Educational Statistics and Evaluation
- Principles of effective instruction, Barack Rosenshine
- Putting Students on the Path to Learning: The Case for Fully Guided Instruction, Clark, Kirschner & Sweller
Go further
Teacher-focused networks and podcasts
Recent Media
Reading
- Reading wars hit home during lockdown lessons, Rebecca Urban, The Australian
- Phonics makes a comeback as a sound foundation of learning, Rebecca Urban, The Australian
- Kids in the crossfire it’s not just that they can't read, Jordan Baker, Sydney Morning Herald
- The reading wars, Jordan Baker, Good weekend magazine, SMH
- What’s the best way to teach a child to read?, Cassie McCullough, ABC
- Reading wars rage again as Australian Government pushes to introduce phonics test, Natasha Robinson, ABC
- Phonics study hopes to end reading wars once and for all, Antonette Collins, ABC
Maths
- Maths experts reject curriculum changes , Rebecca Urban, The Australian
- Sum of all fears, why maths problem is getting worse , Jordan Baker, The Age
- Maths experts reaffirm support for curriculum changes , Lisa Vicentin and Anna Prytz, Sydney Morning Herald
- The epic failure at the root of Australia's maths problem, Robin Nagy, ABC
Initial teacher education
- Teacher training review key to arresting declining academic results, Lisa Visentin, Sydney Morning Herald
- La Trobe University SOLAR Lab aims to improve reading teaching in education degrees, Beth Gibson, ABC
General standards
- Lessons in failure need to be learned, Paul Kelly, The Australian
- How Tudge can get kids back to the top of the class, Julie Hare, Australian Financial Review
- Australian students behind in maths, reading and science, PISA education study shows, Connor Duffy, ABC
- The top ranking education systems in the world aren't there by accident. Here's how Australia can climb up, Julie Sonnemann, ABC