Media Centre for Education Research Australia

18/12/2023

MCERA are thankful for your support and engagement throughout 2023. We take this opportunity to wish you a safe and happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year. See you in 2024!

29/11/2023

Join three passionate researchers working towards creating a safer online environment for Australian children.

Professor Tama Leaver, Professor Michael Dezuanni and Dr Aleesha Rodriguez, PhD will gather to unveil the outcomes of a two-year project conducted through the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.

The Manifesto for a Better Children’s Internet encapsulates 17 actionable principles, emphasising the establishment of quality standards for age-appropriate content, a departure from reliance on 'parental control,' and the promotion of media literacy. Click here to register: https://lnkd.in/gfxE2erH

30/10/2023

It's not too late to join us at 1.30pm (ACDT) tomorrow for 'Navigating the Future: A Deep Dive into Higher Ed & Vocational Training Integration' webinar. Register free via Eventbrite: https://lnkd.in/eHyjBXKR

17/10/2023

Join two esteemed figures in the Australian education landscape, Professor Michele Simons from Western Sydney University, Australian Association for Research in Education, NSWCDE and Associate Professor Steven Hodge from Griffith Institute for Educational Research - GIER as they discuss potential changes to Australian education, focusing on the link between universities and vocational education and training (VET). They will address how recent government policies, particularly the "employment white paper," emphasise a stronger connection between universities and the VET sector to tackle skills shortages and align with future goals such as achieving net-zero emissions and enhancing early childhood education and care.

> Tuesday 31 October, 1.30pm ACDT / 2.00pm AEDT
This is a free event. Click on the link to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/media-webinar-high-skills-higher-ed-the-univet-connection-tickets-736939244117?aff=oddtdtcreator

20/07/2023

We are about to begin our 30 minute webinar and discussion on the Australian Universities Accord interim report with guest speakers, Jess Harris and Barney Dalgarno. Join the meeting link here: https://lnkd.in/gt6xBbCn @ 10AM ACST/10:30AM AEST.

13/07/2023

The release of the first University Accord Interim Report will coincide with the Federal Education Minister, Jason Clare appearing at the National Press Club on the 19th of July. MCERA has organised an opportunity to learn more about the plans for the University Accord with Associate Professor Jess Harris (The University of Newcastle, Australia) and Professor Barney Dalgarno (University of Canberra, and NSW Council of Deans of Education) briefing participants.

With ample opportunity for Q&A, this 30-minute webinar is a key opportunity to enhance your perspective on the vast changes slated for the tertiary sector, and for Australian education and research infrastructures more broadly. Email [email protected] to request a meeting link.

12/07/2023

Concerns have been raised about students' lack of basic arithmetic skills as they enter high school. Professor Kim Beswick from UNSW suggests that primary schools cannot be solely to blame for students' lack of times tables mastery, and high school teachers should guide students to memorise them by year 8, as research indicates a significant number of students struggle with automatic recall.

A Sydney high school principal says students are entering high school unable to perform basic arithmetic in their heads.

22/05/2023

An anti-bullying program developed by Phillip Slee and Flinders University researchers is making a positive impact in Australian schools. WIN News Ballarat shares more about the 'Big Talks for Little People' program which is supported by the Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation and the Little Heroes foundation, utilising the digital design skills of Monkeystack.

18/01/2023

Tomorrow is my last day with MCERA; and I was worried this guy wasn’t going to swing by to say goodbye. I had far too little faith in my old mate 🐨
—
Shan

04/01/2023

Happy 2023! We look forward to working with education researchers and journalists to ensure quality reporting of education issues in the Australian media. Please reach out if we can be of assistance!

20/12/2022

MCERA will be closed from 23 December until 4 January. We wish you all a safe and happy festive season.

25/11/2022

The Media Centre for Education Australia is currently recruiting for a General Manager.

The General Manager (GM) will report to the Board of Directors and is responsible for the delivery of all operational activities of the Centre. This will require leading, managing and developing the organisation so that it can continue to grow and raise its national profile. A major focus of the role will be on raising subscription and sponsorship funds to ensure financial sustainability. This is a hands-on role, with the GM responsible for delivering identified outputs alone as well as leading a small team.


https://www.seek.com.au/job/59318088?type=standout =783e5544004625dd1ea35ca13898b0212b0ad3eb

15/09/2022

Experts say the issues identified by the Productivity Commission in a report on Tuesday can be solved.

But Pasi Sahlberg, professor of education at Southern Cross University, says there was no way Australia could reach targets to help disadvantaged students the most by reducing the educational gap between rich and poor without additional funding, and he was underwhelmed by the Productivity Commission report.

https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/education/gonski-reforms-to-improve-teaching-never-implemented-20220914-p5bi1w

Six years after David Gonski urged a raft of teaching reforms, none of his initiatives have been adopted.

05/09/2022

This past week, the behaviours of some schoolboys in Sydney have been a topic of discussion around "toxic masculinity". This weekend, Monash University's Dr George Variyan featured in The Daily Telegraph. Dr Variyan says "This behaviour will continue until schools start to deal properly with sexuality and consent."

01/09/2022

This week, Education Minister Jason Clare released details of the review of the Australian Research Council (ARC). He also released a strongly worded “letter of expectations” about the ARC’s work for the rest of 2022. In today's The Conversation, Professor Sue Bennett, Deputy Director of the Digital Child Australia based at the UOW: University of Wollongong, Australia, looks at what this means.

https://theconversation.com/jason-clare-has-just-put-the-australian-research-council-on-notice-this-brings-some-good-news-for-academics-189691

The new federal education minister has kicked off what could be a major reset of university research funding in Australia, with a review and stern letter to the Australian Research Council.

30/08/2022

Griffith Institute for Educational Research - GIER's Donna Pendergast and Beryl Exley look at some of the reasons students aren't making it to the end of their education degrees

https://theconversation.com/too-many-people-drop-out-of-teaching-degrees-here-are-4-ways-to-keep-them-studying-189233

Two teacher educators look at how we can keep students in teaching degrees. Reimbursing them for professional placements in schools would be a start.

29/08/2022

Friday's webinar featured experts speaking to the underlying and overlooked aspects of the teacher crisis, and what could be done to address these issues. Australian Catholic University's Professor Claire Wyatt-Smith, The University of Newcastle, Australia's Professor Jenny Gore (a member of Australian Association for Research in Education) and Professor Susan Ledger (member of the NSW Council of Deans), and UTS: University of Technology Sydney's Associate Professor Jane Hunters talk problems and solutions.

21/08/2022

Today begins , and Charles Sturt University's Dr Donna Bridges is exploring why there are so few women studying in the Financial Review. It's a federal priority to get more women taking up trades - what needs to change?

https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/education/the-real-reason-why-there-are-so-few-tradeswomen-20220819-p5bb7w

The construction, building and maintenance sectors remain resolutely male dominated, which is unsurprising, given sexism is rife in vocational education and training classrooms.

21/08/2022

✨SUPPORTER UPDATE✨
MCERA is thrilled to announce their Platinum partnership with Griffith University's Institute for Educational Research in 2022. We look forward to working with your researchers✨

20/08/2022

✨SUPPORTER UPDATE✨
Australian Association for Research in Education is continuing their support for their members through continuing their subscription to MCERA in 2022✨

19/08/2022

✨SUPPORTER UPDATE✨

Deakin University is once again a subscriber for 2022. Thank you for your ongoing support ✨

19/08/2022

Monash University and Deakin University researchers look at how "the new normal" can translate into having good relationships with your children's educators

The pandemic has meant some parents have to just drop their young children at the gate and go, without seeing the classroom and talking to teachers.

17/08/2022

✨SUPPORTER UPDATE✨

MCERA welcomes Australian Catholic University (ACU) as a subscriber in 2022. Great to have you onboard✨

16/08/2022

✨SUPPORTER UPDATE✨

MCERA is pleased to announce the resubscription of Macquarie University for 2022. Thank you for your ongoing support ✨

15/08/2022

✨SUPPORTER UPDATE✨

MCERA is pleased to announce the signing of a 3-year agreement with the Department for Education, South Australia. The Department's ongoing commitment to ensuring that reporting of education issues is informed by experts helps us to continue our important work.

11/08/2022

MCERA hosted Monash University's Dr Fiona Longmuir and Flinders University's Associate Professor Kerry Bissaker today, ahead of the first face-to-face meeting of Federal and State Education Ministers in a year tomorrow. Teacher shortages will be the focus of a roundtable with Minister Jason Clare.

16/06/2022

"Let's make sure that it's truly play-based, and let's make sure that there is a qualified teacher" - Monash Uni's Professor Marilyn Fleer talks to the additional year of schooling for NSW and Vic students.

Plans to create an extra year of class for kids in NSW and Victoria are backed by research, experts say, but details around structure and staffing will be key to its success.

14/06/2022

Research from researchers shows that girls could use more focus on learning about their periods. Research paper (free access) is available in the comment.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/education-victoria/girls-googling-period-symptoms-not-taught-in-schools/news-story/29e268fbc663103b37513c9858df7cb8

06/06/2022

Despite the enthusiasm new teachers enter the classroom with, half of teacher graduates will have left the profession in their first five years. They are studying for as long as they are teaching. Research from Monash University looks at why this is, and why they might stay. A new tranche of research is currently underway, with a link to the survye in the comments.

Even wealthy schools with myriad resources are struggling to find enough teachers.

25/05/2022

Seems like JLo's character, Kat, in romcom Marry Me was onto something when she got Charlie's class to dance while preparing for their maths competition, as researchers from the University of South Australia have shown. Joss Rankin, Dr Robyne Garrett and Dr Belinda MacGill research, published by Springer Education, have trialled an innovative approach to maths lessons that now being adapted across curriculum areas. Link to research in the comments.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/education-news-christie-downs-primary-school-adelaide-ditches-traditional-maths-lessons/b61787a6-5ff3-4e53-addb-2493447b594c

Christie Downs Primary School in Adelaide's south has ditched traditional methods of teaching maths and opt...