Environmental scan: Topical areas to inform a future Teacher Standards review

The report provides a critical review of educational research and policy literature for 11 topics that have increasingly influenced teachers’ practice since the Teacher Standards were first developed. Findings provide a description of each topic, key sources, an outline of the changing landscape as it relates to teaching, examples of how the topic is reflected in teacher standards, and questions for future research.

The report is written by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER). The brief was to conduct a broad sweep of literature that has surfaced since the publication of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers in 2011, and to consider how this literature could inform any future review of the Teacher Standards. 

The 11 topics within the report are:

1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education
2. Digital technologies in education
3. Early childhood education and care
4. General capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities
5. Inclusive education, including
   1. a. social/cultural diversity
   2. b. learners with disability
   3. c. gifted and talented learners.
6. Learning progress, including assessment
7. Parent/carer-school partnerships
8. Pedagogy
9. Professional learning
10. Student wellbeing
11. Teacher wellbeing