Steve Murphy

This paper investigates students’ participation in senior school mathematics in their final year of schooling in New South Wales, Australia, using a dataset of 147,397 Year 12 students over the years 2017-18. We examine the prior achievement trajectories of these students based on National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) numeracy scores to understand its relationship to later mathematics participation, and how this relationship is moderated by the key student characteristics of gender, socioeconomic status, Indigenous status and school location. Our findings generally suggest a very leaky pipeline, with students who are high achieving in their earlier years from Indigenous backgrounds, lower SES backgrounds, and rural communities less likely than other high achieving students to participate in advanced mathematics in upper secondary school. The gender gap between earlier achievement and later participation is less pronounced. We also find that there is variability in the provision of the more advanced mathematics in schools which are the least advantaged, manifest in differences in the offering of mathematics by school sector, SES quartile and location. These findings provide schools and policymakers with a greater understanding of the factors influencing students’ decisions to enrol in the more advanced mathematics subjects in the final years of schooling.

On a global scale the school teacher workforce is under stress. The ability of policy makers to better understand and address workforce sustainability hinges on proactive data-driven strategies. In this paper we develop and test a two-dimensional stress typology combining long-run structural conditions with short-run labour market pressure to identify areas where the teacher workforce is under greatest stress. Such data and insights can inform targeted and tailored interventions seeking to ensure the delivery of full systemic staffing with expected spillover for high-quality education for all children and young people throughout a system. Empirically tested in the Australian state of Victoria, findings show some divergence between primary and secondary labour markets and significant instability in workforce stress. Synthesising key indicators across supply and demand, proximal housing, and relative working conditions the teacher workforce sustainability quadrant matrix identifies localised labour markets requiring interventions to address entrenched disadvantage, emerging pressures, latent vulnerability, and resilience.

Persistent teacher shortages in rural schools continue to challenge the provision of equitable, high-quality education. While research has documented the difficulties of recruiting and retaining teachers in these contexts, less attention has been given to how the conditions of teaching are shaped through leadership in contexts of workforce instability. This study examines how principals in rural schools in Victoria, Australia, respond to ongoing shortages through place-responsive leadership strategies. Drawing on qualitative interview data from principals across diverse rural school settings, the study identifies three interrelated practices: cultivating place-based recruitment pathways, fostering retention through care, professional development and wellbeing, and sustaining the workforce through community embedded practices. These practices shape the conditions under which teachers work by strengthening relationships, supporting wellbeing, and fostering belonging. The study conceptualises workforce sustainability as a professional condition actively constructed through leadership in context.

A common strategy for jurisdictions confronting teacher shortages in rural schools is to support programs that encourage preservice teachers to undertake placements in rural areas. This strategy assumes that exposure to rural schools will increase the likelihood that participants will take up teaching positions in rural areas. There is, however, limited evidence of the impact of these programs. This paper reports on mixed-methods research into a placement program that connects preservice teachers to both rural government schools and the local community. The program had a statistically significant positive impact on preservice teachers’ commitment to teach in a rural setting. Uniquely, this study showed the impact of a rural placement program on preservice teachers with varying levels of initial commitment to work in a rural area. While those with low initial commitment were, on average, most positively impacted by the experience, responses of all participants were highly individual. Qualitative data provides insight into these individual responses.

Increasing the participation of students who study science and mathematics curricula is a priority in many countries, but between-school inequalities in the offerings of these subjects is not well understood. We examine stratified opportunities to learn science and math subjects in upper secondary schools in Australia, as a case study for examining how educational marketization reduces access to curricular subjects in comprehensive secondary education systems. Using census data from one state, we found biology and chemistry are offered in most schools, but substantial inequalities exist in access to physics and especially advanced mathematics. School size, socioeconomic composition, sector and location predict whether a school offers advanced mathematics. The findings suggest that inequalities in access to science and mathematics curricula are patterned by social background and that these inequalities are linked with educational marketization.

An unfortunate but well-established international trend exists of high attrition amongst beginning teachers. Many schools in rural areas experience challenges with retention, isolation, increased teacher responsibilities, and poor resourcing. Despite these challenges there are some indicators that rural places have the potential to effectively support beginning teachers. This study in the Australian state of Victoria used a strength-based lens to examine the impact of rural contexts on 40 beginning teachers’ experiences working in rural Catholic schools. Analysis of focus group data revealed some paired advantages and challenges for these beginning teachers. Participants reported that their rural schools provided collegial, supportive environments for new teachers, but also tended to poorly resource induction and mentoring. Rural communities were welcoming and supportive of a positive work-life style, while also associated with a loss of privacy. Rural contexts supported participating beginning teachers to better understand and engage with their students. However, participants associated rural contexts with difficulties in engaging students academically. Rural schools can build on these advantages and work to mitigate the associated challenges to improve beginning teachers’ experience and retention.

Significant stressors encountered during pre-service teacher (PST) placements can create suboptimal conditions for professional learning. Group (or cohort) placement models, where multiple PSTs are placed in the same school, can provide additional support for PSTs as they navigate the challenges. Framed by social coping and self-efficacy theory, the survey and focus group responses of 166 Australian PSTs undertaking placements in primary and secondary schools were analysed to understand the influence of a group placement model on their professional learning. Most (84%) of the PSTs felt their group placement enhanced their professional learning. The model allowed them to give and receive practical and emotional support, learn vicariously from each other, co-teach, and co-reflect. These mechanisms supported professional learning most effectively when PSTs were provided a space and timely opportunities to gather. We argue that when placements involve opportunities for PSTs to exchange practical and emotional support, to learn vicariously, and to teach and reflect collaboratively, the conditions required for professional growth are optimised.