Research that supports school leaders

Teachers and school leaders are notoriously time poor and struggle to deeply engage with overly academic research. One of the key challenges for educational researchers is translating their research into accessible, actionable, and meaningful formats so that it can make a difference for schools, teachers, students, families, and policymakers.

Here we provide five examples of programs of research and research initiatives that offer teachers and school leaders with accessible and free resources that can be immediately implemented in their schools, classrooms, and communities.

Aspirations Longitudinal Study

Since 2012, the Aspirations Longitudinal Study has been investigating the factors that shape the post-school aspirations of Australian students from Years 3 to 12.

To support teachers, parents and the wider community to nurture young people's aspirations, we developed two free online professional development courses: one for teachers and career advisers; and the other for families and community members, based on more than 15,000 surveys and 1,000 focus group interviews with students, parents and teachers.

Little yarns, Big dreams

Based on findings from the Aspirations Longitudinal Study, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations commissioned a suite of resources to support the educational and career aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their families.

While these resources were developed for primary school students, they are broadly applicable across age groups, providing practical activities that engage students to explore what they love and what they’re good at, the wide range of opportunities available to them, and the connections between culture, Country and careers.

QT Pulse: School Health Longitudinal Survey

An investment of 20 minutes from your staff each term delivers school leaders robust, anonymous data from research-based survey questions to support evidence-based decision making for your school improvement journey.

The QT Pulse survey, developed by researchers at the University of Newcastle, provides school leaders with real-time insightful data on the teaching and learning culture, staff morale, perceptions of trust and leadership, and the wider school environment.

Teacher Retention Network

The Teacher Retention Network (TRN) was established by researchers leading major Australian Research Council- and Australian Government-funded projects focused on some of the most pressing challenges facing Australia’s teaching workforce. Since the inaugural meeting in 2023, the TRN has provided a forum for sharing insights, methodologies, and bringing diverse findings into dialogue.

The TRN developed an easily accessible policy and practice briefing document, providing a two-page summary of each project focused on key findings and recommendations.

Strengthening Induction through Quality Teaching Rounds

The ‘Strengthening Induction through QTR' project is funded by the Australian Government as part of the National Teacher Workforce Action Plan. The project aims to improve the morale, confidence, job satisfaction and retention of early career teachers across Australia based on a decade of rigorous research into the effects of QTR on teachers and students.

The Australian Government funding is supporting 1,600 teachers to participate in a QTR workshop for free until mid-2027. As of Term 1 2026, fewer than 500 free places remain.