Education – Views & Research – The Conversation

A curious baby sits in a high chair. Two adults with their backs turned work in a kitchen.

A curious baby sits in a high chair. Two adults with their backs turned work in a kitchen.

‘I don’t believe no screens is possible’: how parents manage devices and little kids

Stephanie Milford, Edith Cowan University; Curtin University; Federation University Australia

$50,000 arts degrees look set to stay, despite a new bill trying to slash uni fees

Andrew Norton, Monash University

Three young people walk on university campus, heading towards the doors of a building.

Three young people walk on university campus, heading towards the doors of a building.

We studied the bacteria on kids’ sports mouthguards. The results were eye-opening

Huseyin Sumer, Swinburne University of Technology; Bita Zaferanloo, Swinburne University of Technology, and Vito Butardo Jr, Swinburne University of Technology

A young boy contemplates putting a mouthguard in his mouth.

A young boy contemplates putting a mouthguard in his mouth.

Schools today

A man holds papers in front of a whiteboard showing algorithms.

A man holds papers in front of a whiteboard showing algorithms.

Australia has access to 20,000 migrant teachers, but is not using them. Why not?

Sun Yee Yip, Monash University

Does your school do mental health checks? They should be regular, not just a one-off

Shane Rogers, Edith Cowan University

Students in uniform walk up stairs inside a building.

Students in uniform walk up stairs inside a building.

Google promotes ‘teacher approved’ apps for kids. Here’s what parents should know

Chris Zomer, Deakin University and Niels Kerssens, Utrecht University

A young girl stands against a purple background, holding a phone.

A young girl stands against a purple background, holding a phone.

We surveyed more than 8,000 principals – they face violence, threats and stress in their schools

Paul Kidson, Australian Catholic University; Herb Marsh, Australian Catholic University, and Theresa Dicke, Australian Catholic University

A woman works at a compute, appearing deep in concentration.

A woman works at a compute, appearing deep in concentration.

Why are public schools asking parents to pay fees?

Emma Rowe, Deakin University

A woman walks along a suburban street with three children in school uniform.

A woman walks along a suburban street with three children in school uniform.

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Early childhood and parenting

Two young children in furry costumes sit on a couch.

Two young children in furry costumes sit on a couch.

Pretend play is a magical part of childhood. New research suggests it can also help mental health

Fotini Vasilopoulos, University of Sydney

I hate it when other adults ‘parent’ my kids. What can I do?

Christiane Kehoe, The University of Melbourne and Elizabeth Westrupp, Deakin University

A family group sits at a table having a meal. A young child stands a man wears a serious expression.

A family group sits at a table having a meal. A young child stands a man wears a serious expression.

Fixating on a ‘magic number’ of childcare hours misses what’s most important for kids’ development

Erin Harper, University of Sydney

A baby's hands playing with colourful blocks.

A baby's hands playing with colourful blocks.

Are you worried about your preschoolers’ anxiety? Here’s how to help

Alison Fogarty, Deakin University; Grace McMahon, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, and Monique Seymour, Deakin University

A young child sits on a ledge, looking out of a big window.

A young child sits on a ledge, looking out of a big window.

Some kids stop swimming lessons too early. How well can your child actually swim?

Hannah Graefe, La Trobe University and Bernadette Matthews, Monash University

A young boy walks on the edge of a dam on a country property.

A young boy walks on the edge of a dam on a country property.

Higher education

A young man looks at a computer screen. There is a bookshelf behind him. Filtered light comes through blinds to his side.

A young man looks at a computer screen. There is a bookshelf behind him. Filtered light comes through blinds to his side.

Does AI mean more uni students are plagiarising their work?

Guy Curtis, The University of Western Australia

‘Mum and Dad both finished school in Year 10’ – how to help first-in-family students graduate from uni

Sally Patfield, University of Newcastle; Franziska Lessky, University of Oxford, and Sarah O'Shea, Charles Sturt University

Three young people walk across a footbridge, in front of a tall building with large glass windows.

Three young people walk across a footbridge, in front of a tall building with large glass windows.

Almost 80% of Australian uni students now use AI. This is creating an ‘illusion of competence’

Jason M. Lodge, The University of Queensland

A student at a desk with laptop and writing materials ask a chatbot a question on a phone.

A student at a desk with laptop and writing materials ask a chatbot a question on a phone.

Back at uni? How to help your wellbeing while you study

Andrew J. Martin, UNSW Sydney

Two young people sit at outside benches. One has his head in his hands.

Two young people sit at outside benches. One has his head in his hands.

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