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• Teaching

Our research into teaching focuses on the quality of the teacher workforce, teacher training and ways to improve student outcomes through better teaching methods.

Overcoming the Odds: A study of Australia’s top-performing disadvantaged schools
Blaise JosephMarch 18, 2019RR39

Students from disadvantaged social backgrounds perform worse on average academically than more advantaged students. This...

New CIS research: How disadvantaged schools have become top performers
Blaise JosephMarch 15, 2019MEDIA RELEASE

Ground-breaking new research from The Centre for Independent Studies has identified the common policies and...

Paying kids to learn?
Kerrie WrattenFebruary 22, 2019Ideas@TheCentre

Few people would disagree with the idea of investigating ways to improve student motivation. But...

Misreading the data will not help the teachers
Jennifer Buckingham OAMFebruary 9, 2019The Australian

Outdated teaching methods based on disproved theories remain widespread despite the abundance of good and...

Enquiry-based learning isn’t evidence-based
Blaise JosephFebruary 1, 2019Ideas@TheCentre

You have to wonder how many times something has to be tried before people stop...

Make universities pay for picking poorly prepared students
Steven SchwartzJanuary 24, 2019The Australian

Universities have drastically dropped their entry requirements for teaching degrees, resulting in a hit on...

Knowledge is power: What do teachers believe about learning?
Trisha JhaOctober 30, 2025AP92

Executive Summary This report presents findings from literature about what teachers believe about how students...

Sex and maths success: myths and interventions
David C. GearyJuly 17, 2025AP83

Executive summary Mathematical competencies at the completion of secondary school influence later educational and occupational...

Early Numbers, Big Ideas. Fostering Number Sense in Young Children
Nancy C. Jordan, Nancy DysonJuly 10, 2025AP82

Introduction Numbers are an integral part of our daily lives, both inside and outside of...

Fractions Minus the Friction. A guide to four teaching practices
Leanne R. Ketterlin-Geller, Allison McClure, Cassandra HatfieldDecember 12, 2024AP78

Introduction Understanding fractions has a significant impact on both individuals and society. Fractions are an...

Using Curriculum-Based Measurement for Primary School Maths Screening
Erica S. Lembke, Emily L. Singell, Gabriella Lyth Donofrio, Megyn MartinAugust 15, 2024AP75
Universal screening is an essential component of a Multi-Tiered Support System (MTSS) for maths and...
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Learning Lessons. The future of small-group tutoring
Trisha JhaJuly 25, 2024AP73
Student data from national and international testing shows a large minority of students are not...
Gulliver Unbound: Can American Rule of World?
Joseph JoffeNovember 30, 0001OP85

Twenty first century America is the Gulliver of our times. It dominates the international sphere...

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Submission to the Productivity Commission 5 year productivity review: Increasing Australia’s Future Prosperity
Michael PotterDecember 15, 2016CIS Submission

The submission by CIS Research Fellow Michael Potter argues: An excellent productivity boosting agenda is...

Submission to the Productivity Commission on the Preliminary Findings Report: Introducing Competition and Informed User Choice into Human Services: Identifying Sectors for Reform
Sara HudsonOctober 27, 2016CIS Submission

To improve Indigenous outcomes, there needs to be better management of overall funding and a...

Submission to Senate Inquiry on Treasury Laws Amendment (Enterprise Tax Plan) Bill 2016
Michael PotterOctober 3, 2016CIS Submission

The submission by CIS Research Fellow Michael Potter provides a detailed case for a reduction...

Submission to the Senate Inquiry into Enterprise Tax Plan Bill 2016
Michael PotterSeptember 30, 2016CIS Submission

The growing company tax burden contrasts with the state of the economy, which is showing...

Productivity Commission Inquiry Into Introducing Competition and Informed User Choice into Human Services: Submission in response to issues paper
Trisha JhaJuly 1, 2016CIS Submission

The Human Services Inquiry is ‘examining policy options in the human services sector that incorporate...

Productivity Commission Inquiry into the National Education Evidence Base: Submission in response to the draft report
Jennifer Buckingham OAMMay 1, 2016CIS Submission

The Review of Education Evidence (Draft Report)—the ‘Draft Report’—provides a useful, up-to-date overview of the...

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