Teachers will have access to new free resources to help manage classroom behaviour.
This is the latest effort in the Federal Governments attempts to improve working conditions for teachers, and address the looming teacher shortage.
But how bad is behaviour in Australian classrooms, and do we need to do anything about it?
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Classroom behaviour
In November 2022, the Senate referred the issue of increasing classroom disruption to the Senate Education and Employment References Committee. Among matters to consider, was the declining ranking of Australia in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) disciplinary climate index, which ranked Australian classrooms among the most disorderly in the world. The results of the inquiry were released in 2024.
This data comes from a PISA questionnaire, that asked students to indicate how distracted they are during lessons. The results, released in 2023, revealed that Australia ranked 33 out of 37 OECD countries for disruptions to lessons. This included asking students whether they were distracted by noise and disorder in the classroom, or if they do not listen to what the teacher is saying. About 40 percent of Australian students reported getting distracted by digital devices in lessons, and more than 30 percent said they were distracted by other students use of digital devices.
The OECD report highlighted that poor discipline in Australian classrooms was leading to increased levels of teacher attrition, and student disengagement. The report reiterated the well-known statistic that Australia will face a shortfall of 4100 secondary teachers by 2025.
Further, a 2018 TALIS (OECD teaching and learning) survey found that 37 percent of Australian lower-secondary school principals had reported that bullying or intimidation among students occurred at least weekly. Australian teachers also reported feeling less capable of, or prepared for, managing disruptive classroom behaviour than other OECD countries. Similarly, the survey suggested students think their classroom is more disruptive than it has been in the past.
According to Federal Government reporting, one in three teachers report losing teaching time due to disruptive behaviour, significantly impacting students’ ability to learn.
The new resources
The new resources include tools on classroom management practices, coaching colleagues, and practice guides on supporting students with diverse learning needs.
This is the third set of ‘Engaged Classrooms’ resources developed by the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) in consultation with teachers and classrooms management expert, Dr Tim McDonald.
Minister for Education Jason Clare said: “A lot of teachers tell me that when they leave university and jump into the classroom for the first time they don’t feel as prepared as they should to manage a classroom full of students.
“By providing these resources to teachers we can help them to manage the classroom which is good for them and good for their students.
“When students are fully engaged in the classroom, they learn at their best and teachers have more time to teach.”
These new resources complement the first set of resources focused on helping teachers who want to refine or refresh their classroom management practice.
The second package focuses on a whole-of-school approach to help school leaders create safe and supportive learning environments to promote teaching and learning.
Late last year, the government released resources designed to help principals and school leaders manage classroom behaviour. In launching these resources, Dr Jenny Donovan, CEO of AERO, said, “Well-managed classrooms positively impact individual student outcomes and the overall learning environment for everyone. Students thrive in classrooms where they are engaged in learning without distractions; where they feel safe; and where they know what is expected of them.”
All resource materials are available now for free on AERO’s website at https://www.edresearch.edu.au/topics/classroom-management.
