How to Teach Better: Proven Strategies for Australian Educators

Embracing Evidence-Based Practices for Superior Teaching

In the evolving landscape of Australian education, teachers are pivotal in shaping the futures of K-12 students, early childhood learners, and TAFE vocational trainees. With recent reports highlighting a surge in evidence-based practices, educators across the nation are doubling down on strategies proven to boost student outcomes. The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) notes in its 2025 annual report that over 118,000 teachers and leaders have engaged with its model of learning and teaching, adapting it widely in schools and early childhood settings. This shift addresses challenges like teacher shortages and complex student needs, as outlined in the National Teacher Workforce Action Plan updated in 2025.

Australian teachers face unique pressures: declining PISA scores, rising behavioural issues, and workforce gaps projected to persist into 2026. Yet, opportunities abound through frameworks like Victoria's High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITS) and New South Wales' What Works Best 2025. These resources, grounded in meta-analyses by John Hattie, offer effect sizes demonstrating months of additional progress—feedback at 0.73, for instance.

High Expectations: The Foundation of Effective Teaching

Setting high expectations is the cornerstone of quality teaching in Australian schools. According to NSW's What Works Best 2025, teachers who provide challenging activities help students reach their potential through consistent effort. This practice aligns with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Standard 3: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning, emphasising ambitious goals tailored to diverse needs.

In practice, Victorian primary schools use proficiency scales in Year 8 Dance units, where students self-monitor against clear success criteria, leading to heightened engagement. For early childhood educators, this translates to intentional goal-setting in play-based learning, fostering resilience as per Queensland's Kindergarten Learning Guideline.

• Assess prior knowledge to set differentiated, challenging goals.
• Communicate expectations clearly using visual aids like mini-whiteboards.
• Track progress with student-led reflections to build ownership.

Research shows this yields an effect size of 0.56, accelerating achievement relative to starting points.

Mastering Explicit Teaching for Clarity and Mastery

Explicit teaching, a hallmark of both HITS and What Works Best, involves teachers clearly explaining, modelling, and demonstrating concepts before guiding student practice. With an effect size of 0.59, it particularly excels in reading across year levels and supports all learners, including those in TAFE vocational contexts.

In a Melbourne primary English lesson on persuasive writing, teachers model introductions with exemplars, transitioning to guided practice—a strategy replicated in NSW secondary Humanities for bibliography skills. The federal government's free online Explicit Teaching course, launched in 2024, equips teachers nationwide. Explore the What Works Best practical guides for classroom-ready illustrations.

Step-by-step implementation:

1. State learning intentions and success criteria.
2. Model 'I do' with think-alouds.
3. Guide 'We do' with scaffolding.
4. Independent 'You do' with monitoring.

Harnessing the Power of Effective Feedback

Feedback tops Hattie's rankings with an effect size of 0.73, providing specific, actionable insights on task performance against goals. In regional Victorian PLCs, tools like Exit Placemats gather student reflections, informing adjustments and boosting self-regulation.

For TAFE instructors, timely feedback on vocational assessments mirrors K-12 practices, enhancing skill mastery. AITSL Standard 5 emphasises this for reporting student learning.

• Make it timely, specific, and goal-referenced.
• Encourage peer and self-feedback.
• Use digital tools like Plickers for real-time insights.

Download the full HITS guide for feedback protocols.

Structuring Lessons for Optimal Engagement

Well-structured lessons, with clear openings, content delivery, practice, and closures, contribute to scaffolding (effect size 0.53). Victorian examples include Science lessons using WALT (We Are Learning To) and WILF (What I'm Looking For) acronyms, with traffic light checks.

In early childhood, routines build predictability, aligning with intentional teaching practices.

Leveraging Data and Assessment to Drive Improvement

Using data informs practice, a key What Works Best pillar. Teachers analyse NAPLAN, PAT, or formative assessments to target interventions.

Case study: Melbourne Languages PLCs appoint data managers for flexible groupings, lifting achievement.

Building Supportive Classroom Management and Wellbeing

Classroom management maximises instruction time, while wellbeing fosters belonging—crucial amid 2026 predictions of data-informed engagement.

Professional Learning Aligned with AITSL Standards

AITSL's seven standards guide growth: from knowing content (Standard 2) to engaging professionally (Standard 7). The National Plan supports this via phonics and workload reduction pilots.

In TAFE, similar professional development enhances vocational delivery.

Case Studies: Real-World Success in Australian Schools

Fairfield Network schools sustained high value-add through collaborative practices. Montmorency Secondary College improved outcomes with curriculum tools.

Future Outlook and Actionable Insights

By 2026, AI and hybrid models will transform teaching, but core HITS endure. Start with PLCs, trial one HITS weekly, and track via student data.