Summit to Support Teachers, Leaders, and Researchers in Tackling School Improvement Challenges

teachers leaving the profession.

Greater collaboration between school leaders, teachers, and researchers is essential to overcoming the complex challenges currently facing the education system, according to a Southern Cross University expert.

Professor David Lynch, Director of TeachLab Research at SCU, highlighted the interconnected crises affecting the education sector on a national level. These include increasingly complex classroom environments, concerns about the preparedness of graduates, and unsustainable rates of

Professor Lynch also noted that the traditional methods of education delivery, much of which has remained unchanged for decades, are struggling to keep pace with rapid shifts in student needs, societal changes, and technological advancements.

To address these issues, teachers, school leaders, and education researchers will come together at the University’s Gold Coast Campus on Monday, October 21, to explore case studies and approaches that are successfully driving school improvement.

“Ironically, the academic research on school improvement is too often done in isolation to people who are leading our schools and working in our classrooms,”

Professor David Lynch said. “The TeachLab philosophy – supported by evidence globally – is that the work needs to be done together.”

The summit Bridging the Gap: Collaborative Strategies for University/School Partnerships to Drive School Improvement will feature a range of presentations and workshops focused on active research partnerships in Queensland and New South Wales. RSVPs for the event are due by

Friday, October 11.

The summit will also include keynote addresses from education expert and author Amy Green, along with Professor Heidi Harju-Luukkainen, an adjunct researcher with TeachLab and visiting from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland.

Event organizer Dr. Aida Hurem expects the summit to draw signifcant interest from professionals in the education sector.

“The day will provide a balance between the latest research we have nationally and globally, and the work we see that’s producing results in classrooms in our own backyard,” she said.

“This is an ideal opportunity for anyone working in the education system who is interested in evidence-based school improvement, but not sure where to start.

“Through to people who are already well down that track, who want to test or extend their understanding, or to share their experience so far.”

Professor Lynch is lead author on the recently released book, ‘The Teaching Improvement Agenda – What Matters and How Teaching Excellence is Achieved’, which includes contributors from the UK and the US.

“The challenges we have in the education system here are not unique to us – they are evident in many other parts of the world,”

Professor Lynch said.

“Equally, there is a consistency in the research about what’s working to address those challenges.

“It’s really gratifying for everyone on our team to bring the very best of that understanding into the conversations we are having locally, regionally and nationally.”

To register for the summit, visit the QR code below.