There are moments in academic life when you come across a paper and wonder how nobody had written it before. Pat Thomsonhas recently published one of them. Her article, in the Journal of Education Policy, develops a five-level Policy Bullshit Index for assessing claims made in the name of evidence. Not weak evidence. Not limited evidence. Not the more refinedContinue reading “Finally, Someone Has Peer-Reviewed the Bullshit”
Tag Archives: writing
Qualified, Deemed Suitable and Given a Number: Just What Every Parent Wants for Their Child
A few years ago, I was invited to a teacher-workforce symposium commissioned by the NSW Department of Education and run, as these things inevitably are, by a large management-consulting firm. Academics involved in teacher education had been assembled to help solve the persistent problem of attracting and retaining teachers. There was the usual discussion ofContinue reading “Qualified, Deemed Suitable and Given a Number: Just What Every Parent Wants for Their Child”
Ignore the Naysayers (2026 Update): Why Australia’s Education System is Stronger Than You Think
I wrote the first version of this in 2024, back when the doom was slightly quieter and nobody had yet stood at a podium to announce that the reading wars were over. Two years on, the catastrophe headlines have multiplied, the NAPLAN numbers have moved in genuinely mixed directions, and the overclaiming now comes from bothContinue reading “Ignore the Naysayers (2026 Update): Why Australia’s Education System is Stronger Than You Think”
The Wellbeing Industry Has Eaten Difficulty: We promised students comfort and called it care.
Somewhere right now, a Year 9 student is sitting in a beanbag in a softly lit room because quadratic equations made him feel overwhelmed. Someone will record the visit as a wellbeing intervention, the relevant box will be ticked, and everyone involved will have acted with entirely decent intentions. The student was distressed, a teacherContinue reading “The Wellbeing Industry Has Eaten Difficulty: We promised students comfort and called it care.”
Differentiation Is Not the Problem. Pretending It’s Easy Is.
Somewhere right now, a teacher is producing three versions of the same worksheet and calling it inclusive practice. There is the “support” version, where a few of the harder questions have quietly disappeared. There is the “extension” version, where the same questions have been given an extra verb, probably “evaluate”, because nothing says academic stretchContinue reading “Differentiation Is Not the Problem. Pretending It’s Easy Is.”
Stop Acting Surprised: Teachers Don’t Have Time for Your Research
Last month, AARE released a blog post with a shocking revelation: teachers aren’t reading academic research. Groundbreaking stuff. I haven’t seen such a pointless discovery since someone realised toddlers aren’t into Nietzsche or that cats don’t follow instructions. Apparently, classroom teachers, you know the ones that are overworked, underpaid, and one broken photocopier away from a nervousContinue reading “Stop Acting Surprised: Teachers Don’t Have Time for Your Research”
On grades, hypocrisy, and the delusion that students love learning for its own sake
A new study tells us that over 65% of students either ignore feedback completely or do not improve as a result of feedback – is anyone surprised? Ask any high school teacher how effective feedback is and you’ll get the same answer… somewhere between a tired chuckle and a soul-crushing sigh. Sure, we provide feedback. We mayContinue reading “On grades, hypocrisy, and the delusion that students love learning for its own sake”
Publish or Perish 3: Beyond Rejection: Resilience in the Academic Odyssey
There lies a hidden narrative in the solemn yet occasionally absurd world of academia, where the pursuit of knowledge is supposed to be our noble quest. It’s the narrative of countless scholars navigating the tumultuous waters of academic publishing, a journey marked not by triumphant arrivals but by detours, setbacks, and outright rejections. The artContinue reading “Publish or Perish 3: Beyond Rejection: Resilience in the Academic Odyssey”
Publish or Perish The Sequel: A Call for Meaningful Academic Contribution
In academia, the pressure to publish reigns supreme, shaping priorities and self-worth. This relentless pursuit has led to an inflation of research papers, diluting genuine innovation. The solution lies in prioritizing impact over quantity and democratizing access to knowledge. It’s time to redefine academic success and make meaningful contributions.
The Publish or Perish Paradox
In the hallowed halls of academia, a spectre looms large over lecturers, professors, and researchers alike. It’s the omnipresent dictate of “publish or perish,” a mantra that has become as much a part of academic culture as cap and gown ceremonies or late-night study sessions. Yet, a deep dive into this phenomenon uncovers a paradoxContinue reading “The Publish or Perish Paradox”
