A significant body of research points to the benefits of empathy for young people's personal, social, and educational development. However, some research indicates that youth empathy levels are declining. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to research empathy in education during times of global crisis and local educational…

This article explores whether secondary school English teachers can contribute to consent education in Australia. A scoping study involved reviewing research on consent education, examining both commonly taught and contemporary adolescent literature for themes of sexual consent, and conducting focus groups with English teachers. The textual…

A significant body of research highlights the rich linguistic and cultural experiences offered by spoken word poetry when integrated into English pedagogy, particularly through its fusion of written and performative modes and its opportunities for cultivating empathy and creativity. However, few studies have examined secondary English teachers'…

This article explores primary school teachers' views and practices in literacy instruction to support students' word knowledge development. This study provides insights into how primary school teachers with a deep interest in literacy understand and apply the literacy strategies they employ in their classrooms, and how previous professional…

Conflicting ways to understand the nature of paragraphs, including their purpose and structure, have been central to composition theory for many decades. Yet English teachers across countries are experiencing ongoing pressures to mandate a specific paragraph template. This article traces the contentious, binary history of paragraph theory and…

In an attempt to control the spread of COVID-19 in Australia in 2020 state and territory governments mandated the closing of schools for all but vulnerable children and the children of frontline workers in various parts of Australia for various lengths of time. In what follows, five English teachers from across Australia reflect on the everyday…

This paper thinks with the concept of intertextuality to consider the multiple intersecting power structures inside and outside of literary education in secondary schools that continue to dominate text selection policies and teaching practices. We draw on our research with in-service teachers to reconsider how intertextual networks circulate on…

Literature is an enduring and distinctive component in English education and reading is central to teachers' conception of the subject. What continues to be contentious are the ways literature is defined and how teachers' values influence what their students will read. This paper is drawn from a larger research study and reports 18 New South Wales…

Many studies have reported the disruption and anxiety associated with initial teacher education programs across the world lurching in and out of online and remote teaching because of COVID-19 related lockdowns. Few studies, however, have homed in on the day-to-day experiences of teacher educators in particular disciplinary specialisms or…

This paper draws from an international case study of secondary English teachers in New South Wales, Australia and England, in which thirty-three in-depth interviews were conducted. The research investigated the impact of educational reform on teachers' professionalism, their pedagogies and their beliefs about the subject of English. It reports on…

In secondary schools, English teachers are often made responsible for writing results in national testing. Yet there have been few studies that focussed on this key group, or on how pedagogical practices have been impacted in the teaching of writing in their classrooms. This study investigated practices of English teachers in four secondary…

A significant body of research points to the challenges faced by English teachers in balancing creative pedagogy with the demands of high-stakes testing. However, few studies have examined teachers' conceptions of the importance of creativity in the context of end-of-school examinations. This study addresses this critical gap by exploring the…

The growing interest in the history of curriculum and pedagogy in subject English might be seen as a response to educational reforms that are replacing earlier, progressive understandings of subject English with narrowly technical understandings of teacher professional knowledge and practice. This essay emerges out of an intergenerational,…

This paper reports on the text selections of two English teachers from different schools in New South Wales, Australia who participated in a larger research study that explored the decision-making of teachers planning for and teaching Stage 5 (Years 9 and 10) English. The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon these teachers' reasons for…

Psychological trauma is swiftly becoming one of the most significant public health concerns and obstacles to effective education in the current teaching climate. This paper responds to my experiences as both a secondary English teacher and registered psychologist, examining the potential utility of trauma literature in the English classroom for…