University of Southern Queensland

Asian teachers

There are now too few Asian teachers. Here’s why

anti-racism, racism and schools, racism in Australian schools, , , , ,

Few Asian students choose to become teachers.

This is a lost opportunity to bridge the current diversity gap in the teaching workforce and a lost opportunity to address the concerning national teacher shortage. Ethnic minorities, including Asians, are caught in a vicious cycle of underrepresentation, where small numbers of existing ethnic minority teachers in Australia equates to difficulty attracting new ethnic minority teachers.

Asians are the fastest-growing ethnic group in Australia. They make up about one in six of the overall population. We don’t have specific data for Asian teachers and students but we know teachers from minority backgrounds, including Asians, account for only 4% of the P-12 teaching workforce in 2022. We also know there is increasing student racial diversity in schools. The result is a widening teacher-student racial parity gap.

Research has consistently captured the benefits of teacher-student racial-cultural-linguistic alignment. For instance, scholarship demonstrates a racially diverse teacher workforce contributes to minority student perceptions of schools as more welcoming places. It allows minority teachers to bring their own understanding of relevant cultural contexts, while also acting as role models for students from non-dominant backgrounds. 

Raising expectations

They may also enhance broader cultural awareness, diversify worldviews, raise expectations and tackle negative minority student stereotypes. 

Research shows that they are crucial in supporting student well-being, especially among academically vulnerable minority students. Minority teachers are instrumental in providing an equitable and inclusive education, ensuring that students from diverse backgrounds can have their needs and voices heard and understood in their schools.

Similar considerations apply to Asian students and teachers in Australia. For instance, many Asian students tend to be seen as a culturally homogeneous whole, and are consequently (unfairly) held to a one-size-fits-all expectation around linguistic ability and academic performance. 

These students often grapple with racial bias, discrimination, and lack of belonging in Australian schools. 

But Asian teachers can leverage cultural knowledge and community connections to support Asian students. They can also debunk stereotypes among non-Asian students and educate non-Asian colleagues. While we are not suggesting that Asian teachers represent a distinct typology of educators or that racial matching is always necessary, research has shown us that educators who understand the cultural and social dynamics that shape their students’ lives are best positioned to support their learning. Asian teachers help challenge current dominant white and monolingual racial stereotypes of teaching, thereby encouraging more Asian students to aspire to become teachers. 

There are a range of personal, cultural and structural barriers that contribute to this Asian underrepresentation in teaching. At the personal level, (racial) marginalisation in schools is still prevalent and causes minority students more broadly to perceive that the teaching profession is not for them. 

Impacts on belonging and safety

Student experiences of racism and discrimination impact a sense of belonging and safety. That’s been a barrier to wanting to work in schools. Those memories of being belittled by school staff cause negative self-concept and lower minority students’ confidence in future teaching abilities.

Cultural and parental influences can also discourage Asian youth from choosing teaching in favour of securing employment in high-status, and high-salary careers. Many Asian students come from families who have internalised the racially-driven ‘model minority’ status. They often face significant familial pressure that emphasises high academic achievement as a stepping stone to employability and financial security. Asian parents may encourage their children to focus on prestigious and high-paying jobs as a protective factor from discrimination in a white-dominated labour market.

Negative experiences within teacher education programs have led to premature attrition of minority preservice teachers. These include racism, marginalisation and negative stereotyping, leading to a feeling of not belonging. There are some underlying sources of bias that favour white preservice teachers, including privileging Western-centric views over minority knowledge and perspectives in teacher education curriculum. Moreover, studies have shown that minority preservice teachers are confronted with a disproportionate amount of race-related structural and institutional challenges in initial teacher education.

What we must do next

Some recommendations include increasing the number of minority teacher educators and creating an inclusive teacher preparation curriculum that reflects diversity to help attract and retain minority teacher candidates. Of course, this needs to first be grounded in formalised antiracist agendas within teacher education programs and at the institutional level. Similarly, beyond higher education, schools need to nip this problem in the bud by adopting a similar antiracist approach. Here, collective and coordinated support from school leadership, staff, and broader school communities is essential in rejecting racism and discrimination against Asian students and teachers.

Australian education research has remained relatively silent on Asian Australia despite the growing presence – and increasing importance – of Asian teacher and student populations alike. A growing body of scholarship is interrogating the racial-colonial discourses that impact this key stakeholder in Australian education.

Given the clear implications this discussion has for teacher attraction and retention as a means to improved (racial) equity in schools and higher education spaces, we contend that there is much that urgently needs to be done in this space.


Aaron Teo is a lecturer in curriculum and pedagogy at the University of Southern Queensland’s School of Education. He is convenor for the Australian Association for Research in Education Social Justice Special Interest Group. His research focusses on the raced and gendered subjectivities of migrant teachers from “Asian” backgrounds in the Australian context, as well as critical pedagogies in white Australian (university and school) classroom spaces.

Sun Yee Yip is a lecturer at the Faculty of Education at Monash University. Her research focuses on teacher knowledge development, teacher diversity and raising the status of teachers and the teaching profession.

finance and accounting class with woman academic

Good news for women academics – and for their students

higher education, , , , , , , ,

The boom in research outputs in accounting and finance disciplines in higher education institutions in Australia and New Zealand universities is accompanied by another welcome trend – a dramatic increase in female authorship. 

This rise in female authorship marks a turning point in academic culture, fostering a more dynamic, inclusive environment where diverse viewpoints enrich the field of accounting and finance. It’s also vital for students within those disciplines to see diverse scholarship.

Emerging scholars in these fields need to see what’s possible.

Beyond the numbers in accounting and finance

Beyond the numbers, this shift is reshaping how research is conducted and valued, promoting equity and innovation as essential components of academic success. For universities, particularly leading institutions, supporting women’s voices in research isn’t just a matter of fairness—it’s a strategic move that amplifies the depth, relevance, and societal impact of their scholarly contributions.

The proportion of female representation in published research rose by nearly two-thirds between 2011 and  2022. We analysed 48 top-tier ranked accounting and finance journals. leading institutions, including the University of New South Wales, Monash University, and the University of Queensland, are at the forefront of this rise in research productivity.

That’s  a positive step towards more gender-inclusive academic environments but the data also reveals ongoing challenges. Male authors still dominate the ranks of those with higher publication volumes particularly in the highest ranked journals. That signals the need for further support to close this gap.

Affirmative Action and Career Mobility

A key focus of our study was assessing how affirmative action policies foster a more diverse academic workforce. These policies, designed to address historical inequities, are proving effective in enhancing the presence of female researchers in accounting and finance. The policies are not just about increasing numbers. Affirmative action’s impact must also be assessed in terms of the quality of opportunities it provides through mentorship programs, supportive work environments, and other policies to facilitate more equitable career advancement.

Our findings show that women are occupying more space in academic publishing. 

Yet a gender gap remains, most notably among the most prolific authors. This suggests that while affirmative action is helping more women enter the academic pipeline, further efforts are needed to support them in progressing to the highest levels of research productivity. 

While the increase in female authorship is encouraging, it underscores a critical need for sustained support structures that go beyond entry-level opportunities. Mentorship, targeted professional development, and access to resources that bolster long-term productivity are vital to helping female academics navigate and excel in high-stakes publishing environments. 

Facing challenges

Without these, many women face challenges in reaching senior research roles and leading impactful studies.

The reasons for this are unclear but may be related to the gendered emphasis on supporting scholarships for women to enter the academic workforce but not following through to support the development of sustainable research productivity skills with career impact, such as research supervision or research team management capabilities.

We also explored job mobility among top contributors. High research productivity correlates with greater career mobility, with prolific researchers being attractive in the job market moving between institutions to seek better opportunities. Women have traditionally been less able to take advantage of this mobility due to family and non-work responsibilities. This mobility highlights the competitive nature of academic publishing and underscores the potential for affirmative action policies to create more career pathways for underrepresented groups within institutions, reducing the reliance on mobility as a pathway to promotion.

Bridging the Gender Gap

Despite the progress made, much more needs to be done to achieve true gender parity in academic publishing. Our study found that female authors are underrepresented among the top five per cent of most frequently published researchers. This underrepresentation at the highest levels indicates that systemic barriers, such as gaps in mentorship and resource limitations, continue to hinder female academics from reaching their full potential in terms of research output.

To bridge this gap, institutions need to strengthen mentorship programs for women, promote inclusive hiring practices, and provide more equitable access to resources. These efforts are crucial to ensuring that all researchers, regardless of gender, have the opportunity to thrive in the academic community.

Future Directions for Broader Application

This study focused only on the disciplines of accounting and finance. However, the methodology developed for this study is equally applicable across multiple disciplines.

A broader application of the methodology to other disciplines would provide a more holistic understanding of the impact of policies supporting the increased engagement of women in research at a sector-wide level. It would also enable cross-disciplinary comparisons to determine whether more granular and discipline-specific incentives and supports may be required to achieve more equitable career outcomes between men and women in academia.

The Way Forward

As the conversation around gender diversity in academia continues to evolve, it is clear that affirmative action policies play a crucial role in promoting inclusivity. THowever, these policies must be continually evaluated and expanded to ensure they go beyond increasing female participation. They must also address the deeper structural barriers that prevent women from advancing to the highest levels of academic research.

Fostering inclusive and diverse research environments not only improves gender equity but also enriches academic output and innovation. Diverse research teams bring various perspectives essential for driving new ideas and solutions in education and beyond.

What next

Our study sheds light on the evolving dynamics of research productivity and gender diversity within Australian and New Zealand HEIs. While we have made significant strides in increasing female representation in academic publishing, there is still work to be done to ensure these gains translate into long-term career success for women in academia.

As institutions continue to implement affirmative action policies and other diversity initiatives, we must stay focused on providing equal opportunities for all scholars. Doing so can create a more inclusive, innovative, and productive academic landscape for future generations.

Based on our analysis of 48 top-tier ranked accounting and finance journals, research outputs at Australian and New Zealand HEIs steadily increased between 2011 and 2022. Leading institutions, including the University of New South Wales, Monash University, and the University of Queensland, are at the forefront of this rise in research productivity.For further reading, you can access the full research paper here: https://doi.org/10.1080/09639284.2024.2413687.

Adam Arian is a lecturer in accounting, auditing and finance, the Peter Faber Business School, Australian Catholic University. Susan Dann is the national head of school, Business, in the Faculty of Law and Business, Australian Catholic University. John Sands is a professor of accounting in the School of Business, University of Southern Queensland.

Homework:  what we could do to make it better for students, teachers and parents

homework, , , , ,

There have long been debates over homework and children’s resistance to doing it. It is seen to lead to fights at the kitchen table after school. This may stem from time-poor working families or parents and carers unsure of how to do it in the ‘right’ way.

 As teachers, and parents, we too have struggled with homework. We decided to research this further. Homework is widely used in primary school. There is also a continuing  debate in the media. But  there is a limited body of research to explain the purpose, evidence for the practice or explanation of the power dynamics which underpin current homework approaches.

Homework doesn’t always lead to increased learning

Homework is generally given to revise learning concepts taught within the classroom.  But studies have shown homework does not always add to increased learning and could, in fact,  have the opposite effect. Teachers have reported that designing quality tasks, along with marking homework was time-consuming. It also proved difficult to meet the needs of the diverse students in their classes. Don’t we know it! Similarly, parents have shared concerns detailing the pressure of homework and how its expectations can create tensions within the home. 

Since current practices are not working, what if the purpose of homework was to help children and their parents enjoy and engage in learning together, rather than purely consolidate learning and preparing for the next test? 

Grej of the Day

We found a case study which offers a potential alternative to homework, all the way from Sweden. ‘Grej of the Day’ is an approach to homework that seeks to connect learning between school and home. Mikael Hermansson, teacher of the year in Sweden 2015, may have an idea here that works! 

When using Grej of the Day in the classroom, children are given a clue (for example a giraffe playing a tuba below) to guess what it is about. Children take the clue home to discuss with their families then bring ideas back to school the next day. The class learns from all the ideas shared then have an 8-minute micro lesson from the teacher, who shares one WOW fact. For each topic a pin is put on a world map to show where it was from. Homework is then for children to retell what they learnt to their parents.

We saw this innovative approach, thought about the diverse learners we see in the classrooms, and wondered how it could support children in Australia. 

What we found

We conducted an international online survey, which received 2025 responses from 16 countries. 240 teachers gave us further details as to how and why they use ‘Grej of the Day’ in their classrooms. Our initial analysis shows teachers reported mostly positive changes in the classroom to children’s behaviour and engagement in learning. Fewer parents reported a lack of interest.  

We found three main benefits to using Grej of the Day:

  1. Cultural appropriateness: Potential to engage children from diverse backgrounds in meaningful ways inclusive of their home languages, time, skills and knowledge to learn new things beyond a narrow curriculum. Teachers have discussed that they can ‘use Grejs to cross bridges, to understand each other better, to learn about other religions, values, points of view and customs’.
  2. High engagement: Children were excited to participate in their learning and do homework. A huge step if you have a child who hated school! Micael Hermannson saw this in his own class where he found he was able to take a difficult group of children, who he could not reach, to being the class of the year in Sweden. Suddenly children wanted to be at school and learn. One teacher highlighted this ‘GoTD can absolutely be a way to support the [sic] diversity. I remember this student who really had a hard time at school and suddenly he said, ‘Now I know more than my mum, I think I`m going to become a teacher…’.
  3. Authentic learning: When discussing the impact GoTD has had to support authentic conversations to add to and build on the learning in school with families, teachers explained that parents suddenly became keen about homework, ‘There is a high participation. I have had parents waiting outside the classroom to find out whether they had solved the riddle’.

A way forward?

We are excited to present this case study as a potential paradoxical way forward that is authentic and enjoyed by children, teachers, and parents alike. Possibly it is a way that we can all enjoy homework and harness its true potential? The results from our case study pose the question to teachers and policy makers. Is it time for us to rethink homework in schools to make it an equitable playing field that values diverse funds of knowledge, ideas, and ways of learning?

Have you considered an answer to our Grej of the Day clue yet? What does the giraffe have in common with a tuba?

Monique Mandarakas (left) is a casual lecturer at the University of Southern Queensland. She has a background from both early childhood and primary teaching. Her research includes parent and family engagement in education and the support of pre-service teachers. This research is supported by her current PhD study. Melissa Fanshawe is an associate professor in the School of Education at the University of Southern Queensland. She has over twenty-five years experience within Queensland schools as a teacher, deputy and principal. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has won several teaching awards.

What happens when the science of reading fails

Reading, teaching reading, , ,

Yes! There’s the science of reading but there’s also the art of reading, here’s why we need both. 

Reading is a complex task and one necessary for success in life. It involves an understanding of how printed texts include letters that make certain sounds and combinations of letters to join these sounds to make words. The ultimate goal of reading is to comprehend the meaning of a string of words so that you can learn about different topics and/or enjoy stories. 

But many students find learning to read difficult. And reasons for this vary greatly. Some research says certain incidents such as trauma might affect brain development. Also, some brains may be atypical and therefore need different ways to help them work. But it may not just be cognitive impairments that impact on children’s reading ability. 

Understandably, a number of opinions and approaches are offered in the research literature regarding the most effective approach to teaching reading, some controversial. Many note different competencies needed for fluent reading including constrained and unconstrained skills. In addition, many commercial programs that are not evidence-based have been developed to address student learning needs in reading. 

Given reading is so vital to success in life it is critical we support students who find reading hard. Such a concern is a focus for many governments and it often becomes personal because people want what is best for children. I hope that this blog can help people understand there are two (if not more) ways of thinking about supporting readers. That is from both a science of reading approach AND an art of reading philosophy.

The science of reading

The science of reading (SoR) represents “best practices for reading instruction” identified through scientific methods. SoR explores what the brain does when we read. Known as neuroscience, evidence suggests that several cognitive processes are required for competent readers. When these processes go wrong researchers in the science of reading offer different strategies that teachers can use to help their students.

In my research with expert speech pathologists, we offered a manualised approach involving intense intervention for students based on the Simple View of Reading or SVR. The SVR involves two parts to being able to read fluently. These are word recognition and language comprehension. Word recognition involves being able to decode printed words on the page and language comprehension is how we make meaning from a group of words.

Another approach is to use decodable readers. Decodable readers are books that slowly introduce specific letters and sounds, that is, each book covers a grapheme-phoneme combination such as at, ow or ai. They are often repetitive, ensuring the child can learn these combinations in early reading programs.

But what happens when even these approaches fail children? I believe some interventions that stem from cognitive science do help struggling readers but we also need to inject special care, compassion and perhaps more emotive approaches to support what might be impacting students’ ability to read. This is why the art of reading is equally important.  

The art of reading

Do you remember your favourite book as a child? It may have been one you read yourself or one read to you. What was it about the book that attracted you? The art of reading refers to the pleasure you feel when reading books or “celebrating your power to turn shapes on a page into a lifelong adventure”.

According to the OECD, reading for pleasure or enjoyment is “an important prerequisite to becoming an effective learner” and continues to influence adult motivation and skill. Many authors skillfully write books using literary devices that can also spark our imagination. In fact, books can take us to many places, help us become better citizens, and extend our knowledge across different topics.

If reading is difficult, there are still many ways that we can help children ‘access’ books and stories such as being read to. Mem Fox, a world renowned Australian Children’s book author has a wonderful website explaining how to read aloud to children. She notes that reading aloud can foster an “essential enchanting engagement with books, stories, rhymes and songs”. 

Storytelling is also an important part of learning to read. For many cultures, learning comes first through oral language and much research has explored the connection between oral language and early reading success. Stories enable cultural continuity and heritage and are a powerful way to share knowledge. Therefore, the art of reading acknowledges that the reading process can be both social and cultural.

The art of reading is a philosophy that sees the beauty in texts. It is a process that should be enjoyed. It relates to the literary prowess of the written word and how they engage and inspire us to be better people. Certainly, the Australian Curriculum espouses that learning English “ helps create confident communicators, imaginative thinkers and informed citizens. It is through the study of English that individuals learn to analyse, understand, communicate and build relationships with others and with the world around them”.

If our own curriculum and others around the world acknowledge the beauty and power in being able to read, then why are we still saying one approach is better over others?

Perhaps it comes down to people’s own personal philosophies in life and how we view success. Yes, reading is critical to post-schooling success, without adequate reading skills we limit the ways in which we can communicate with others. We also limit our capacity to be employed. But being successful is not just about earning potential but also how we relate to others and what we can contribute back to society.

It is ok to agree to disagree. Ultimately, we all want the best for every child so for me, it’s like tacos – why don’t we have both! “Porque no los dos?” Because if we don’t we might have fluent readers but we won’t have readers who see the beauty and joy in life.

Georgina Barton is a professor in the School of Education at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. At USQ, She is the discipline lead for literacy and pedagogy.