Geoff Masters

Geoff Masters

Chief Executive of the Australian Council for Educational Research

Professor Geoff Masters AO has served as Chief Executive Officer and board member of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) since 1998. He has a PhD in educational measurement, and has published widely in the fields of educational assessment and research. His contributions to education have been recognised through the award of the Australian College of Educators’ Medal in 2009 and his appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2014.

51 total results
Assessment reform: Insights from New Zealand
Assessment reform: Insights from New Zealand

In his first Teacher column of 2024, Professor Geoff Masters AO discusses assessment reforms proposed in New Zealand to reverse that country’s declining student performance.

Teacher’s Bookshelf: World-class learning systems
Teacher’s Bookshelf: World-class learning systems

Our latest Teacher’s Bookshelf features Building a World-Class Learning System: Insights from some top-performing school systems, by Professor Geoff Masters. It explores what British Columbia, Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong and South Korea have in common, the strategies they employ, and the decisions they are making to support students now and in the future.

NAPLAN to stop reporting students’ progress
NAPLAN to stop reporting students’ progress

‘A parent who is now told that their child’s reading is "developing" in each of years 3, 5, 7 and 9 is never likely to know what that means.’ Professor Geoff Masters AO says recent changes to NAPLAN reporting won’t help teachers and parents, and are ‘bewildering’.

Reform challenges in school education
Reform challenges in school education

‘Schools everywhere face ongoing challenges in better preparing young people for their future and ensuring that every student learns successfully and meets high expectations.’ Professor Geoff Masters AO argues addressing these challenges will require fundamental reform of the framework within which schools operate.

PAT: Leading best practice
PAT: Leading best practice

‘Underpinning PAT is recognition that every student is at some point in their long-term progress and is capable of further progress given learning opportunities at an appropriate level of stretch challenge.’ In his latest Teacher column, Professor Geoff Masters AO explores what makes ACER’s progressive achievement (PAT) resources special.

Equality, equity and the school curriculum
Equality, equity and the school curriculum

‘Every student should be on the same (inclusive) path of learning, [and] every student should make excellent ongoing progress and eventually achieve the same high standards,’ Professor Geoff Masters AO writes in his latest Teacher column, adding that the challenge is in creating the conditions to enable this to happen.

Computer Adaptive Testing – challenging traditional thinking
Computer Adaptive Testing – challenging traditional thinking

‘Computer adaptive tests offer a glimpse into the future of learning, the curriculum and assessment.’ In his new column for Teacher, Professor Geoff Masters AO discusses the role of adaptive tests in challenging traditional achievement tests, and why they provide a more accurate estimate of the point an individual has reached in their learning, regardless of their age or year level.

How well do grades convey student attainment and progress?
How well do grades convey student attainment and progress?

‘Grades do not assist parents to see and monitor their children’s growth in an area of learning across the years of school.’ In his new Teacher column, Professor Geoff Masters AO explores why there is such a mismatch between parents’ beliefs in their child’s learning, and how ready the child is for the year’s curriculum.

‘Big five’ challenges in school education – what progress have we made?
‘Big five’ challenges in school education – what progress have we made?

Professor Geoff Masters AO shares details of a special ACER five-webinar series, where expert practitioners, researchers and policymakers will revisit the major challenges in school education he wrote of six years ago, and ask what progress has been made on each, and what needs to happen next.

The equity myth
The equity myth

‘Equity demands a curriculum responsive to individual needs, not blind equality.’ In his new Teacher column, Professor Geoff Masters AO highlights the important difference between equality and equity in education.