Sue Thomson

Sue Thomson

Former Deputy CEO (Research) at the Australian Council for Educational Research

Dr Sue Thomson was a former Deputy CEO (Research) at the Australian Council for Educational Research. Dr Thomson managed Australia’s participation in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), the Progress in International Reading Study (PIRLS) and the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Before joining ACER, Dr Thomson lectured at a number of universities in Statistics and Research Methodology and worked as a Mathematics and IT teacher in government secondary schools in Victoria.

19 total results
Student engagement and confidence in reading: PIRLS recap
Student engagement and confidence in reading: PIRLS recap

'The importance of establishing strong positive attitudes towards learning – particularly towards reading, which underlies so much of students’ learning – is critical, particularly in view of the past two years.' Ahead of the December release of PIRLS 2021 results, Dr Sue Thomson recaps what 2016 data show about students in Australia.

What’s happening with PIRLS?
What’s happening with PIRLS?

In her latest Teacher column, Dr Sue Thomson looks ahead to the release of the PIRLS results, including the aims of this international assessment of Year 4 students’ reading skills, and how data for the 2021 cycle were collected during the pandemic.

What does PISA tell us about Australia’s school sectors?
What does PISA tell us about Australia’s school sectors?

‘Clearly, the decline in Australia’s PISA scores is a complex problem, necessitating complex and varied solutions. What is evident from these data, however, is that the decline in scores cannot be attributed to one particular school sector, but it is shared across the whole system.’ In her latest Teacher column, Sue Thomson examines achievement, school climate and student wellbeing in Australia’s three school sectors.

Disadvantage hindering social and emotional development
Disadvantage hindering social and emotional development

In her final Teacher column of the year, Dr Sue Thomson explores data from a new large-scale survey of young people’s social and emotional skills that reveals significant differences between students from advantaged and disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.

Developing literacy skills in a digital world
Developing literacy skills in a digital world

‘The change over the last 20 years in what and how students read has emphasised the importance not only of assessing students’ capacity to read, but also what they have learned about the credibility of what they read.’ In her latest Teacher column, Dr Sue Thomson delves into international PISA 2018 data on reading literacy and digital literacy skills.

Student educational aspirations and attitudes towards STEM
Student educational aspirations and attitudes towards STEM

‘An important factor in improving enrolments in STEM is ensuring the development of positive attitudes towards mathematics and science.’ In her new column for Teacher, Dr Sue Thomson discusses the results of the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), students’ general attitudes to mathematics and science, and their aspirations post-school.

‘Big five’ education challenges: The ‘long tail’ of underachievement in Australia
‘Big five’ education challenges: The ‘long tail’ of underachievement in Australia

‘One of the biggest challenges facing educators is to find better ways to meet the learning needs of the many students who fall behind in our schools.’ In her latest Teacher column, Dr Sue Thomson explores the issue in an Australian context, and the progress made in recent years.

Exploring Australian students’ strengths and weaknesses in maths and science
Exploring Australian students’ strengths and weaknesses in maths and science

What should Australian schools and teachers focus on in order to improve students’ general understanding of mathematics and science? In her final Teacher column of the year, Dr Sue Thomson explores newly released TIMSS 2019 data to highlight some of the strengths and weaknesses of Australian students at the national level.

How do Australian students see their teachers?
How do Australian students see their teachers?

‘In a year that has seen a great deal of disruption to classes, the relationship between students and their teachers has become far more important.’ In her new column, Dr Sue Thomson explores the latest report from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and offers insights into how Australian students perceive their teachers.

Equity issues in student financial literacy
Equity issues in student financial literacy

In her new Teacher column, Dr Sue Thomson examines the importance of financial knowledge and skills in addressing socioeconomic disadvantage during the current global economic downturn.