EnTeR: Enhancing Teacher Readiness
EnTeR: Enhancing Teacher Readiness
EnTeR is a new 2025-2026 research project aimed at enhancing teacher readiness in Australian schools by assessing and developing professional attributes. The project is based on 10 years of research in the UK and Australia. The project is led by Dr Tracy Durksen from the University of New South Wales.
How can we assess & develop professional attributes for teaching in Australian schools?
How can we assess & develop professional attributes for teaching in Australian schools?
Australia and many other countries need teachers who have the core professional and socio-emotional competencies to cope with challenges they will encounter in their careers and we need to support them to develop them. EnTeR employs a continuous view of assessing and confirming the key professional attributes for employment into Australian schools. This begins with a baseline assessment at entry point, followed by developmental assessments at key time points to confirm, along with other evidence, employment readiness for teaching in Australian schools. EnTeR assesses the following attributes that were identified in Action Now: Selection of Entrants into Initial Teacher Education – Guidelines (2015) published by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL).
Assessed Attributes
Empathy
Communication
Resilience
Conscientiousness
Organisation
Self Efficacy
Planning
Cultural Awareness
Mindset
Emotion Management
Adaptability
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Awareness
EnTeR Program Timeline
T-Screen is a context-rich situational judgement test that assesses key professional attributes such as empathy, communication, resilience and adaptability that are important for a successful teaching career. This assessment will be completed early in 2025.
In T-Insight, student teachers will engage with context-relevant video and text teaching scenarios and receive expert feedback on their decision-making and judgement in a risk free and supportive online environment. Completed at key time points over 2025 & 2026.
Engagement with Students and Communities
New scenario content developed during this project will focus on collaborating with local partners in Australia to reflect the schooling experiences of Aboriginal students and their communities, the interests of regional, rural, and remote schools, and teaching in early childhood education contexts. Data from these assessments will be accessible to collaborating universities via TSP’s platform. Finally, student teachers will also have an opportunity to join peer to peer forums throughout the project to connect and collaborate. Please use the contact form below if you would like to receive updates about EnTeR or for enquiries about how your university can get involved.