Sally Larsen
@sallylarsen.bsky.social
Education researcher and lecturer at University of New England (the Australian one) | former English teacher | now quant ed research | starting to miss English teaching but like stats methods too much to go back.
Pinned
Sally Larsen
@sallylarsen.bsky.social
· Dec 9
Are Australian students' academic skills declining? Interrogating 25 years of national and international standardised assessment data
Standardised tests of academic basic skills are an established feature of contemporary Australian schooling. Assessment results are widely reported and directly influence educational policymaking. Fu...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
There's been some media discussion about the performance of Australian students on national and international tests this last week. If you're interested in long-term trends, here's my paper that shows trends since 1995. It's not as bad as you might think :)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Ok idea:
Goodreads but for academic papers. Then you can have 10,000 papers on your 'currently reading' list, and you can add all your friend's papers to your 'want to read' list.
And a new category: 'read the abstract' list 🙃
Surely someone already invented this?
Goodreads but for academic papers. Then you can have 10,000 papers on your 'currently reading' list, and you can add all your friend's papers to your 'want to read' list.
And a new category: 'read the abstract' list 🙃
Surely someone already invented this?
The reverse method is: open 12 papers, read the abstract, and feel intellectually empowered.
The true academic method: open 12 papers, read none of them, feel intellectually intimidated
November 28, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Ok idea:
Goodreads but for academic papers. Then you can have 10,000 papers on your 'currently reading' list, and you can add all your friend's papers to your 'want to read' list.
And a new category: 'read the abstract' list 🙃
Surely someone already invented this?
Goodreads but for academic papers. Then you can have 10,000 papers on your 'currently reading' list, and you can add all your friend's papers to your 'want to read' list.
And a new category: 'read the abstract' list 🙃
Surely someone already invented this?
Today I did not win a prestigious national grant (success rate was 13% so who am I kidding? I was never getting one of those lol)
However, I did win a Dan Murphys voucher at the staff morning tea.
I feel like this is a sign 🤔
However, I did win a Dan Murphys voucher at the staff morning tea.
I feel like this is a sign 🤔
November 25, 2025 at 5:22 AM
Today I did not win a prestigious national grant (success rate was 13% so who am I kidding? I was never getting one of those lol)
However, I did win a Dan Murphys voucher at the staff morning tea.
I feel like this is a sign 🤔
However, I did win a Dan Murphys voucher at the staff morning tea.
I feel like this is a sign 🤔
The responses here are 😘
FWIW I just don't get the argument that cluster analysis is 'person centred' as opposed to 'variable centred'...
FWIW I just don't get the argument that cluster analysis is 'person centred' as opposed to 'variable centred'...
It’s astonishing how many researchers seem to believe that a cluster analysis is such a sensible analysis that it needn’t even be justified through a coherent research question. Just cluster analysis go brrrrr
October 27, 2025 at 10:00 PM
The responses here are 😘
FWIW I just don't get the argument that cluster analysis is 'person centred' as opposed to 'variable centred'...
FWIW I just don't get the argument that cluster analysis is 'person centred' as opposed to 'variable centred'...
Spring in my garden 🪻
September 27, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Spring in my garden 🪻
A summary of our latest research out in The Conversation this week 🥳
An Australian study suggests early education is not making as much of a difference as it should in development and learning.
👉 theconversation.com/despite...
👉 theconversation.com/despite...
September 17, 2025 at 3:05 AM
A summary of our latest research out in The Conversation this week 🥳
Meanwhile in Australia:
its snowing 🥶
its snowing 🥶
August 2, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Meanwhile in Australia:
its snowing 🥶
its snowing 🥶
Apropos of nothing my daughter got me this birthday card...
@quantitude.bsky.social listeners 😂
@quantitude.bsky.social listeners 😂
July 27, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Apropos of nothing my daughter got me this birthday card...
@quantitude.bsky.social listeners 😂
@quantitude.bsky.social listeners 😂
Reposted by Sally Larsen
I did this before in German but I guess today is a good day to compile English resources on why AI isn‘t actually intelligent and also a real danger: 🧵
July 9, 2025 at 7:32 AM
I did this before in German but I guess today is a good day to compile English resources on why AI isn‘t actually intelligent and also a real danger: 🧵
Just a totally normal walk to the carpark outside the Education building on campus this evening. Nothing out of the ordinary at all 😅 🦘 🦘
July 14, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Just a totally normal walk to the carpark outside the Education building on campus this evening. Nothing out of the ordinary at all 😅 🦘 🦘
Reposted by Sally Larsen
The Australian Education Research Organisation, funded by the Federal Government $10m annually to translate education research, is being reviewed on their effectiveness. You can fill out the anonymous survey in about 10 minutes. Room to give details in 2qs
insightssurvey.kpmg.com.au/wix/p3225255...
insightssurvey.kpmg.com.au/wix/p3225255...
KPMG
insightssurvey.kpmg.com.au
July 3, 2025 at 11:39 PM
The Australian Education Research Organisation, funded by the Federal Government $10m annually to translate education research, is being reviewed on their effectiveness. You can fill out the anonymous survey in about 10 minutes. Room to give details in 2qs
insightssurvey.kpmg.com.au/wix/p3225255...
insightssurvey.kpmg.com.au/wix/p3225255...
Deep breaths everyone: DECRA assessor comments are out 🫠
DECRA assessor reports are now available in RMS.
DECRA assessor reports come out tomorrow (normally about 11am AEST).
Here's a thread of advice from previous years 👇
Summary:
🔹Always submit a rejoinder
🔹Get help
🔹 #ARC3DayRule
🔹 Think like a College of Experts member
🔹 Look for "faint praise" in assessor reports
And finally, take tonight off!
Here's a thread of advice from previous years 👇
Summary:
🔹Always submit a rejoinder
🔹Get help
🔹 #ARC3DayRule
🔹 Think like a College of Experts member
🔹 Look for "faint praise" in assessor reports
And finally, take tonight off!
June 25, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Deep breaths everyone: DECRA assessor comments are out 🫠
This thread is making me feel much better about not ever bothering to learn how to fit latent class growth models...
Latent growth models ftw 🙃
Latent growth models ftw 🙃
@drandreahoward.bsky.social, hold my beer..
Latent class growth models are worse than useless, and we've known this for more than 20 years.
(See Bauer 2007)
Latent class growth models are worse than useless, and we've known this for more than 20 years.
(See Bauer 2007)
i’m not going to write a thread today about problems with latent class growth analyses nope nope NOPE i won’t do it
June 21, 2025 at 9:51 AM
This thread is making me feel much better about not ever bothering to learn how to fit latent class growth models...
Latent growth models ftw 🙃
Latent growth models ftw 🙃
A highlight of my week last week was presenting a session at Skeptics in the Pub in Armidale. Brian Byrne (longstanding twin researcher) and I talked about common ideas in education and how they're not always supported by research. Upset a few people but I think that's the point? 🙃
March 22, 2025 at 11:01 PM
A highlight of my week last week was presenting a session at Skeptics in the Pub in Armidale. Brian Byrne (longstanding twin researcher) and I talked about common ideas in education and how they're not always supported by research. Upset a few people but I think that's the point? 🙃
This weekend we said farewell to my Nanna, 96 years young. She was the biggest supporter of me doing a PhD - for ~2yrs kept asking when my graduation was so she wouldn't miss it. I'm happy she lived to see it, and that my garden is full of the plants she grew in her nursery. A truly amazing life!
February 16, 2025 at 10:49 AM
This weekend we said farewell to my Nanna, 96 years young. She was the biggest supporter of me doing a PhD - for ~2yrs kept asking when my graduation was so she wouldn't miss it. I'm happy she lived to see it, and that my garden is full of the plants she grew in her nursery. A truly amazing life!
I did not really understand suppression effects but after this episode now I do 👍
Join us for some seemingly psycho analysis, tomorrow…
January 24, 2025 at 10:23 PM
I did not really understand suppression effects but after this episode now I do 👍
Nice explainer in The Conversation today about public school voluntary contributions (i.e. fees)
By Emma Rowe (who's not on Bluesky?)
theconversation.com/are-public-s...
By Emma Rowe (who's not on Bluesky?)
theconversation.com/are-public-s...
Are public schools really ‘free’? Families can pay hundreds of dollars in voluntary fees
As Australian families prepare for term 1, many will receive letters from their public schools asking them to pay fees.
theconversation.com
January 23, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Nice explainer in The Conversation today about public school voluntary contributions (i.e. fees)
By Emma Rowe (who's not on Bluesky?)
theconversation.com/are-public-s...
By Emma Rowe (who's not on Bluesky?)
theconversation.com/are-public-s...
Reposted by Sally Larsen
Educators assemble! Thanks @brookssensei.bsky.social and Co for reigniting the Australian Educators PLN and launching #EduSkyAU. Cultivating ideas, chewing on the profession and sharing resources feels most authentic through this format! 🙏 #AussieED #EduPLN #professionaldevelopment
January 14, 2025 at 9:06 AM
Educators assemble! Thanks @brookssensei.bsky.social and Co for reigniting the Australian Educators PLN and launching #EduSkyAU. Cultivating ideas, chewing on the profession and sharing resources feels most authentic through this format! 🙏 #AussieED #EduPLN #professionaldevelopment
This is a good contribution to the public/private school never-ending argy-bargy in Australia:
www.thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2025...
www.thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2025...
How public and private schools can partner in educating all children
Students with challenging behaviours are not a burden. They are young people with the right to a quality education and a positive future.
www.thenewdaily.com.au
January 15, 2025 at 1:57 AM
This is a good contribution to the public/private school never-ending argy-bargy in Australia:
www.thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2025...
www.thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2025...
Summer lunch break at swimming lessons!
January 14, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Summer lunch break at swimming lessons!
Just leaving this here because there are some great references in the replies
Hey #StatsSky, what are you favorite papers to cite when you need to justify something that is obvious (I once had a reviewer ask we justify the use of logistic regression on a binary outcome)
or when you need to push-back on silly reviewer requests (e.g., asking for p-values in table 1)?
or when you need to push-back on silly reviewer requests (e.g., asking for p-values in table 1)?
January 6, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Just leaving this here because there are some great references in the replies
Happy new year jelly slice for morning tea 🥳
January 1, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Happy new year jelly slice for morning tea 🥳
Wrote this for The Conversation this week.
If you're not in Australia, we have an unusual system of school provision here that seems to be increasing socioeconomic segregation between schools
theconversation.com/more-austral...
If you're not in Australia, we have an unusual system of school provision here that seems to be increasing socioeconomic segregation between schools
theconversation.com/more-austral...
More Australian families are choosing private schools – we need to understand why
Over the past two decades, the number of students attending independent schools has grown faster than those attending public schools, particularly in high school.
theconversation.com
December 20, 2024 at 2:29 AM
Wrote this for The Conversation this week.
If you're not in Australia, we have an unusual system of school provision here that seems to be increasing socioeconomic segregation between schools
theconversation.com/more-austral...
If you're not in Australia, we have an unusual system of school provision here that seems to be increasing socioeconomic segregation between schools
theconversation.com/more-austral...
Interesting:
www.tes.com/magazine/new...
www.tes.com/magazine/new...
Research: No evidence ability grouping harms disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes
Test scores, confidence or enjoyment of subjects do not suffer as a result of setting or streaming, researchers suggest
www.tes.com
December 15, 2024 at 9:19 AM
Interesting:
www.tes.com/magazine/new...
www.tes.com/magazine/new...
There's been some media discussion about the performance of Australian students on national and international tests this last week. If you're interested in long-term trends, here's my paper that shows trends since 1995. It's not as bad as you might think :)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Are Australian students' academic skills declining? Interrogating 25 years of national and international standardised assessment data
Standardised tests of academic basic skills are an established feature of contemporary Australian schooling. Assessment results are widely reported and directly influence educational policymaking. Fu...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
December 9, 2024 at 12:52 AM
There's been some media discussion about the performance of Australian students on national and international tests this last week. If you're interested in long-term trends, here's my paper that shows trends since 1995. It's not as bad as you might think :)
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....