Episodes
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How can you help disengaged teenagers rediscover their passion for learning? In this episode of Top Class, Rebecca Winthrop, a Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution, discusses ideas from the new book she has co-authored called ‘The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better’ with OECD’s Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher. Whether you’re a parent, teacher or simply interested in the topic, this episode outlines practical strategies and policies to make education engaging and relevant.
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Wildfires raging in Los Angeles have destroyed thousands of homes and forced the closure of hundreds of schools. As communities try to rebuild following the destruction, including the burning down of schools, what can teachers do to support students? In this episode of Top Class, Developmental-Behavioural Paediatrician David Schonfeld, Director of the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, speaks to OECD Editor Duncan Crawford about the critical role educators play during times of crisis.
The National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement helps children and communities deal with trauma and grief. You can learn more about it here https://www.schoolcrisiscenter.org/
Learn more about the OECD’s work on well-being here https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/teachers-well-being_c36fc9d3-en.html -
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As technologies transform businesses, what critical skills are needed to succeed in the workforce of the future? With artificial intelligence, the green transition, globalisation and much more all impacting the world of work, there is an urgent need for policymakers, educators and businesses to respond. In this episode of Top Class, we explore what needs to happen to ensure people can develop the right skills to prosper in the years ahead. Stefano Scarpetta, the OECD’s Director of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, and the Chief Economist at LinkedIn, Karin Kimbrough, tell OECD Editor Duncan Crawford how people can adapt and upskill to ensure they don’t get left behind.
Want to learn more about taking a skills first approach? Read: https://oecdedutoday.com/unfilled-job-vacancies-a-skills-first-approach-can-help/
Want to learn more about the OECD Survey of Adult Skills? Read our Insights and Interpretations brochure: https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/support-materials/2024/12/survey-of-adult-skills-2023_1ab54c9e/PIAAC2024_InsightsInterpretations_FULL.pdf -
Over the past decade, literacy and numeracy skills among adults have largely declined or stagnated in most OECD countries. This is the main finding from the second OECD Survey of Adult Skills, a once-in-a-decade assessment that measured the skills of adults across 31 countries and economies. Despite efforts to strengthen education and adult training systems, only Finland and Denmark have seen significant improvements in adult literacy skills. However, adults performed better in the numeracy proficiency test, with eight countries seeing their average scores improve. In this episode of Top Class, the OECD’s Director for Education and Skills, Andreas Schleicher, tells OECD Editor Duncan Crawford why he is concerned about the findings.
Learn more about the OECD Survey of Adult Skills here: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/do-adults-have-the-skills-they-need-to-thrive-in-a-changing-world_b263dc5d-en.html -
Every year, countless teachers face stress-related illnesses and burnout. While some manage to keep going, often at a reduced capacity, others leave the profession entirely. In this episode of Top Class, we explore how policymakers and schools can better support teacher well-being and create healthy working environments to ensure educators remain happy and healthy. The CEO of mental health and well-being charity Education Support Sinéad McBrearty and Pedro De Bruyckere, the head of Leerpunt in Flanders in Belgium, a knowledge broker in education, speak to OECD Editor Duncan Crawford about practical strategies to create sustainable and supportive environments for teachers.
Teachers in the UK can get mental health and well-being support with Education Support: https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/
Learn more about some of the OECD’s work in this area with the New Professional and the Future of Teaching Project: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/projects/new-professionalism-and-the-future-of-teaching.html -
Why is there a persistent gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects? Despite their growing importance for many future jobs, women make up only about a third of STEM graduates, with numbers dropping to as low as 20% in some OECD countries. This disparity is alarming to many policymakers, especially considering the lucrative and impactful careers STEM fields offer.
In this episode of Top Class, Beatrice Boots, Director of the Dutch STEM Platform PTvT and Chair of the EU STEM Coalition, and Priscilla Wanjiku Gatonye, Program Officer for Inclusion and Youth at UNESCO’s International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, tell OECD Editor Duncan Crawford that increasing female participation in STEM subjects should be a priority. -
Many countries are experiencing a growing skills gap – what can be done to address the issue? WorldSkills, the largest international skills competition, aims to help. Held every two years, it sees more than 1,400 talented young people compete in 62 different technical disciplines, from Cloud Computing and 3D Game Design to Plumbing and Floristry. The aim is to show off the importance of skills-based learning and to make technical and vocational professions more attractive to school leavers. The OECD is working with WorldSkills to ensure quality vocational schemes support the jobs of the future. OECD Editor Duncan Crawford travelled to Lyon to check out the contest.
Learn more about the work of the OECD and WorldSkills here👉 bit.ly/4dcVxTq
Learn more about the OECD’s new PISA-VET initiative here 👉 https://bit.ly/3uMb9wX -
On average, science scores have been falling globally for over a decade. What can be done to improve the quality of science teaching? In this episode of Top Class, Nobel Prize winning physicist Carl Wieman, Professor Emeritus of Physics and Education at Stanford University, and Yidan Prize winner, tells OECD Editor Duncan Crawford that current science teaching techniques are often ineffective. He argues that traditional lectures need to be ditched in favour of more active learning methods.
Learn more about global science scores in the latest PISA report here: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/pisa-2022-results-volume-i_53f23881-en.html
Learn more about The Yidan Prize here: yidanprize.org -
Education budgets are huge. Public spending on schools, universities and other public and private educational institutions is around 5% of GDP across OECD countries on average. But is the money well spent? In this episode of Top Class, Economist Professor Eric Hanusek, the Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, and Yidan Prize winner, tells OECD Editor Duncan Crawford that smarter spending would lead to considerably better learning outcomes and make societies better off.
Learn more about public spending on education here: https://www.oecd.org/en/data/indicators/public-spending-on-education.html
Learn more about The Yidan Prize here: https://yidanprize.org/ -
With some three-quarters of employers reporting difficulty in filling jobs, do traditional hiring methods need to change? As companies shift their focus from past job titles to specific skills, individuals are also rethinking how they present themselves to potential employers. In this episode of Top Class, Papia Debroy from non-profit Opportunity@Work and Dan McCabe, a 3D artist and WorldSkills Champion, tell OECD Editor Duncan Crawford that it is time to reconsider hiring practices. They argue that a skills-first approach benefits businesses and job seekers, and can lead to better job matches and career growth opportunities.
Want to learn more about skills? Check out the OECD Centre for Skills: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/directorates/centre-for-skills.html -
How do you create a classroom where students are actively creating, innovating and problem-solving? A part of the answer involves empowering teachers with the tools and training they need to help students be more creative. But what does that involve? In this episode of Top Class, OECD Editor Duncan Crawford speaks to US Primary School Teacher Billie Freeland and Jennifer Mansfield, Senior Lecturer in Science Teacher Education at Monash University in Australia, about how to rethink teacher training so that teachers are better prepared to foster creativity in students.
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Do smartphones help support learning in classrooms or are they a distraction that harms education? A growing number of governments have implemented restrictions on the use of smartphones in schools. Even without nationwide bans, many schools collect phones at the start of the day or insist on children keeping them in lockers during lesson time. Are the bans justified? In this episode of Top Class, OECD Editor Duncan Crawford speaks to two educators on opposing sides of the debate: Matt Miles, an American teacher and co-author of “Screen Schooled: Two Veteran Teachers Expose How Technology Overuse Is Making Our Kids Dumber” and Damian Maher, a senior lecturer from University of Technology Sydney, who backs the use of smartphones in schools.
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Bullying is an urgent issue in many schools and crucial steps need to be taken to address it. In this episode of Top Class, Professor James O’Higgins Norman, the UNESCO Chair on Bullying and Cyberbullying, highlights a common but flawed response from teachers: “I haven’t seen it therefore it doesn’t exist.” What can schools and policymakers do to ensure bullying is tackled effectively, including extreme forms of bullying such as violent attacks? Professor O’Higgins Norman, who is based at Dublin City University where he is also Director of the DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, tells the OECD’s Duncan Crawford about the best practices and techniques to combat bullying and support victims.
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As artificial intelligence integrates into the world of education, how can we ensure it supports effective learning in the classroom? AI learning bots and other AI tools are increasingly being used by students and teachers, but not every agrees this is a good thing. While supporters champion AI as a transformative force that improves personalised learning and efficiency, sceptics are concerned about the erosion of critical thinking skills, the potential for algorithmic biases and privacy issues. In this episode of Top Class, Adeel Khan, Founder of MagicSchool AI, and Associate Professor at University College London, Wayne Holmes, speak to OECD Editor Duncan Crawford about the potential benefits and risks of AI, and the balance between technological progress and educational integrity.
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Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly known as ADHD, is a growing concern for many policymakers around the world. It affects approximately 5% to 10% of children globally and can influence how they learn and behave, including through hyperactive and impulsive behaviour. In this episode of Top Class, Sam Pittis, a British radio presenter who was diagnosed with ADHD and hosts the podcast “You're Wrong About ADHD”, discusses how to navigate ADHD in schools with OECD Editor Duncan Crawford, alongside OECD analyst Cecelia Mezzanotte, who has worked extensively on how to support children with ADHD.
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Sola Mahfouz was pulled out of school in Afghanistan at the age of 11 after a group of men threatened her safety if she continued studying. After years with no education, she began to secretly teach herself through online classes. Against the odds, Sola later passed a college entry test, travelled to the US to study and is now a quantum computing researcher at Tufts University. Writing under a pseudonym, she is also co-author of her memoir Defiant Dreams: The Journey of an Afghan Girl Who Risked Everything for an Education. In this episode of Top Class, she tells OECD Editor Duncan Crawford her remarkable story and reflects on life with the Taliban.
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While some countries have maintained or improved performance in maths and reading, many countries across the globe have seen large drops in educational performance, according to the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results. Almost 700,000 15-year old students from 81 countries and economies took the PISA test in maths, reading and science in 2022. Why have there been such large drops in performance? In this episode of Top Class, OECD Director for Education and Skills Andreas Schleicher speaks to OECD Editor Duncan Crawford about the findings and what they mean for global education
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Sal Khan is the founder and CEO of Khan Academy, a non-profit which aims to provide free, world-class education for everyone. His organisation has developed an AI tutor and teaching assistant that he believes will transform global education for the better. Is he right? In this edition of Top Class, OECD Editor Duncan Crawford explores the far-reaching implications that thinking and learning machines pose for students, teachers and society as a whole.
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On a daily basis, academic studies, reports and news tell us that the Earth’s ecosystem is in danger. But are schools doing enough to help raise awareness about climate change? OECD PISA test results show that schools play a central role in educating kids about environmental issues.
In 2018, about 90 percent of school principals across the OECD reported that climate change and global warming were covered in the school curriculum. However, Matthew Pye, a philosophy teacher and founder of
The Climate Academy, argues that schools and teachers need to be doing much more. In this episode of Top Class, he tells the OECD’s Duncan Crawford that schools should have a far greater focus on climate education. -
Rapid developments in technology and society mean education is constantly on the move. These developments are having a profound effect on both students and teachers. So what should the teaching profession look like in the future?
In this Top Class podcast, Professor A Lin Goodwin from the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College and Marco Snoek, Professor of Teacher Development and School Innovation at Amsterdam’s University of Applied Sciences, speak to OECD Editor Duncan Crawford about their visions for the future.
You can read more about the OECD’s work on teacher professionalism here: https://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/new-professionalism-future-of-teaching.htm - Show more
