Research
Our current Research Focus: Reclaiming the Lost Years
The title of the current research is Reclaiming the lost years: 7 to 9 – Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Victorian Secondary School Structures, Curriculum and Pedagogy in Years 7 to 9. The project focuses on the pressing issue of student disengagement in years 7-9 of secondary school and is led by David Loader as Project Director and Dr. Geoff Masters to assist as Director of Research.
Initial research revealed a stark reality that more than 50% of students in this age group are not engaged with schooling—a challenge not unique to Victoria, but mirrored across Australia and internationally.
ACER’s early investigations confirmed the extent of disengagement, while wider reviews—including Michael Fullan’s sixth edition of The New Meaning of Educational Change—underscored the deep, systemic failures of past reform efforts worldwide.
The Reclaiming the Lost Years Project will:
- Commission targeted research into the causes and solutions for disengagement.
- Review global literature and build a comprehensive database of evidence by 2026.
- Convene community discussions and a public program to bring the issue to national attention.
Three categories of research papers are being commissioned:
1. Papers that make the case for change by drawing attention to current issues in this phase of schooling.
2. Papers that explore alternatives to existing schooling arrangements for these years of school.
3. Papers that document and review how some schools are already reforming learning in these years.
Current commissioned projects include:
- Dr. Fiona Longmuir, Monash University – Voice, Choice, and Belonging: Understanding and Responding to Student Disengagement in Victoria’s Schools
- Dr. Amanda MacGraw, Federation University – Student Engagement in Learning
- Dr. Pam Dettman, UCL Institute of Education, London – New World Challenges to Schools
- Dr. Ralph Sauburn, ACER – The Role of Technology in Schooling
- Dr Geoff Masters, AO – A new focus in the critical role of measurement in teaching and learning.
Explore Our Research
Student disengagement in Years 7 to 9 in Victoria
Overall objective:
Our objective is to use the above compelling, evidence-based research to encourage policy shifts that reimagine Years 7 to 9 as a distinct and engaging phase of learning.
In 2026, Elevo will launch a major program to inform and engage the wider community about this crisis in schooling—mobilising educators, policymakers, and parents around solutions that can reclaim these critical years.
Contact us to find out more about the research