Schools are constantly introducing new ideas and initiatives - but meaningful change rarely happens through innovation alone. This conversation explores why lasting improvement is more often shaped by trust, collaboration and research-informed practice.

In busy school environments, knowing what works, how to apply research meaningfully and how to sustain change over time can be incredibly challenging for teachers and school leaders alike.

In this episode, Mark Rickinson and Lucas Johnson explore how research, leadership, trust and school culture shape the way improvement happens in schools, and why meaningful innovation isn’t simply about introducing something new - but creating change that genuinely improves teaching and learning over time.

Together, they discuss what it means to use research well in practice, the conditions that help innovation take hold, and why collaboration, relational trust and supportive leadership are often central to creating lasting change.

(00:00) What Real Innovation Looks Like in Schools
(02:20) What It Means to Use Research Well
(06:23) Starting With Problems of Practice
(08:26) Turning Research into School Practice
(12:58) Why Good Ideas Don’t Always Stick
(16:35) Trust, Collaboration and School Culture
(19:44) Leadership and Conditions for Change
(24:13) Student Voice as a Driver for Innovation
(26:58) Research Translation and Teacher Workload

Special Guests:

Professor Mark Rickinson
Faculty of Education, Monash University
Focused on how research is used to improve teaching and learning in real-world education settings.

Dr Lucas Johnson
Executive Director Research and Emerging Futures, Cornish College

Researching the conditions that enable teachers to innovate within their practice.

Resources:

• The Q Project

If you’re enjoying Let’s Talk Teaching, don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review!
You can follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Facebook, and share your thoughts on the show by using the hashtag #letstalkteachingpodcast. You can DM us with any questions or ideas, or if you’re not on socials, email us at edu-alumni@monash.edu.

If you’re interested in hearing more about the short courses, undergraduate and postgraduate study options that Monash Education offers, please visit our website.

We are grateful for the support of Monash Education in producing this podcast.