Cultivating Cultures of Thinking in Australian Schools

From Control to Curiosity
Cameron Paterson and Simon Brooks (Eds.)

Cultivating Cultures of Thinking in Australian Schools arrives at a time when many educators are asking an important question: in an age of AI, increasing accountability and crowded curricula, what should schools actually be cultivating? Edited by Cameron Paterson and Simon Brooks, this collection offers a distinctly Australian (fair dinkum) perspective on creating learning environments where curiosity, thinking and learner agency genuinely thrive.

Grounded in Ron Ritchhart's Cultures of Thinking framework from Harvard's Project Zero, the book moves beyond the theory through authentic stories from educators working across Australian schools. Rather than presenting a recipe to follow, each chapter explores how different contexts have embraced a culture where thinking is made visible, curiosity is valued over compliance and learning extends beyond simply finding the right answer.

One of the book's greatest strengths is its honesty. Transforming culture is rarely neat or linear and the contributors don't pretend otherwise. Instead, they invite readers to consider what it means to shift towards genuine curiosity, or what it would mean to recognise that teacher agency is just as important as student agency, or to build classrooms where thinking is something students do, not something teachers deliver. These are all ideas that stick with you well after you finish reading.

This is a book that would sit comfortably in a leadership meeting, a professional learning community, an initial teacher education course or a staffroom discussion over coffee. You'll likely find yourself highlighting passages, sharing/debating chapters with colleagues and reflecting on your own practice along the way.

Paterson and Brooks have brought together a diverse group of Australian voices that challenge, encourage and inspire and if your school is exploring what deep learning, learner agency and meaningful change can look like in practice, this book offers both reassurance and possibility, without ever claiming there is only one way forward.

Get your copy of Cultivating Cultures of Thinking in Australian Schools now!