Quality Teaching Model
The Quality Teaching Model is a pedagogical model helping to develop a shared understanding of what constitutes quality teaching and provide a framework for teachers' professional self-reflection and school improvement practices. The Quality Teaching Model is supported by Quality Teaching Rounds, professional learning that enhances collaboration and builds capacity of school teams to analyse their teaching practice and improve student outcomes.
The Quality Teaching Model
Developed in 2003, the Quality Teaching Model is the department’s long-standing stance on high-quality pedagogy, providing teachers with conceptual and practical tools for the ongoing development of their teaching practice. The Quality Teaching Model can be applied to teaching practice across all school contexts and used by educators at every stage of teaching experience. Using the shared language of the Quality Teaching Model allows teachers to engage in the analysis and improvement of teaching, within their classroom, across their school and more broadly across the department.
The Quality Teaching Model can be used to plan, observe, analyse and discuss classroom and assessment practice, focused on three dimensions:
- Intellectual Quality - pedagogy focused on deep understanding of important, substantive concepts, skills and ideas
- Quality Learning Environment - pedagogy that creates classrooms where students and teachers work productively and are clearly focused on learning
- Significance - pedagogy that helps make learning meaningful and important to students.
Across these 3 dimensions of the Quality Teaching Model are 18 elements that have been developed from decades of research.
Access your digital copy of the Classroom Practice Guide and Assessment Practice Guide.
Quality Teaching Rounds
Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) uses the department’s Quality Teaching Model as the framework for teachers to engage in rich analysis of classroom practice aligned with the elements of high-impact professional learning (HIPL). QTR provides a structured professional learning experience that encourages collaboration and reflection, whilst building teachers’ confidence in their capacity for quality teaching.
QTR is delivered through the department’s partnership with the University of Newcastle and the Quality Teaching Academy (QTA). Department staff are eligible for free membership to the QTA, with access to some free and discounted professional learning courses.
Completing QTR training will contribute 10 hours of NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Accredited PD. To find out more about how QTR works visit the Quality Teaching Academy.
Benefits for teachers and schools
Large scale randomised controlled trials conducted in NSW public schools have shown QTR increases student achievement as well as improving quality of teaching, teacher morale and school culture.
Quality Teaching Rounds:
- Builds the capacity of teachers at all career stages and is applicable across all subjects and year levels
- Engages teachers in rich discussions about pedagogy, using the shared language of the QT Model to guide discussions about quality teaching practice
- Empowers teachers by drawing on the collective expertise in our schools, putting teachers at the centre of discussions on how to improve teaching
- Promotes a climate of trust and respect as teachers collaborate and learn from each other
- Provides teachers with sustained and dedicated time to analyse and discuss teaching and learning
- Enables teachers to engage in high-impact professional development closely aligned to The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
- Can be used as a tool for implementation and monitoring as part of the School Excellence Cycle
- Builds a collaborative school culture focused on learning and teaching.
The Department has continued its longstanding relationship with the University of Newcastle through its partnership in the Building the Capacity for Quality Teaching in Australian Schools program of research.
Get involved in QTR
QTR workshops are essential to train and equip leaders and teachers in QTR processes as well as the QT Model. Teachers can register to attend an initial 2-day QTR workshop that is delivered by the University of Newcastle’s Quality Teaching Academy.