‘Transformational’ program gives graduate teachers a boost

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Australia's tried and tested QTR professional development program is now expanding to focus on graduate teachers

AUSTRALIA IS facing significant teacher shortages. With up to 70% of teachers considering leaving the profession as of January 2023, we desperately need to hold on to those we have. For most teachers, the first few years of their careers are critical. They shape their view of the profession, its benefits and challenges, and ultimately whether or not they want to continue. With the number of disillusioned teachers increasing post-COVID, it’s never been more important to ensure that teaching is a positive experience – particularly in those first years. To address this issue, as well as ongoing concerns about staffing and student engagement, the University of

The QT Academy is a non-profit social enterprise that delivers powerful professional development that aims to empower teachers to empower each other. It’s an initiative of the University of Newcastle’s Teachers and Teaching Research Centre. Through its professional development and other services, the QT Academy translates rigorous research into practice, advocates for teachers, and connects educators who share a vision of quality teaching for every student, every day.

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“In teaching, you never arrive at a final destination. There’s always more that can be done, and teachers are constantly faced with a new curriculum, new policies, new students every year”

Professor Jenny Gore, University of Newcastle

Newcastle has formed a four-year $5 million agreement with the Australian government to expand its Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) program. The program has already shown significant positive effects on teacher experience and student learning and is now being expanded to focus on teachers in the early stages of their careers.

In the QTR process, teachers are placed into groups of four and get together to discuss an education topic of their choice – whether that’s a TED talk, a policy document, a part of the curriculum, or anything else. This is an important step in building their professional dialogue. They then have the chance to observe one another’s lessons and code each other according to 18 elements within the Quality Teaching Model, before coming together to discuss their coding and teaching more broadly. The process repeats on four separate days, usually spread over several weeks until each teacher has been observed.

Gore says the model has been designed for teachers to be able to reflect on, analyse, engage and collaborate on their teaching practice, and try to collectively enhance their quality. It also puts “good teaching” into very explicit terms and allows for lively and productive conversations on how to improve teaching practice. “It doesn’t start from a deficit view, or the idea that there’s anything wrong with current teaching,” Gore explains. “It instead recognises that in teaching you never arrive at a final destination. There’s always more that can be done, and teachers are constantly faced with a new curriculum, new policies, new students every year.

“New teachers will get shown where things are, and their colleagues might invite them for drinks on a Friday night,” Gore says. “But what they also need is some powerful feedback on their teaching, as well as encouragement, confidence-building and ways to strengthen their pedagogy. What we hope to show with this new project is that this kind of support at the beginning of teachers’ careers really gives them a boost, as well as the reassurance that teaching is for them.” While traditional professional development has newer graduates learning from senior leaders, Gore says the

“flattened hierarchy” of QTR also has significant benefits. It allows everyone to have their turn observing and being observed, asking questions and engaging in collaborative discussions. “We’re seeing significant improvement in teacher morale and efficacy as a result, as well as significant improvement in student academic achievement – sometimes by as much as 25% in an eight-month period,” Gore says. “Virtually every teacher who participates in this process says that it’s really positive and powerful, and so it’s really exciting to see that it’s making the kind of difference we want.” Teachers who have already participated in the QTR program have called it a “transformational” experience. Kaitlin Heggen started her career at the most challenging time possible – during COVID-19 lockdowns – and says the QTR process allowed her to quickly learn new teaching and behaviour management strategies and new ways to develop lesson content. “It was great. All the teachers in my group were from different grades,” Heggen says. “When I was in their classrooms, I saw so many things I could use in my classroom. It was super valuable to make and strengthen collegial relationships, especially after COVID.” Do you want to participate in Quality Teaching Rounds? Teachers and schools can learn more and register to participate in this exciting new project here.

How Quality Teaching Rounds work

Published 04 Sep 2023

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“What [teachers] need is some powerful feedback on their teaching, as well as encouragement, confidence-building and ways to strengthen their pedagogy”

Professor Jenny Gore, University of Newcastle

three key dimensions of teaching – the intellectual quality of the teaching, which involves students developing a deep understanding of key concepts; the quality of the learning environment; and making learning significant, which involves connecting the students’ learning to their lives and the wider world.

“The QTR process has proven to be very powerful and is producing some really terrific results for both teachers and students.”

The University of Newcastle is about to begin a new study funded by the Australian government, which will take place over four years and involve more than 1,600 teachers. It will take an in-depth look at how Quality Teaching Rounds work for teachers in the early years of their careers. Gore says the study and expansion of the program will give teachers a much-needed boost at a challenging time and will enable teachers of different experience levels to learn from each other. It will also help with the induction of new teachers into schools, which currently tends to focus primarily on administrative and social aspects.

Studying the impact of QTR

Intellectual quality: A deep understanding of important knowledge

Quality learning environment: Ensuring positive classrooms that boost learning

Significance: Connecting learning to students’ lives and the wider world

Quality Teaching Model: Three key dimensions

Source: University of Newcastle

Improve student achievement

Improve teaching quality

Improve teacher morale and efficacy

Build graduate teacher confidence

Quality Teaching Rounds: The benefits

Source: University of Newcastle Educational Research

According to Jenny Gore, laureate professor at the University of Newcastle’s School of Education, the expansion of the QTR program aims to give teachers “strong professional support” and to set them up for long and successful careers. “Teachers are reporting really big changes in students’ approaches to school, particularly in levels of disruptive behaviour,” Gore tells The Educator. “Anything that can inspire teachers and get students more enthused about learning is really powerful.” QTR is based on the Quality Teaching Model, developed by the University of Newcastle 20 years ago. It addresses three key dimensions of teaching – the intellectual quality of the teaching, which involves students developing a deep understanding of key concepts; the quality of the learning environment; and making learning significant, which involves connecting the students’ learning to their lives and the wider world.