The pursuit of teacher quality: identifying some of the multiple discourses of quality that impact the work of teacher educators
Abstract
Concerns with the readiness of beginning teachers has resulted in significant changes to ITE programs in Australia. Declining student performance in domestic and international assessments is being seen as a policy problem that can be addressed through policy solutions intended to lift the quality of teachers. While quality and performance measures are linked in this policy agenda, it is not clear how quality teacher and teaching are being defined. In this special issue exploring what teacher educators “should” know, it is reasonable for teacher educators to know more about the ideals of teacher and teaching quality against which they are held to account. Exploring the literature pertaining to the quality teacher discourse informing initial teacher education (ITE) programs, this paper is a thematic literature review relating to the discourses of teacher and teaching quality. Understanding how these discourses of quality interrelate and shape teacher education is an important and necessary consideration in the development of ITE programs.
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A key aim of these reforms has been to increase regulatory control over the ITE sector through centralised curricular and a focus on 'accountability' and 'professional standards'.
“A key aim of these reforms has been to increase regulatory control over the ITE sector through centralised curricular and a focus on 'accountability' and 'professional standards' (Alexander & Bourke, 2021;Churchward & Willis, 2019;Mutton et al., 2017) which are consistent with policy reforms beyond England.”
From Space as a lens for teacher agency: A case study of three beginning teachers in England, <scp>UK</scp> (2024) · cites this paper as Churchward & Willis, 2019
Cites
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006) · Qualitative Research in Psychology · doi:10.1191/1478088706qp063oa · Cited by 194,414 · see citing works
An Introduction to Discourse Analysis
Gee, J. P. (2014) · doi:10.4324/9781315819679 · Cited by 1,036 · see citing works
Teacher Professional Learning in a Neoliberal Age: Audit, Professionalism and Identity
Mockler, N. (2013) · Australian Journal of Teacher Education · doi:10.14221/ajte.2013v38n10.8 · Cited by 168 · see citing works
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Do teachers’ years of experience make a difference in the quality of teaching?
Graham, L. J., White, S. L. J., Cologon, K., & Pianta, R. C. (2020) · Teaching and Teacher Education · doi:10.1016/j.tate.2020.103190 · Cited by 246 · see citing works
Rushton, E. A. C., & Bird, A. (2024) · The Curriculum Journal · doi:10.1002/curj.224 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
“…these reforms has been to increase regulatory control over the ITE sector through centralised curricular and a focus on ‘accountability’ and ‘professional stand-ards’ (Alexander & Bourke, 2021; Churchward & Willis, 2019; Mutton et al., 2017) which are consistent with policy reforms beyond England.”
ResultRushton, E. A. C., Gibbons, S., Brock, R., Cao, Y., Finesilver, C., Jones, J., Manning, A., Marshall, B., Richardson, C., Steadman, S., et al. (2023) · European Journal of Teacher Education · doi:10.1080/02619768.2023.2175663 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
- Authors
- Churchward, P., & Willis, J.
- Affiliations
- Queensland University of Technology (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Churchward, Peter
- Venue
- Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2018-12-12
- Volume
- 47
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 251-264
- ISSN
- 1359-866X (ISSN-L)
- 1469-2945
- OpenAlex
- W2904201945
- Cited by
- 67
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 2
- FWCI
- 18.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education (publishedVersion)
- QUT ePrints (Queensland University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Teacher Education and Assessments
- Social Sciences › Education › Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
- Social Sciences › Education › Evaluation of Teaching Practices
- Keywords
- teacher quality, teaching quality, initial teacher education, novice teachers, teacher education policy, teacher education quality assurance, student performance, teacher educators
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