Quality teaching discourses: a contested terrain

Jo Lampert, Bruce Burnett, Barbara Comber, Angela Ferguson, Naomi Barnes

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter (Book)Researchpeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This chapter argues that discussions around quality teachers and quality teaching have become so politicised that the mere mention of quality fuels immediate debate about definitions and measurement. The lack of precision about the use of the keyword quality causes confusion and it is often linked to measurable outcomes across a range of basic skills. Many aspects of the quality teacher/quality teaching debate are closely tied to broader neoliberal discourses that lead to an over-emphasis on individual teacher quality. Neoliberal ‘quality teacher’ discourses in Australia are manifested through standardised teaching matrices such as the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and testable outcomes, seen through prescribed curriculum and literacy and numeracy testing. One of the main concerns about the ‘quality teacher’ debate is how it has become less about social justice and increasingly linked to economic arguments. The ‘quality teacher’ discourse focuses on the individual teacher.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationResisting Educational Inequality
Subtitle of host publicationReframing Policy and Practice in Schools Serving Vulnerable Communities
EditorsSusanne Gannon, Robert Hattam, Wayne Sawyer
Place of PublicationAbingdon UK
PublisherRoutledge
Chapter14
Pages150-158
Number of pages9
Edition1st
ISBN (Electronic)9781351612555, 9781315109268
ISBN (Print)9781138089303, 9781138089310
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018
Externally publishedYes

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