Quality Teaching in Practice Conference 2023

Time: 7:30 – 8:30am
Location: Cummings Room

Registration tea and coffee

Time: 8:30 – 8:50am
Location: Concert Hall

Acknowledgement of Country performance by students from Callaghan College Jesmond

Time: 8:50am – 9:05am
Location: Concert Hall
Presenter: Vice Chancellor Alex Zelinsky

Official opening

Time: 9:05am – 9:50am 
Location: Concert Hall 
Presenter: Jenny Gore
Institution: TTRC, University of Newcastle, NSW

Quality Teaching Rounds: From intent to impact

Professor Gore will provide an overview of the Quality Teaching Model and Quality Teaching Rounds in a keynote address framed by three key considerations – intent, implementation, and impact. Using this conceptual lens, Jenny will share key insights from the huge ongoing body of research undertaken with her colleagues at the TTRC. With compelling evidence of the value of QT and QTR for improving outcomes from schooling for teachers and students, Jenny will foreshadow next directions and new opportunities for schools to become involved.

Time: 9:55am – 10:25am
Location: Newcastle Room
Presenters: Emma Holdom, Grant Wilcher, Jo Crawford and Kaila Brown
School: Morriset High School, NSW

The Deep End

This is the story of how we threw ourselves into a Partnership with the University of Newcastle QT Academy to drive student growth and teacher well-being. Our QTR days focus on celebrating normal lessons in the classroom, the integrity of the rounds process and valuing time together. We are now beginning the trickle-down approach with staff supporting new participants through the process. Although we are only at the beginning of our QT journey, we have had overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants and the staff can see how QTR is a sustainable and worthy investment for our school.

Time: 9:55am – 10:25am
Location: Mulubinba Room
Presenter: Charmaine Endacott
School: Uralla Central School, NSW

Quality Teaching Rounds in a Central School: Breaking Barriers

Uralla Central School took a risk and formed Professional Learning Communities with teachers from kindergarten collaborating with and observing HSC teachers, middle school teachers, school executive and everything in between. A recipe for disaster? Daunting but certainly no disaster. Teachers are now using resources and techniques that once would have been foreign in their classrooms. Talk in the staffroom has shift from behaviour management to strategies and positive dialogue around the work of colleagues. Actions are increasingly proactive rather than reactive, reflecting a deeper understanding of Quality Learning Environment. The QT Model is being used as an instrument of change and a powerful driving tool for the future.

Time: 9:55am – 10:25am
Location: Hunter Room
Presenters: Jessica Brennan and Bree Harvey-Bice
School: Armidale Secondary College, NSW

QTR Case Study: Armidale Secondary College

Armidale Secondary College (ASC) is a relatively new school, officially forming in 2019. ASC’s QTR journey began as a way of boosting morale and bringing a positive focus to teaching and learning across all faculties. QTR operates in cross-faculty groups with teaching experience ranging from first year out teachers through to very experienced executive members. We uphold the integrity of a traditional QTR day. In addition to mainstream QTRs, we have also engaged in High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) QTRs in partnership with one of our feeder schools with much success.

Time: 9:55am – 10:25am
Location: Banquet Room
Presenters: Aaron Quinnell and Melissa McDonald 
School: Biraban Public School, NSW

Biraban Public School: Quality Teaching Rounds

Biraban Public School is a K-6 school on the western shores of Lake Macquarie, with an enrolment of 161, a FOEI of 153 and 39% of students identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. In 2022, we began our journey into Quality Teaching Rounds as part of the Hunter Partnerships project. We were also an Early Adopter school for the new K-2 syllabus in English and Maths as well as the Reading and Numeracy Guided Support Package. Hear how QTR engaged and supported beginning teachers, provided a shared language that found its way into daily practice and acted as a lens to support a range of other initiatives at our school.

Time: 10:30am – 11:00am
Location: Newcastle Room
Presenter: Robyn Press
School: Redlands College, QLD

Sink or Swim? Can beginning teachers stay afloat?

Beginning teachers face a myriad of challenges when they transition into the unchartered waters of teaching. More recently, a global pandemic has added additional weight, testing the resilience and confidence of novice teachers. This presentation examines initial findings of an ongoing research project investigating the professional identity development of beginning teachers and the part that professional development can play in supporting them through Quality Teaching Rounds. Specifically, the study addresses: What factors shape professional identity development over time? What unique challenges are faced in rural and remote locations? How could Quality Teaching Rounds help in supporting beginning teachers?

Time: 10:30am – 11:00am
Location: Mulubinba Room
Presenter: Dr Sally Patfield
Institution: TTRC, University of Newcastle, NSW

Addressing the marginalisation and status of rural educators through Quality Teaching Rounds Digital

Progress towards equitable schooling and educational outcomes in Australia has been notoriously slow, with countless reports highlighting stark inequities between rural areas and urban centres. By and large, governments have attempted to address such intransigent inequities by focusing on the redistribution of funding, staffing, and resources. This focus, however, has failed to address the status order which maintains the privileged positioning of the urban, emphasised in public debates which construct rural teaching as ‘second-rate’ and rural schools as ‘hard to staff.’ To counter this trend, this paper examines how QTR Digital – designed with, rather than for rural educators – addresses the misrecognition and marginalisation of rural teaching and learning. Through two school case studies, we show how high-quality PD can help redefine a positive image of rural teachers, their schools and communities.

Time: 10:30am – 11:00am
Location: Hunter Room
Presenter: Anthony Ryan
Institution: TTRC, University of Newcastle, NSW

Implementing against the odds

In 2020, we started working with a school in a disadvantaged community to adopt Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) as the central plank of its improvement program. Implementing interventions in such schools is known to be difficult. Even if QTR was implemented with fidelity, would it produce the kind of whole school improvement the principal was seeking? Our case study follows the school over several years, using Implementation Science frameworks and tools. The presentation highlights the importance of co-design, staff readiness and adaptation to changing circumstances. To date, results have been positive overall, with fluctuations from external forces impacting students and the school. We argue that whole school improvement is possible, even against the odds.

Time: 10:30am – 11:00am
Location: Banquet Room
Presenters: Rob Barter, Beth Filipo and Aaron Quinnell
Institution: Quality Teaching Academy, University of Newcastle, NSW

Everything you ever wanted to know about QTR Advisers but were afraid to ask

In 2020, we started working with a school in a disadvantaged community to adopt Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) as the central plank of its improvement program. Implementing interventions in such schools is known to be difficult. Even if QTR was implemented with fidelity, would it produce the kind of whole school improvement the principal was seeking? Our case study follows the school over several years, using Implementation Science frameworks and tools. The presentation highlights the importance of co-design, staff readiness and adaptation to changing circumstances. To date, results have been positive overall, with fluctuations from external forces impacting students and the school. We argue that whole school improvement is possible, even against the odds.

Time: 11:05am – 11:30am
Location: Cummings Room

Time: 11:30am – 12:00pm
Location: Newcastle Room
Presenters: Jenny Harrison and Karen Porter
Institution: NSW Department of Education

QTR: Student with Disability and Inclusive Education

The NSW Department of Education is committed to building a more inclusive learning environment for students with disability. Inclusive Education is conducting a pilot of Quality Teaching Rounds with a focus on students with disability in a range of settings across the State. Inclusive Education has collaborated across the department and with the Quality Teaching Academy to develop a rigorous evaluation framework. The framework will measure the impact of QTR on inclusive pedagogy and inform recommendations about future professional learning that builds teacher capability to support students with disability in an inclusive environment.

Time: 11:30am – 12:00pm
Location: Mulubinba Room
Presenter: Debra Watts
School: Broadwater Public School, NSW

Using QT after a natural disaster

Broadwater Public is a small K-6 school in the Northern Rivers. We engaged with QTR because we wanted evidence-based professional development. It had been recommended by other small schools in our small school network so, in 2021, two staff members completed the QTR digital workshop. Our intention, in 2022, was to use QTR in our school – a big investment for our small school and we made it one of our strategic directions. However, in early 2022, we lost our entire school in the Northern Rivers floods. What helped our school function during this traumatic time, and still does today, is our knowledge of the QT Model and how it helps us refine our teaching to effectively meet our students’ needs.

Time: 11:30am – 12:00pm
Location: Hunter Room
Presenters: Rebecca Stevens and Natalie Paelchen
School: Seymour College, SA

Lifting every teacher – Prep to Year 12 – with QTR

Using our Seymour College values of Excellence, Respect and Innovation, our presentation shares how we, as an all-girls College in Adelaide, have implemented a whole school approach to QTR. With a teaching staff of approximately 120, our cross-campus approach values the work of all teachers from early career to experienced practitioners. We focus on building capacity around reflective practices to strengthen and grow our teaching practice, celebrate successes and honour every learning environment from Prep through to Year 12. We will share our insights and challenges in our 18-month journey developing a sustainable model which seeks to link with our College Learning Framework, AISTL teaching standards, College vision and professional development program.

Time: 12:05pm – 12:35pm
Location: Newcastle Room
Presenter: Elizabeth Papayiannis
School: Sydney Childrens Hospital School, NSW

QTR at Sydney Childrens Hospital School: QT within a hybrid learning model

Sydney Childrens Hospital School, Randwick is a K-12 SSP operating within the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network. At SCHS, students move between the following delivery methods: school hub, ward and/or remote. In each space, their experience is a seamless combination of learning that involves face to face and virtual modes. We will share our journey on implementing Quality Teaching Rounds within a hybrid learning model, how our PLCs are selected and how they function. We will also share the impact of participation on teacher morale, school culture, student engagement and teacher practice.

Time: 12:05pm – 12:35pm
Location: Mulubinba Room
Presenter: Kelly Jesser
School: Tullamore Central School, NSW

QTR in times of staffing shortages: How we’ve made it work at Tullamore Central School

Staffing shortages have served as a ‘handbrake’ for our school in confidently embarking on Quality Teaching Rounds. After attempting to launch QTR with limited success, we’ve worked with the QT Academy to develop a hybrid approach that involves blending face-to-face and recorded components. As the leader of learning at Tullamore Central School, I am eager to empower staff to embed the QT Model authentically and sustainably across teaching, learning and assessment, in our small school. This presentation sheds light on ways schools with limited casual relief might implement QTR with integrity, to build staff capacity for high quality teaching.

Time: 12:05pm – 12:35pm
Location: Hunter Room
Presenter: Nicholas Short
School: Cobar High School, NSW

Pitfalls and challenges: Beating the odds and building off QTR

Cobar High is a far western NSW school that has implemented QTR since 2021. As a rural and remote school where it is difficult to recruit experienced staff, we have faced unique challenges in our implementation. The presentation will cover how we have addressed these challenges and showcase the implementation model of our school. The model focuses on maintaining the structure of the QTR process but still operating within the reality of a school in 2023. We will also discuss our future direction for the school using QT as a bedrock for school improvement, building on our success with QTR.

Time: 12:40pm – 1:30pm
Location: Newcastle Room
Presenter: Associate Professor Jess Harris
Institution: School of Education, University of Newcastle, NSW

Strengthening middle leading practices through QTR

Middle leaders (MLs) play a crucial role in driving improvements in teaching and learning, working alongside other classroom teachers and senior school leaders. Despite the complexity of the role, there is little professional development to enhance middle leading practices. This paper draws on 17 interviews with principals, MLs, and teachers from nine NSW schools to show how QTR supports MLs. We found that QTR positively impacts MLs by promoting agreement on quality teaching, facilitating reciprocal influence on pedagogy, and flattening power hierarchies. These results suggest that QTR is valuable professional development for empowering MLs to fulfill their leadership roles effectively.

Time: 12:40pm – 1:30pm
Location: Mulubinba Room
Presenter: Jacquie Briskham
Institution: TTRC, University of Newcastle. NSW

Prioritising casual teachers through the provision of quality PL to advance teacher capacity and wellbeing

Casual Relief Teachers (CRTs) provide an essential role in the effective functioning of schools, particularly within the current context of teacher shortage. Nonetheless, they occupy a precarious position in the teaching workforce, frequently overlooked and meagrely supported. Limited access to effective professional learning is a persistent challenge faced by CRTs, despite PL being recognised as vital for improving classroom skills, increasing standards of teaching, and building stronger teacher identity. This presentation reports on research examining the impacts of participating in Quality Teaching Rounds for 32 CRTs within eight NSW schools.  It discusses the feasibility and challenges of conducting quality PL for our most marginalised teachers.

Time: 12:40pm – 1:30pm
Location: Hunter Room
Presenter: Dr Drew Miller
Institution: TTRC, Unverisity of Newcastle. NSW

Evaluating the impact of QTR in your school

The questions of what to measure, how to measure it and how to interpret the results can be overwhelming in a system already full of data. Evaluation of Quality Teaching Rounds (or any specific initiative) is crucial in establishing feasibility and effectiveness at a school level. It is important to evaluate both the implementation and the effectiveness of an initiative, and a range of outcomes are desirable across multiple levels (students and teachers). This talk will outline an evaluation plan for Quality Teaching Rounds, with discussion of the concepts of measurement across time, using some simple and readily available tools. Please note: This presentation will be repeated on Day 2.

Time: 11:30am – 1:10pm (with a break for lunch)
Location: Banquet Room
Presenter: Rob Barter, Beth Filipo and Aaron Quinnell
Institution: Quality Teaching Academy, University of Newcastle, NSW

Quality Classroom Practice: Engaging with the QT Model

This 90 minute interactive session is designed to familiarise you with the QT Model as it relates to classroom practice. The Quality Teaching Rounds Advisers will walk you through the Model’s dimensions and elements, ideal for those who haven’t engaged with it for a while or are coming to the Model for the first time. We’ll use an abbreviated form of the Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) process to analyse a short lesson extract through the lens of the Model. This session offers an intense burst of information while providing a taste of the powerful QTR conversations that can shift thinking about classroom practice.

Time: 1:10pm – 1:55pm
Location: Cummings Room

Time: 1:55pm – 2:40pm
Location: Concert Hall
Panel Members: Associate Professor James Ladwig, Rob Randall, Janet Davy, and Associate Professor James Ladwig, Rob Randall, Janet Davy, and Murat Dizdar
Chair: Laureate Professor Jenny Gore

Reflecting on 20 years of the QT Model

In 2002, executives from the NSW Department of Education came together with researchers from the University of Newcastle to discuss the development of a research-based pedagogical framework for NSW educators. From these original discussions the Quality Teaching Model was born and was launched in department schools in 2003.

In this panel discussion the original architects of the Quality Teaching Model and current department executives will come together and reflect on its journey over the past 20 years.

Time: 2:45pm – 3:15pm
Location: Newcastle Room
Presenters: Nadine Tagaroulias and Beth Filipo
School: Kahibah Public School, NSW

20 years of the QT Model at Kahibah PS

This presentation will focus on the impact the Quality Teaching Model has had on teachers and students at Kahibah Public School. We will share our experiences of the implementation and ongoing practice of Quality Teaching Rounds. Kahibah Public School has all teachers involved in Professional Learning Communities and the problem of practice aligns with our Strategic Improvement Plan.

Time: 2:45pm – 3:15pm
Location: Mulubinba Room
Presenter: Kelli Dykes and Kristen Clogan
School: Macksville High School, NSW

How primary and secondary teachers differ and why it matters!

In our presentation, we will outline the benefits of forming a QT Professional Learning Community across primary school and high schools settings. We also explore the various ways the QT elements are implemented across stages. Our focus is on student progress and evaluation of how learning styles of students change in different settings. We outline how the QT elements are implemented differently depended on learning age. We will discuss how this process broke down misconceptions of teachers in both settings and created a stronger relationship between the school communities, paving the way for further collaboration.

Time: 2:45pm – 3:15pm
Location: Hunter Room
Presenter: Leigh McGowan
School: Kotara School, NSW

Inter-school and SLSO Quality Teaching Rounds

Kotara School, a School for Specific Purposes, has successfully integrated QTR across our Nexus Education and Kotara School Campuses. Our next steps include branching out to conduct inter-school rounds, as well as driving the first set of Student Learning Support Officer (SLSO) Rounds. This presentation will outline the challenges that we have faced in getting these projects off the ground, as well as the success we have experienced through the implementation of QTR in an SSP setting.

Time: 2:45pm – 4:55pm (with a break for afternoon tea)
Location: Banquet Room
Presenter: Michelle Ware
Institution: Quality Teaching Academy, University of Newcastle, NSW

Quality Programming Rounds: Supporting quality programming practice

This 90 minute interactive session focuses on how the QT Model supports the programming of units of work/lesson sequences. It’s designed for those who ideally, have a working knowledge of the QT Model but anyone seeking to build or design more robust, engaging and meaningful programs will find this session relevant. Drawing on the powerful collaborative QTR processes, you’ll experience a taste of how the QT Model, alongside the Understanding by Design (UbD) approach to programming, supports high quality programming for students from early through to later years of schooling – a timely and valuable session in light of current and future syllabus updates.

Time: 3:15pm – 3:45pm
Location: Cummings Room

Time: 3:50pm – 4:20pm
Location: Newcastle Room
Presenter: Shea Rigney
School: Jamison High School, NSW

Embedding the QT Model into mentoring

Research demonstrates that early career teachers often feel isolated and overwhelmed. In order to support them in a meaningful and relevant way, the Quality Teaching Model has been embedded into a mentoring program at Jamison High School. The benefits have been two-fold: to introduce the concepts of the Quality Teaching Model to the early career teachers whilst preparing them to participate in the Quality Teaching Rounds, and the building of capacity of established teachers and re-invigorating their teaching practice. An improved sense of collegiality and connectedness have been reported from those involved in the mentoring program.

Time: 3:50pm – 4:20pm
Location: Mulubinba Room
Presenter: Kelly Bell
Institution: The Learn Net

Implementing Quality Teaching and Quality Teaching Rounds with reluctant teachers

In this session, Kelly Bell offers practical advice on implementing the QT Model and QTR in schools, departments, faculties, grades or systems – even in the presence of hesitant teachers. Drawing from her experience with QTR implementation in a 7-12 Catholic school in the early 2000s and a large comprehensive school on the Central Coast of NSW, she shares strategies that foster rich conversations and cross-faculty engagement among teachers. Attendees will leave equipped with actionable steps for implementation in their own settings so they can maximise the benefits of QTR for teachers and students.

Time: 3:50pm – 4:20pm
Location: Hunter Room
Presenter: Brianne Balfoort
School: Kotara School, NSW

Quality Teaching in an inpatient unit

As a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit, we initially felt there was no great push or motivation for us to be a school that excelled in teaching practice. We were recognised as a setting where teachers knew how to regulate students well and cater for their wellbeing. However, when we engaged with Quality Teaching Rounds and reflected on the QT Model, we felt compelled for our teachers, students and community, to put in place evidence-based practice that would ensure quality teaching was happening in our school.

Time: 4:25pm – 4:55pm
Location: Newcastle Room
Presenter: Brooke Rosser
Institution: TTRC, University of Newcastle, NSW

Capitalising on collegiality through Quality Teaching Rounds

Empirical research links teacher social capital (i.e., access to valuable resources through professional relationships) to positive outcomes for teachers and students. However, it is unclear how to build social capital in schools. I examine the impact of Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) on teachers’ professional relationships using surveys and interviews with 27 teachers and 7 leaders from 26 schools. Participants reported increased interactions, strengthened relationships, and developing shared understandings about quality teaching. These findings suggest QTR can build teacher social capital, and underscore the significance of providing teachers with safe and structured opportunities to collectively analyse practice for social capital development.

Time: 4:25pm – 4:55pm
Location: Mulubinba RoomPresenters: Associate Professor Elena Prieto and Sabrina Syed
Institution: School of Education, University of Newcastle, NSW
Presenter: Merryn O’Dea
School: Lyneham Primary School, ACT

Embedding QTR at Lyneham Primary School

Lyneham Primary School has implemented QTR as a key strategy to support school improvement. Participation in our 2022 school review and self-assessment with the National School Improvement Tool identified several areas we believe could be improved through QTR.  Using QTR as a key strategy streamlines our work so we can maintain focus on improved student outcomes. The reach of QTR to all aspects of teacher professional work means teachers feel connected to a consistent professional learning program. Our QTR structure involves all K-6 class teachers in semester one. This will extend to preschool and specialist teachers in semester 2. In our presentation, we will share our structures, key steps in our journey and early findings from this whole school implementation.

Time: 4:25pm – 4:55pm
Location: Hunter Room
Presenter: Julie Cowan
Institution: TTRC, University of Newcastle, NSW

Tied to the past, yet desperate for change: Albania’s NextGen teachers’ QT experience

Albania’s next-generation teachers struggle to incorporate government-mandated student-centred teaching into their practice, as they remain largely tied to direct textbook instruction. And yet, they long for something more. This presentation explores the impact of the Quality Teaching Model on a school system dominated by decades of totalitarian regimes and traditional approaches to teaching. Introduced to participants as a conceptual marker for quality and a tool for reflective coding, initial results demonstrate a positive response to the Model and clear potential for direct impact on classroom practice. It demonstrates important implications for the wider application of the Model in diverse contexts.

Time: 5:00pm – 8:00pm
Location: Concert Hall

Join us for canapes and drinks as we enjoy live entertainment provided by local Newcastle band, Love that Hat.

Time: 8:00am – 8:25am
Location: Cummings Room

Tea and coffee

Time: 8:25am – 8:35am
Location: Concert Hall

QT Academy Fellow Announcement

Time: 8:35 – 8:45am
Location: Concert Hall

Welcome and reflection on Day 1

Time: 8:45am – 9:30am
Location: Concert Hall
Presenter: Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous, Strategy and Leadership Nathan Towney
Institution: University of Newcastle, NSW 

Using Quality Teaching to create a culture of belonging

Nathan Towney is an educational leader, with over 20 years’ experience in schools. He is passionate about the concept of belonging and how the relationships and connections that exist within education create the foundations for success. In his keynote address, Nathan will unpack the concept of belonging and how it relates to Quality Teaching, particularly the dimension of significance. Nathan will also address the important role that school leaders play in the belonging space, by leading the creation of environments where students, staff and families want to be.

Time: 9:35am – 10:05am
Location: Newcastle Room
Presenter: Dr Drew Miller
Institution: TTRC, University of Newcastle, NSW

Exploring research evidence and data use in schools

Time: 9:35am – 10:05am
Location: Mulubinba Room
Presenter: Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous, Strategy and Leadership Nathan Towney
Institution: University of Newcastle, NSW

Empowering teacher and student relationships

Time: 9:35am – 10:05am
Location: Hunter Room
Presenter: Emeritus Professor Dylan Wiliam
Institution: University College, London, UK

Improving educational achievement

Time: 9:35am – 10:05am
Location: Banquet Room
Presenter: Laureate Professor Jenny Gore
Institution: TTRC, University of Newcastle, NSW

Pedagogy and professional learning

Time: 10:10am – 10:40am
Location: Newcastle Room

QT in Inclusive Education

This Special Interest Group session provides an opportunity to hear from champions of QT and QTR within the Inclusive Education setting and to network informally with colleagues who share an interest in this area.

Time: 10:10am – 10:40am
Location: Mulubinba Room

QT in small and rural schools

This Special Interest Group session provides an opportunity to hear from champions of QT and QTR in small and rural schools, and to network informally with colleagues who share an interest in small and rural schools.

Time: 10:10am – 10:40am
Location: Hunter Room

QT for school leaders

This Special Interest Group session provides an opportunity to hear from those who have embedded QT in their schools over time, and to network informally with colleagues interested in sustaining a focus on the QT Model across their school.

Time: 10:10am – 10:40am
Location: Banquet Room

Embedding QT in your school

This Special Interest Group session provides an opportunity to hear from those who have championed QT in their schools, and to network informally with colleagues interested in how to embed the QT Model and QTR in their school.

Time: 10:40am – 11:10am
Location: Cummings Room

Time: 11:10am – 11:55am
Location: Concert Hall
Panel members: Bree Harvey-Bice, Debra Watts and Nick Short
Chair: Associate Professor Jess Harris

Sustaining QTR in troubled times

The past three years have been some of the most turbulent, challenging years that teachers, school leaders, students, and their families have faced. Through fires, floods, the effects of the pandemic, remote learning, and chronic teacher shortages, school leaders have faced difficult decisions about the programs and initiatives they run.

In this panel discussion, Associate Professor Jess Harris discusses her research into disaster recovery in schools and explores with principals from three unique contexts – a high school in rural NSW, a primary school in the NSW Northern Rivers region, and a high school in remote NSW – how they sustained QTR throughout the past three years, and how QTR has supported their school communities.

Time: 12:00pm – 12:30pm
Location: Newcastle Room
Presenters: Jacquie McWilliam and Tom Gyenes
Institution: NSW Department of Education

Quality programming in action: Supporting deep learning through the new English syllabus

Programming for many teachers is an experience of fun and frustration, passion constrained by parameters and blue-sky thinking deflated by budgets. What if there was a way to program for the new English K-10 syllabus that enabled intellectual quality to be at the forefront in a way that enhanced deep understanding and engagement? In this presentation we will demonstrate how the English curriculum 7-12 team’s Phases project embeds deep and problematic knowledge at an activity and sequence level to support teachers and enhance student’s success. Each phase is organised according to effective learning intentions, outcome verbs that drive activities and strategies, and a strategic organisation of the teacher-student interaction.

Time: 12:00pm – 12:30pm
Location: Mulubinba Room
Presenter: Louise Hamer
School: Blakehurst Public School, NSW

QTR The Blakehurst Way

Blakehurst Public School is a caring community school located in the Kogarah Network, Sydney NSW. The school caters for approximately 290 students from a diverse range of backgrounds and with various needs. We embarked a mentoring project in 2020, which evolved into establishing QTR as a fundamental component of our school professional learning and ongoing school improvement. This presentation will focus on the steps that we took on our journey to successful implementation. We will share the logistics of implementing rounds in our setting, including budgeting, staffing and staff buy-in, and provide insights into how the Model was received by staff.

Time: 12:00pm – 12:30pm
Location: Hunter Room
Presenters: Associate Professor Elena Prieto and Sabrina Syed
Institution: School of Education, University of Newcastle, NSW

Validation of the QT Model for evaluating Sim lessons in the Initial Teaching Education context

The Mathematics Retraining Program aims to provide teachers, who were initially trained in areas other than mathematics, with subject content knowledge and pedagogical tools to be effective mathematics teachers through enhanced learning technologies, which we pioneer at the University of Newcastle. These technologies include three platforms, each targeting different areas of development: SimSchool, SimLab and SimCave. In this project, we will develop practical Sim lessons for these three technologies. Using a mixed methodological approach, our research aims to establish the validity and reliability of the Quality Teaching model to evaluate these lessons.

Time: 12:35pm – 1:05pm
Location: Newcastle Room
Presenter: Lynda Campbell and Leanne Fray
School: Sydney Childrens Hospital School, Randwick, NSW

Supporting QT in hospital school settings

What does quality teaching look like within a Hybrid Learning Model with students at risk of educational disengagement? Sydney Children’s Hospital School (SCHS) is comprised of six multi-stage classes (three high school, one forensic and one primary), with lessons delivered across school classrooms both remotely and on wards (in rooms and in shared spaces).

Time: 12:35pm – 1:05pm
Location: Mulubinba Room
Presenter: Adam Simpson
School: Berry Public School

Cultivating Teaching Excellence in a Rural South Coast School: Fostering Professional Growth and Student Success

This presentation delves into the challenges faced by a high-achieving rural school on the South Coast, striving to maintain its academic standards amidst a wave of experienced teacher retirements. The focus is on the implementation of continuous teaching and leadership enhancements as a means to nurture a culture of professional growth and well-being. By fostering an environment conducive to collaboration and personal development, the school aims to improve student learning outcomes while supporting the growth and fulfilment of its educators. This presentation highlights the strategies employed to address the unique needs of the school, including the utilisation of quality teaching rounds and the establishment of a strong professional learning community. Through sharing these experiences and lessons learned, this presentation aims to inspire educators to embrace similar approaches, fostering teaching excellence and ensuring sustainable student achievement.

Time: 12:35pm – 1:05pm
Location: Hunter Room
Presenters: Mikaela Sinclair and Kaitlin Heggen
School: Hambeldon Public School, NSW

Strengthening collegial relationships through QTR

Now more than ever, we understand the importance of collegial support for teachers. Even in a busy classroom of students, teaching can sometimes be a lonely and isolating experience. Meaningful and supportive collegial relationships have been associated with positive outcomes for students and teachers. In this presentation we discuss how QTR is an opportunity for teachers to strengthen relationships and provide each other with collegial support. We focus on the lens of a beginning teacher and a more experienced teacher who have both been involved in QTR in different capacities.

Time: 12:00pm – 2:20pm (with a break for lunch)
Location: Banquet Room
Presenter: Michelle Ware
Institution: Quality Teaching Academy, University of Newcastle, NSW

Quality Assessment Rounds: Building high quality assessment practice

This 90 minute interactive session offers a hands-on experience of how the QT Model, as it relates to assessment, can be combined with the powerful QT Rounds process to analyse and strengthen assessment tasks and activities. While familiarity with the Model will be useful for this session, anyone seeking to gain valuable insights into ways of analysing assessment tasks and activities collaboratively through the lens of the Model, will find the practical activities beneficial. This session places assessment task/activity design at the heart of efforts to scale up the quality of assessment practice. The processes and concepts addressed are applicable to all grades, subjects and assessment modes.

Time: 1:05pm – 1:50pm
Location: Cummings Room

Time: 1:50pm – 2:20pm
Location: Newcastle Room
Presenter: Matt Harper
Institution: TTRC, University of Newcastle, NSW

Student direction in the classroom: Exploring approaches to teaching and assessment

This study explores classrooms as key sites for participating in democracy. I draw on data from a case study involving Year 11 mathematics and Year 11 drama – situated at one government school in NSW. Using the QT Model, I analysed teaching across topics in both classes and the related assessments. Using interviews and focus groups, I also examined the teachers’ pedagogical approaches and students’ perspectives on their learning experiences. My analyses found that Student Direction coded higher in drama compared to mathematics, aligning with the teachers’ views on factors enabling or constraining such opportunities. Additionally, drama students became empowered through assessment choices, whereas mathematics students felt powerless in navigating the timing of their assessment. These findings underscore benefits of student autonomy but clear differences between diverse subjects.

Time: 1:50pm – 2:20pm
Location: Mulubinba Room
Presenter: Anthony Ryan
Institution: TTRC, University of Newcastle, NSW

Practical considerations for implementing QTR in your school: ideas from Implementation Science 

This presentation outlines practical considerations when implementing QTR, based on evidence from implementation research, insights from supporting schools and our own research. While schools have common structures, their specific contexts and internal dynamics vary greatly, making a one size fits all approach to implementation problematic. Research on implementing interventions in schools has identified the need for a customised approach. I argue that the goal of implementation research should be to develop processes that help individual schools identify key factors in their own contexts. This approach outlines key considerations in each implementation phase: Exploration, Planning, Implementation and Sustainment. Within each phase, context, barriers/facilitators, as well as implementation and interventions outcomes will be examined.

Time: 1:50pm – 2:20pm
Location: Hunter Room
Presenter: Dr Drew Miller
Institution: TTRC, University of Newcastle, NSW

Evaluating the impact of QTR in your school.

The questions of what to measure, how to measure it and how to interpret the results can be overwhelming in a system already full of data. Evaluation of Quality Teaching Rounds (or any specific initiative) is crucial in establishing feasibility and effectiveness at a school level. It is important to evaluate both the implementation and the effectiveness of an initiative, and a range of outcomes are desirable across multiple levels (students and teachers). This talk will outline an evaluation plan for Quality Teaching Rounds, with discussion of the concepts of measurement across time, using some simple and readily available tools. Please note: This presentation is a repeat of the presentation on Day 1.

Time: 2:45pm – 3:20pm
Location: Concert Hall
Presenter: Emeritus Professor Dylan Wiliam
Institution: University College, London, UK

Embedding Formative Assessment

There is now a large and growing evidence base that helping teachers develop their use of minute-to-minute and day-by-day assessment is one of, if not the most powerful ways to improve student learning. However, adopting formative assessment, or assessment for learning as it is sometimes called, involves far more than adding a few “quick fixes” to teachers’ classroom repertoires. It involves a fundamental shift in focus, from what the teacher is putting into the process to what the students are getting out of it. Participants will learn about the five key strategies and practical techniques for implementing formative assessment.

Time: 3:20pm – 3:30pm
Location: Concert Hall