The research
The Building Capacity for Quality Teaching in Australian Schools (2018–2023) project set out to comprehensively explore what the ‘Quality Teaching Rounds’ (QTR) approach to teacher professional development could do for schooling in Australia.
Three randomised controlled trials (the gold standard in education research) demonstrated that QTR simultaneously improves teaching quality, teacher morale, school culture, and student academic achievement in mathematics and/or reading. These studies involved 1,400 teachers and 14,500 students from 430 government schools across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.
No other school-based intervention has been so thoroughly tested or amassed such a comprehensive body of evidence.
The Australian Government has provided funding to support 1,600 teachers to participate in Quality Teaching Rounds as part of its National Teacher Workforce Action Plan (2023-2026). The Strengthening Induction through QTR initiative aims to improve the morale, teaching, confidence, job satisfaction and retention of early career teachers and their more experienced colleagues. Schools that sign up to the initiative can send as many teachers as they like to a free QTR workshop, as long as at least half are in their first three years of teaching.
Results from the first year of the initiative have shown teachers participating in QTR have reduced their feelings of stress and burnout and improved their teaching efficacy and confidence in classroom practice and behaviour management strategies. In 2023, we published a white paper outlining effective induction practices, which you can download here for free.
The TTRC led a four-year research and school improvement project at Cessnock High School, one of the most disadvantaged schools in NSW. In 2023, Cessnock High ranked first in the Hunter region and 11th overall in the state for growth in NAPLAN results from Year 7 to 9.
These remarkable results were covered by ABC national news in April 2024 and the partnership with the University of Newcastle has now won several national awards. Learn more about this transformative partnership here.
New funding from the Paul Ramsay Foundation is currently supporting 25 disadvantaged NSW government schools to participate in similar partnerships as part of the Thriving Schools project.
Three randomised controlled trials have demonstrated that QTR improves student academic achievement in reading and/or mathematics compared to matched control groups.
View and download the research summary
Further reading
Gore, J., Miller, D., Fray, L., Patfield, S. (2023). Final Report to the Paul Ramsay Foundation: Building Capacity for Quality Teaching in Australian Schools 2018-2023. University of Newcastle. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1493345
Povey, J., Porter, M., Kennedy, L., Hussain, A., Bellotti, M., Cook, S., Austerberry, S. (2023). Building Capacity for Quality Teaching in Australian Schools: Queensland Replication Study Final Report. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1471855
Harris, J., Miller, A., Gore, J., Holmes, M. (2022). Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools: QTR Digital RCT final report. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1471857
Gore, J., Miller, A., Fray, L., Harris, J., & Prieto-Rodriguez, E. (2021). Improving student achievement through professional development: Results from a randomised controlled trial of Quality Teaching Rounds. Teaching and Teacher Education. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103297
Quality Teaching Rounds has significant impact on the quality of teaching for teachers at all career levels, regardless of school context.
View and download the research summary
Further reading
Gore, J. M. (2021). The quest for better teaching. Oxford Review of Education, 47(1), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/03 054985.2020.1842182
Gore, J., et al. (2017). Effects of professional development on the quality of teaching: Results from a randomised controlled trial of Quality Teaching Rounds. Teaching and Teacher Education, 68, 99–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.08.007
Quality Teaching Rounds improves teacher morale, wellbeing and professional engagement.
View and download the research summary
Further reading
Gore, J., et al. (2017). Effects of professional development on the quality of teaching: Results from a randomised controlled trial of Quality Teaching Rounds. Teaching and Teacher Education, 68, 99–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.08.007
Gore, J. M., & Whitty, G. (2017, July 26). Improving teaching: Some lessons from Australia. International Education News. https://internationalednews.com/tag/teacher-quality/
OECD. (2016). Low-performing students: Why they fall behind and how to help them succeed. PISA, OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264250246-en
Jaremus, F., Gore, J., & Miller, A. (2021). Do disadvantaged schools have poorer teachers? Rethinking assumptions about the relationship between teaching quality and school-level advantage. The Australian Educational Researcher. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-021-00460-w
McGrath-Champ, S., Wilson, R., Stacey, M., & Fitzgerald, S. (2018). Understanding work in schools: The foundation for teaching and learning. 2018 report to the NSW Teachers Federation. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/21926
Quality Teaching Rounds creates the dynamic conditions necessary to revitalise and enhance school culture, enabling teachers to focus on the core business of teaching and learning.
View and download the research summary
Further reading
Gore, J. M., & Rosser, B. (2022). Beyond content-focused professional development: Powerful professional learning through genuine learning communities across grades and subjects. Professional Development in Education, 48(2), 218–232. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2020.1725904
Gore, J., Miller, A., Fray, L., Harris, J., & Prieto, E. (2021). Improving student achievement through professional development: Results from a randomised controlled trial of Quality Teaching Rounds. Teaching and Teacher Education, 101, Article 103297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103297
Gore, J. M., & Rickards, B. (2021). Rejuvenating experienced teachers through Quality Teaching Rounds professional development. Journal of Educational Change, 22, 335–354. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-020-09386-z
Quality Teaching Rounds breaks down barriers, bringing teachers together to engage in purposeful and powerful collaborative practice. It builds the self and collective efficacy of teachers.
View and download the research summary
Further reading
Hargreaves, A. (1994). Changing teachers, changing times: Teachers’ work and culture in the postmodern age. Cassell. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23768992
Gore, J. M., & Rosser, B. (2022). Beyond content-focused professional development: Powerful professional learning through genuine learning communities across grades and subjects. Professional Development in Education, 48(2), 218–232. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2020.1725904
Gore, J. M. (2018, August 12–13). Making a difference through Quality Teaching Rounds: Evidence from a sustained program of research [Paper presentation]. ACER Research Conference 2018, Sydney, Australia. https://research.acer.edu.au/research_conference/ RC2018/13august/3/
Beginning teachers experience greater confidence and stronger professional relationships through participation in Quality Teaching Rounds.
View and download the research summary
Further reading
McKenzie, P., Weldon, P., Rowley, G., Murphy, M., & McMillan, J. (2014). Staff in Australia’s Schools (SiAS) 2013: Main report on the survey. Retrieved from Australian Council for Educational Research website. https://research.acer.edu.au/tll_misc/20/
Atkins, K., Banks-Sanntilli, L., Elliot, P., Guttenberg, N., & Kamill, M. (2006). Project quest: A journal of discovery with beginning teachers in urban schools. Equity and Excellence in Education, 39(1), 65–80. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10665680500478874
Gore, J. M., & Bowe, J. M. (2015). Interrupting attrition? Reshaping the transition from preservice to inservice teaching through Quality Teaching Rounds. International Journal of Educational Research, 73, 77–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2015.05.006
Many experienced teachers report feeling rejuvenated and reinvigorated by participating in Quality Teaching Rounds.
View and download the research summary
Further reading
Gore, J. M., & Rickards, B. (2021). Rejuvenating experienced teachers through Quality Teaching Rounds professional development. Journal of Educational Change, 22, 335–354. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-020-09386-z
