Skip to main content
View expanded cover

Controversies in Education pp 81–89Cite as

Neglecting the Evidence: Are We Expecting Too Much from Quality Teaching?

Part of the Policy Implications of Research in Education book series (PIRE,volume 3)

Abstract

Internationally, “quality teaching” and its close relatives “authentic pedagogy” and “productive pedagogy” have been enthusiastically embraced by policy-makers in education. In Australia “quality teaching” has emerged as a central strategy for boosting the nation’s scholastic performance. This chapter argues that over the past six years State and Commonwealth education ministers have tended to focus quite selectively on research findings that speak to the positive outcomes associated with quality teaching, while neglecting the complexity of this field of research and the role that other factors (such as peer influences, parental involvement, or socio-geographical factors) may play. Drawing on findings from the author’s current research into student engagement in low socio-economic areas the chapter argues that the phenomenon of ‘residualisation’ in particular, whereby disadvantage is concentrated in certain public schools as a result of ‘school choice’, has quite powerful effects on the engagement and achievement of low SES students. Such evidence has, it is argued, been tacitly excluded from governments’ policy arguments.

Keywords

  • Commonwealth Education Ministers
  • Student Engagement
  • Council Of Australian Governments (COAG)
  • National Partnership Agreement
  • Improving Teacher Quality

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-08759-7_7
  • Chapter length: 9 pages
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
eBook
USD   99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • ISBN: 978-3-319-08759-7
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
Softcover Book
USD   129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Hardcover Book
USD   149.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2011). Schools Australia (Catalogue 4221.0). Canberra: ABS.

    Google Scholar 

  • Council of Australian Governments. (2008). Fact sheet: Smarter schools quality teaching national partnership. http://www.coag.gov.au/node/257

  • Council of Australian Governments. (2012). Review of national education agreement performance framework. http://www.coag.gov.au/node/440

  • Crosnoe, R., Cavanagh, S., & Elder, G. H., Jr. (2003). Adolescent friendships as academic resources: The intersection of friendship, race, and school disadvantage. Sociological Perspectives, 46(3), 331–352.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. (2011). Review of funding for schooling: Final report. (Gonski report). Canberra: DEEWR.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eccles, J. S., & Roeser, R. W. (2011). Schools as developmental contexts during adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 21(1), 225–241.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Frank, K. A., Muller, C., Schiller, K. S., Riegle-Crumb, C., Mueller, A. S., Crosnoe, R., & Pearson, J. (2008). The social dynamics of mathematics coursetaking in high school. American Journal of Sociology, 113(6), 1645–1696.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Hattie, J. (2003). Teachers make a difference: What is the research evidence? Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ingvarson, L. (2011). Strengthening links between teacher pay and performance. ACER e-News. http://www.acer.wsu.au/enews/2011/05

  • Kane, T. J., & Staiger, D. O. (2008). Estimating teacher impacts on student achievement: An experimental evaluation. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Papers, 14607. Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, T. E., Gendron, B., Toro, R. I., & Fairborn, S. K. (2011). Individual, peer, and school effects on math achievement and high school dropout. Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies, 2(4), 256–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kindermann, T. A. (2007). Effects of naturally existing peer groups on changes in engagement in a cohort of sixth graders. Child Development, 78(4), 1186–1203.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Koedel, C., & Betts, J. (2007). Re-examining the role of teacher quality in the educational production function. Department of Economics, University of Missouri, Working Papers 0708.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamb, S., Walstab, A., Teese, R., Vickers, M., & Rumberger, R. (2004). Staying on at school: Improving student retention in Australia. Queensland Department of Education and the Arts on behalf of the MCEETYA National Fund for Educational Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • New South Wales Government, Minister for Education and Communities. (2012). Great teaching, inspired learning: Discussion paper. http://news.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/index.cfm.

  • Rosenfeld, L. B., Richman, J. M., & Bowen, G. L. (2000). Social support networks and school outcomes: The centrality of the teacher. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 17(3), 205–226.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Rothman, S. (2002). Achievement in literacy and numeracy by Australian 14-year olds, 1975–1998 (Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth Research Report No. 29). Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, C., & Watson, L. (2004). The drift to private schools in Australia: Understanding its features. Canberra: Australian National University. http://cbe.anu.edu.au/research/papers/ceprdpapers/DP479.pdf

  • Thomson, S. (2011). Challenges for Australian education. Research Developments, 25(2). http://research.acer.edu.au

  • Vickers, M. H. (2004). Markets and mobilities: Dilemmas facing the comprehensive neighbourhood school. Melbourne Studies in Education, 45(2), 1–22.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Vinson, A., Esson, K., & Johnston, K. (2002). Inquiry into the Provision of Public Education in NSW. Report of the ‘Vinson Inquiry’. Sydney: New South Wales Teachers’ Federation and the Parents and Citizens Council.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, L., & Ryan, C. (2010). Choosers and losers: The impact of government subsidies on Australian secondary schools. Australian Journal of Education, 54(1), 86–107.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Western Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    Margaret Vickers

Authors
  1. Margaret Vickers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Margaret Vickers .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fac. Education & Social Work, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Helen Proctor

  2. Fac. Education & Social Work, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Patrick Brownlee

  3. University of Sydney Fac. Education & Social Work, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Peter Freebody

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Vickers, M. (2015). Neglecting the Evidence: Are We Expecting Too Much from Quality Teaching?. In: Proctor, H., Brownlee, P., Freebody, P. (eds) Controversies in Education. Policy Implications of Research in Education, vol 3. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08759-7_7

Download citation