Quality teaching matters most

MEDIA RELEASE Monday 20 October 2003 Quality teaching matters most Quality teachers and teaching, supported by strategic professional development, is what matters most in students’ experiences and outcomes of schooling, Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) Research Director Dr Ken Rowe said in Melbourne today. Speaking at ACER’s Research Conference 2003, Dr Rowe presented key findings from Australian and international evidence-based research on educational effectiveness. According to Dr Rowe much of the research undertaken over the past 40 years has focused on identifying effective schools but many researchers have missed the most important point. “What makes some schools more effective than others is that they have better teachers.” “The magnitude of effects including literacy skills, general academic achievements, attitudes, behaviours and experience of schooling, pale into insignificance compared with class and teacher effects. “The quality of teaching is by far the most important influence on cognitive, affective and behavioural outcomes of schooling, regardless of a student’s gender or background.” Dr Rowe said that in conducting his own research he has visited many schools and interviewed students who recognise themselves that their teachers play a critical role in their own educational achievements. He said many students are choosing their subjects based on which teachers will be teaching the course, as the students believe they will achieve better results with certain teachers. Dr Rowe welcomed the recent renewed focus on research into teacher quality and instructional effectiveness. ******** ENDS ********