In 1973, a major national report on education called for a more active role for the teaching profession in developing standards for practice and in exercising responsibility for professional development. While it would not be accurate to say that the teaching profession has become "the point of reference for standards and thus the source of…

This exploration of the implementation of a new career path for teachers in Australia, the Advanced Skills Teacher classification, shows conflicts between the industrial relations arena and teaching standards and performance assessments based on quality of teaching practice. Developing such career paths requires stable professional bodies that…

This paper aims to provide a critical review and comparison of the following sets of standards of practice for teachers: (1) The Victorian Interim Teacher Class Standards (ITCS), especially Interim Teacher Class Standards for Beginning Teachers; (2) Professional Standards for Teachers; (3) The National Competencies for Beginning Teaching; (4) The…

Educational policy makers in many countries recognize the need to focus their policies more directly on factors affecting the quality of teachers. Common to these policies are attempts to reform teachers' pay systems and career paths to place greater value on teachers' work and give stronger incentives for professional development. Investing in…

In the late 1980s, three steps were added to the incremental pay scale for teachers in all Australian state and territory education authorities. The original intent of this Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) concept was to provide an alternative career path for teachers wishing to remain primarily in a teaching role, a career path comparable in status…

This paper was prepared for the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment and Training Taskforce on Teacher Quality & Educational Leadership. It covers the following broad areas: (1) How can a national definition of "Good Teaching" be developed, and what should it include?; (2) What should a "National Standards…

This paper reports on an interview study conducted with 80 science teachers in 12 secondary schools across Australia. The study was one component of the Science Education Professional Development Project, charged with developing a national strategy for enhancing the professional development of science teachers. Initial interviews were conducted…

This paper is in response to an invitation from the Victorian Department of Education and Training to undertake a targeted review of effective teaching recruitment strategies. The paper provides a "snapshot" of what is happening in other States and Territories and in selected countries overseas. The main focus of the review is on the…