The University of Newcastle’s Teachers and Teaching Research Centre has won the prestigious Engagement Australia 2022 Excellence Award for Outstanding Engagement for Research Impact alongside its partners the NSW Department of Education and the Paul Ramsay Foundation.
The Centre was recognised for its unique professional development program, Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR), which has delivered striking benefits for more than 3,500 teachers and 400,000 students since 2018.
Teachers and Teaching Research Centre Director, Laureate Professor Jenny Gore, said it was a great honour to win the award.
“We are in a fortunate position to be strongly supported by the Paul Ramsay Foundation and the NSW Department of Education so that our work can deliver a positive impact for teachers and students on a large scale,” Professor Gore said.
“We look forward to continuing this work with our partners and making a difference for education in Australia.”
The Teachers and Teaching Research Centre team (L-R) Leanne Fray, Michelle Ware, Steve Hannan, Tom Carey, Jenny Gore, Hayley Russell from the NSW Department of Education, Drew Miller, Wendy Taggart
QTR was developed on the back of a 20-year relationship with the NSW Department of Education, who has been a strong supporter of the Centre’s research on quality teaching and teacher development. Research on QTR shows that it enriches understanding of quality teaching, transforms teaching practice and delivers significant improvement in student achievement, including in schools that serve disadvantaged communities.
In 2018, in recognition of the powerful effects of QTR on teaching and learning, the philanthropic Paul Ramsay Foundation joined forces with the University and the Department, funding a $17.2 million, five-year systematic program of research and scaling to build the evidence base and provide access to QTR for teachers across Australia.
Engagement Australia is the peak alliance of Australian and New Zealand universities focused on developing the engagement agenda in higher education. Supported by UniBank and the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, the Engagement Australia Excellence Awards focus on outstanding nation-building initiatives, demonstrating far-reaching impact and innovation, in all sectors and aspects of the Australian economy and community.
