ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that discussions around quality teachers and quality teaching have become so politicised that the mere mention of quality fuels immediate debate about definitions and measurement. The lack of precision about the use of the keyword quality causes confusion and it is often linked to measurable outcomes across a range of basic skills. Many aspects of the quality teacher/quality teaching debate are closely tied to broader neoliberal discourses that lead to an over-emphasis on individual teacher quality. Neoliberal 'quality teacher' discourses in Australia are manifested through standardised teaching matrices such as the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and testable outcomes, seen through prescribed curriculum and literacy and numeracy testing. One of the main concerns about the 'quality teacher' debate is how it has become less about social justice and increasingly linked to economic arguments. The 'quality teacher' discourse focuses on the individual teacher.
