The NSW DET's Quality Teaching Framework and the realities of a special education classroom

In May 2003, the NSW Department of Education and Training introduced the Quality Teaching framework to NSW public schools for discussion and possible implementation. Principals and teachers were encouraged to use the framework for the twofold purpose of improving both teaching practice and student learning. While versions of the framework have been successfully used in USA and Australia, there is a paucity of research which reports on its merit, worth, or value for teachers of children with moderate intellectual disabilities. The aim of this study is to explore the degree of congruence and/or 'fit' between the Quality Teaching framework and the ebb and flow of the day to day realities which a teacher of a class of children with moderate intellectual disabilities has to deal with. The study was located within the naturalistic paradigm of inquiry, and employed a case-study methodology. Data was collected through qualitative methods including ongoing, semi-structured interviews with the teacher, classroom observations recorded as field notes and document analysis. While small in scope, the study provides insights into the value (or otherwise) of the NSW DET's Quality Teaching framework for teachers of children with moderate intellectual disabilities especially from the perspective of the classroom teacher dealing with the day to day realities of teaching these children.