Taking a future-facing approach, this book provides a timely evaluation of the Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) which utilises the Assessment for Graduate Teaching (AfGT) as an instrument for assessing pre-service teachers’ classroom readiness in Australia. Against a backdrop of teacher shortages prompting a range of alternate measures to fast-track new teachers, GenAI challenging assessment processes, and a national cross-TPA moderation process under development, this edited collection examines the TPA’s role as a quality assurance measure for improving education.
Organised into three sections, the text addresses the current TPA landscape, its implementation and impacts, and the possibilities and challenges ahead in a rapidly changing teacher education landscape. Collating diverse research from 30 scholars directly involved in implementing the TPA and AfGT across initial teacher education (ITE) courses, this book presents a nuanced picture of the TPA and highlights critical design features for ongoing improvement.
This is an invaluable resource for teacher educators, postgraduate students and researchers of education interested in the development of teacher effectiveness, as well as those in educational administration and policy development overseeing initial teacher education.
Table of Contents:
Introduction, Judith Dinham, Emily Hills, Sharon Davies and Rebecca Walker Part One: Context and Foundations 1. Measuring Readiness: TPAs and the Transformation of Teacher Preparation, Janet Clinton and Katina Tan 2. Cross-Institutional Moderation in Teaching Performance Assessments, Damian Maher, Valerie Morey and Mathew White Part Two: Impacts of the TPA 3. Impact Beyond Graduation: Progressing from Graduate to Proficient and the Role of the TPA, Sharon Davies, George Harb and Jennifer Rowley 4. Career Readiness and Progression of Online Initial Teacher Education Graduates and the Impact of the TPA, Rebecca Walker, Claire Bartlett, Judith Dinham, Ana Tankosic, Valerie Morey and Lina Pelliccione 5. Mentor Teacher Feedback to Preservice Teachers on Key Pedagogical Practices, Damian Maher, George Harb and John Buchanan 6. Relational Agency and Teaching Performance Assessments, Amy Kay Robinson, Linda Westphalen, George Harb and Christopher Boyle Part Three: Future Directions 7. Lessons from EdTPA for the AfGT: From Performative to Transformative, Anne Bellert, Aristidis Galatis and Therese N. Hopfenbeck 8. Teaching Performance Assessments in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, Hayden Park, Aristidis Galatis and Grace Oakley 9. Global Context for Teacher Shortage, Liam Frost-Camilleri, Jennifer Rowley and Richard Sallis 10. Design Principles for the Development and Implementation of Teaching Performance Assessments: A Systematic Review, Wayne Cotton†, Anne Bellert, Sharon Davies, Andrew Eaton, George Harb, Marisa Incognito, Larissa McLean Davies, Lindsay Parry, Louisa Peralta, Amy Kay Robinson, Eloise Thomson and Stephanie Watts. Conclusion: Emerging Themes in Research about the Australian TPA, Judith Dinham, Emily Hills, Sharon Davies and Rebecca Walker
About the Author :
Judith Dinham is Professor, Curtin School of Education; Lead for Strategic Learning and Teaching Projects, Faculty of Humanities; and Fellow of the Higher Education, Research and Development Society of Australasia. Her curriculum and pedagogical research has informed her national teacher education and curriculum leadership, and university textbooks: Cengage (5th ed., 2023), Oxford University Press (3rd ed., 2026).
Emily Hills is Associate Dean Education at the University of Canberra and a scholar of teacher education and school–university partnerships. She brings extensive experience in educational leadership, curriculum design, and professional learning, supporting evidence-informed practice across diverse educational contexts in Australia and internationally.
Sharon Davies is a Senior Lecturer at Curtin University with extensive teacher education leadership. This includes ITE course coordination and the Academic Lead, Quality Assurance role which has involved overseeing accreditation for all Curtin ITE courses and engaging with national teacher education quality frameworks and standards.
Rebecca Walker is Professor and Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor, Humanities, Curtin University, where she has held School of Education leadership roles including Deputy Head of School and Director, Student Experience and Industry Engagement. With teaching experience across Australia and internationally, her scholarly expertise encompasses initial teacher education accreditation, equity-focused pedagogies, and educational policy.
