The Service of Education. Reconceptualising Teaching Quality and Its Measurement in Higher Education

In this paper, we argue for the need to define teaching quality more broadly and consider how research across disciplines can inform how we reconsider our measurement of teaching quality. To enable this, we proffer that a move towards a portfolio approach to teaching quality assessment (TQA) is required. Drawing from the teaching quality and service quality literature, we present an overview of the facets of teaching quality to inform the development of a holistic TQA Framework. The TQA is to be employed at the individual, academic level. We present a brief case study of a faculty moving towards the use of a portfolio of measures to assess teaching quality and its relationship to the TQA in Australia. We contend that a more considered approach to how we measure teaching quality will provide fairer outcomes for all and minimise unintended consequences that often result from poor measure use. We conclude with considerations for policy and further research.