Using the literature to develop a context-appropriate framework for measuring quality in ITE

The development of the MQuITE framework has been based on the associated literature review (Rauschenberger et al., 2017) which considered studies that focused on either (1) ITE programmes, their component dimensions and effectiveness in preparing teachers as measured in various contexts, and/or (2) teacher effectiveness as related to ITE and related routes into teaching. The majority of contemporary literature on measuring the quality of teacher education programmes either correlates individual teacher data to student attainment data, mapping this back to the teacher’s teacher education programme (Kirabo Jackson et al., 2014), or reviews programme documentation, teachers’ educational background and absence figures (Jacob & Welsh, 2011). While such methods may be possible in the Scottish context, they do not align with the cultural and political context of teacher education in contemporary Scotland, nor do they provide the richness and depth necessary to understand nuances of context. However, of particular note in the literature review, was an analysis by Feuer et al. (2013) which outlines six areas related to ITE quality, and the evidence most commonly used to measure them. This paper outlines the development of the MQuITE framework against Feuer et al’s original categorisations: it provides an overview of the literature which influenced the design, the process of re-contextualisation, and the development of associated data collection tools. Importantly, the paper raises questions about the applicability of this process across different national contexts and explores the situatedness of the concept of ‘quality’ in both temporal and geographical space.