RECOGNITION AND ASSESSMENT OF TEACHING QUALITY

As colleges of nursing and midwifery move into higher education they w ill be shaped by the 'quality ethos' of their parent university, where in the past, excellence in teaching has in practice been less valued than other (e.g. research) activities, Application of the principles o f standards, quality and competitiveness now underlie the quality asse ssment and quality audit procedures of the University Funding Councils . Colleges of nursing and midwifery have a culture that considers and values excellence in teaching, It is therefore essential that teachers of nursing and midwifery can clearly define their criteria for teachi ng quality, and more significantly, how this might be achieved, recogn ized and rewarded. This article discusses the nature of quality in edu cation and suggests different models for consideration, The nature of teaching, teaching quality and competence is reviewed and analysed; wi th characteristics of good teaching given, in the context of higher ed ucation. The assessment of teaching is debated; and a range of criteri a are suggested by which teaching activities might be evaluated and ju dged, By being clear and explicit about these issues nurse and midwife ry teachers, as they move into higher education, can work with their h igher education colleagues to shape the 'quality ethos' to one that va lues excellence in teaching on a par with that of research.