In December 1990, the Albanian government was thrust into the democratic world as a result of the fall of communism. Since then, Albanian education continues to be subjected to global pressures in an attempt to ‘catch-up’ with the west (Gardinier, et al., 2010; Sota, 2014). However, efforts to improve the education system and in particular teaching practice, largely through policy initiatives, have produced minimal change in the classroom (Council of Ministers, 2016). Today, students are faced with predominantly direct textbook-led instruction and basic knowledge recall, with little deep understanding or application, resulting in poor outcomes (UNESCO, 2017). PISA 2022 scores demonstrate a downturn on previous scores (OECD, 2023). Even when accounting for various factors that potentially contributed to this slide, previous results have been consistently lower than the OECD mean. In one attempt to achieve the goal of improved educational provision and outcomes, Albania has addressed aspects of initial teacher education. However, research indicates the most recent graduates are unable to move far from the confines of the traditional teacher-led practices they experienced during their teacher training (Zaçellari, 2019). Therefore, improving the quality of initial teacher education remains a key national priority (Maghnouj, et al., 2020). Addressing this key priority from a transactional-realist perspective, I explored the potential impact and value of the QT Model, at the core of QTR PD, for Albanian teacher training. Participants were drawn from three levels of initial teacher education, Master of Teaching students, teacher-interns, and teacher educators. Through workshops, the QT Model, a highly refined and widely tested conceptualisation of what constitutes quality teaching, was introduced to participants as a tool for developing their capacity to continually improve the quality of their practice. These QT workshops enabled practical engagement with the Model and the process of lesson ‘coding,’ while real-world insight into its value was gleaned from those on internship who were able to experiment with the Model and coding process in their classrooms. Does QT offer cause for hope? It appears so. Initial results from pre and post intervention observations and interviews demonstrate a positive response to the Model and coding, providing clear potential for direct impact on classroom practice. This paper represents the first intervention-based study to provide practical support for Albanian pre-service teachers to recognise and develop high-quality teaching practice. The study has important implications for the wider application of the QT Model in future Albanian teacher education, and beyond.

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