Teacher evaluation in British Columbia as perceived by teachers, a survey study

This study reports a survey of teacher perceptions of the teacher evaluation process. Three hundred fifty-three practicing British Columbia teachers responded to a fifty-six item questionnaire designed to investigate their experiences with teacher evaluation and to estimate their satisfaction and confidence with respect to the instruments, the procedure and the evaluators. Information was obtained about the reports, their style, distribution, frequency, and availability to teachers; the evaluation techniques used, including visitation for observation and forms of communication with the teachers; and reactions of teachers to the reports, the evaluators, and the process in general. The design of the questionnaire highlights the position of the principal as an evaluator as compared to that of other evaluators. Open-ended questions were included to clarify response in some areas. Opinions were sought in some more general areas to test the existence of perceived need for change, to obtain teachers’ suggestions as to the direction such change might take, and to sample teachers' perceptions as to the efficacy of teacher evaluation practices for the improvement of instruction. Major conclusions were that present practice is essentially inspectorial in nature and only partially oriented to the improvement of instruction; that teachers generally accept present practice though substantial minorities express lack of satisfaction and confidence with respect to many aspects of it; and that teachers are divided as to whether the principal's roles as evaluator and educational leader conflict.Education, Faculty ofEducational Studies (EDST), Department ofGraduat