Teacher perceptions of performance evaluation and teacher self efficacy in Illinois public elementary and middle schools

Advisors: Kelly Summers.Committee members: Jon Crawford; Stephen Tonks.Includes bibliographical references.This quantitative dissertation explored the association between teacher self-efficacy and teacher perceptions of the Illinois teacher performance evaluation process. It also examined how the teacher evaluation system's procedures, the evaluative feedback received by the teacher, and the context of the evaluation process related to teacher self-efficacy in the areas of student engagement, instructional strategies, and classroom management. Teachers from two different Illinois suburban public elementary school districts were surveyed. One school district employed the Charlotte Danielson Model and the other a more traditional evaluation model. The study results showed teachers who reported using a high quality teacher evaluation process also reported greater levels of self-efficacy. An association was not found among teacher perceptions of the evaluation system's procedures, evaluative feedback received, the context of the evaluation and self-efficacy in student engagement. An association was found between perceptions of the evaluation procedures and a teacher's reported self-efficacy in instructional strategies. A similar association was not found between the quality of evaluative feedback and teacher perceptions of self-efficacy in instructional strategies. Also, no associations were found among teacher perceptions of the evaluation system's procedures, evaluative feedback received, the context of the evaluation and self-efficacy in classroom management. The first exploratory research question found the type of performance evaluation tool used in the district does not impact teacher perceptions of self-efficacy. The second exploratory research question found significant differences in teacher perceptions of various aspects of performance evaluations depending upon whether a teacher is evaluated using the Danielson Framework or not. Specifically, teachers evaluated with the Danielson Framework have better perceptions of their own personal attributes, evaluation procedures, the quality of feedback received, and the context of the evaluation. This study showed teachers in school districts that implemented the Danielson Model perceived the evaluation procedures, the quality of feedback received, and the context of the evaluation more positively than teachers in school districts that were not utilizing the Danielson Model. Teachers who reported using a high quality teacher evaluation process also reported greater levels of self-efficacy. This was significant because it suggested the quality of the teacher evaluation process quality might be linked to teacher self-efficacy.Ed.D. (Doctor of Education