Addis Ababa Senior Secondary School Teachers' Perception of the Current Teacher's Performance Appraisal System
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Date
2001-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study was designed to examine the perception of teachers towards the purpose, criteria,
process and the problems of perfonnance appraisal of teachers encountered in secondary
schools of Addis Ababa. To this end the major aim is to identify the weaknesses and come up
with recommendations.
A total of 225 teachers drawn from 12 senior secondary schools were used as data sources.
The data were gathered by means of questionnaire and interview. Results were analyzed using
percentage, means, chi-square test and t-test.
The major findings of the study included that quite majority of the respondents support the
perfonnance appraisal scheme, but significant number of the respondents are dissatisfied with
the implementation. And almost all respondents indicated that parents and students are not
appropriate to appraise teachers. The lack of appropriate skill and experience, contribute to
the limitations. Besides, teachers have not recognized the various purposes of perfonnance
appraisal and many of them are not applied. The criteria used by appraisers (students, parents)
are not known. Teachers do not know the criteria they are evaluated with. There is no
transparency in appraising teachers. The result of the perfonnance appraisal is kept secret. I t
is not communicated to teachers.
Problems encountered in the implementation of performance appraisal scheme for teachers
were identified. The objectives that teachers are expected to achieve are unclear, poor
operation of the scheme, lack of skills and competence of appraisers and irrelevant criteria.
Hence according to the findings of the study, it was recommended that the necessary steps
should be taken by the concerned authority at all level in order to revitalize the current
practice of the perfonnance appraisal of secondary school teachers. To this effect, irrelevant
criteria should be avoided. Criteria should also be flexible and situational. Furthennore,
appraisal system should be an integral part of staff development work in schools, it should be
both positive and constructive. In this regard the fonnative evaluation should be well
strengthened and systematica lly applied in schools. In addition to this, peer observation and
school in-built supervision need to be inrroduced so that teachers deve lop their professional
skills providing feedback to each other and assist them in improving pupils' performance.
Even though, most of the potential errors in appraisals that distort evaluation can be
minimized through training; the impact and the consequence of involving parents and students
in the appraisal system need in-depth study.