Tenured high school teachers' perceptions of their professional growth when using an alternative form of teacher evaluation.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This qualitative dissertation investigated the experiences with evaluation of twenty tenured high school teachers in Illinois. The study was designed to explore the perceptions of their personal, professional growth when opting to design and implement an alternative form of teacher evaluation. Teachers shared their experiences of evaluation through an in-depth interview process. Interviews were conducted from March 2000 to March 2001.
Analysis of the data revealed three common themes: (1) the alternative evaluation plans afforded teachers opportunities to develop collaborative relationships with other colleagues; (2) successful professional growth opportunities must relate to the day-to-day activities of a teacher and have direct impact on student learning; and (3) the teacher must be directly involved in all stages of the alternative evaluation process.
Consistent with the research on evaluation procedures, these teachers perceived a need for a differentiated approach to evaluation. The traditional method of evaluation, complete with a rating list, was deemed more appropriate for new teachers who need structure and guidance. Tenured teachers, previously rated excellent or superior, need the option of investigating an area of their own interest and the opportunity to work with fellow colleagues.
This study suggests that alternative evaluation plans have a direct impact on student learning. Teachers elect to participate in certain professional growth activities when they see the relevance to their day-to-day teaching responsibilities. Teaching and learning are inextricably linked; without the professional growth of teachers, there could be no quality learning on the part of students.