Effectiveness of the teacher performance evaluation system Kwekwe District in Zimbabwe.

Abstract

There has been greater demand for more accountability, results-based culture and enhanced effectiveness of programmes and services globally. The education sector has not been spared by this wave either and hence teacher effectiveness and instructional quality have risen to the top of the educational policy agenda. It is important therefore that effective teaching must be assured and teacher evaluation is a key means of providing that assurance. To date, most studies on the teacher appraisal system in Zimbabwe have focused on the perceptions and attitudes of the teachers towards the evaluation process, and at the same time the implementation challenges. Little has so far been done to determine the effectiveness of the teacher performance evaluation system in Zimbabwe. This study consequently sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the teacher performance evaluation system in Kwekwe district of Zimbabwe. The study was premised on the pragmatic philosophical worldview and hence the mixed method approach was adopted. The convergent parallel mixed method design was used. Data was collected using individual face to face semi structured interviews and a 5 point Likert scale questionnaire. Documentary review was done prior to the development of the research instruments as a way of ensuring relevance of the data collection instruments. The study was underpinned by the self-developed RADPS conceptual framework on performance evaluation system effectiveness. Stratified purposive sampling technique was used to select ten secondary schools for the quantitative strand and four for the qualitative strand. The quantitative sample was composed of 292 teachers and the qualitative sample was composed of 12 participants constituting of 4 teachers, 4 heads of departments and 4 schools heads. Quantitative data was analysed using the SPSS version 25 while the qualitative data was analysed using ATLAS ti. 8. The key findings of the study were that: the performance evaluation system was imposed and accordingly there was no buy in; there was inadequate budgetary support thereby rendering the introduction of the system mistimed; teachers as key stakeholders were excluded from the design process and hence there was no ownership; and ultimately, relevance of the system was questioned. It was also revealed that the evaluation process is merely a compliance exercise with erratic and discontinuous monitoring and supervision through the evaluation cycle. The findings from the study imply the following: policy formulation should be participatory and inclusive; readiness assessment should be conducted before introducing a new programme; a programme should be pilot tested; evaluation process should be monitored by external officials; the process should be consequential and the system should be continuously monitored and reviewed for relevance and validity.