Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which teachers perceivethe evaluation process as an accountability tool and a tool to improve instruction.Another purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which teachers use theteacher evaluation process to improve their professional practice and decisions. Inaddition, the extent of the differences of these perceptions and use of the evaluationprocess between core and non-core teachers, as well as among teachers based onexperience (0-5, 6-15, and 16 or more years) was a purpose of this study. The sample ofparticipants included certified teaching staff employed by a Midwest suburban Kansasschool district. This study was a quantitative design using a survey designed by theresearcher. The population of interest included high school teachers from the RiverboatSchool District during the 2018-2019 school year. Multiple chi-square tests of equalpercentages and chi-square tests of independence were conducted to address the nineresearch questions. Results from the survey data indicated teachers had statisticallysignificant perceptions of the teacher evaluation process both as an accountability tooland a tool to improve instruction. The data also indicated teachers use the teacherevaluation process to improve their professional practice and decisions. There was asignificant difference between teachers based on experience, where more experiencedteachers had an increased likelihood to perceive their evaluation as a tool forimprovement and use subsequent feedback to advance their professional practice. It isrecommended further more broad, qualitative, and mixed method research is conductedto better understand how instruction decisions are influenced by the teacher evaluationprocess as a whole or its components.