Teacher perceptions of and reactions to the introduction of performance appraisal: a case study of three comprehensive schools

Abstract

Staff appraisal of teachers may be described as a vehicle for professional development resulting in greater levels of reflective practice. Conversely it can be seen as a form of monitoring by appraisers of subordinate appraisees as part of a process of increasing control over the work of teachers. This study examines the history of the appraisal process which has been part of the changing nature of teaching during the past two decades. Using a combination of observation, interviews and institutional documents, the introduction of appraisal into th .ee comprehensive schools is explored. The research shows that the three schools have fared very differently in the increasingly competitive market place. The variations in the introduction and implementation of appraisal reflect these differences. Appraisal is viewed in differing ways by teachers depending upon their personal history and experiences. Perceptions revealed within the research include a view of appraisal as professional development and of appraisal as a control mechanism. Resistance to the controlling element of the process was also detected. Appraisal appears to restate the hierarchical nature of the staffing structures of the schools studied. An examination of the appraisal process from the standpoints of the different groups involved, the senior management, the appraisers and the appraisees, highlights the micropolitical nature of schools as organisations. It is suggested that in applying this analytical framework to any appraisal system the nature of power relationships will be exposed. It would appear that, generally, appraisal has been of little use to the teachers and managers in these schools. This was perhaps the result of a process being set up to achieve a number of aims, some of which conflicted. It is proposed that the original purposes of appraisal should be separated and individually considered. In this way achievable methods of fulfilling them could be designed.