Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

12-1986

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Major

Educational Administration and Supervision

Major Professor

Gerald C. Ubben

Committee Members

Robert K. Roney, Dewey H. Stollar, Janet R. Handler

Abstract

This study investigated the perceptions of evaluators. Level II and III teachers, Level I teachers, and nonparticipants regarding Tennessee's Career Teacher Evaluation System after the first year of the program's implementation. The fundamental beliefs and principles on which the evaluation system was constructed provided the basis for the development of a 25-item questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to 101 teacher evaluators and a random sampling of 357 teachers selected for evaluation during the 1984-85 school year. Data collection was completed in the Fall of 1985. One-way analysis of variance was applied to all data collected from the respondents. Statistically significant differences of perception were found to exist between two or more of the four study groups in 23 of 25 cases. The chi-square statistic was applied to data collected from the three teacher groups. Based on those results, age, highest degree earned, type and classification of school, and having had TIM training can all be discounted as factors which affect teachers' perceptions of the Career Teacher Evaluation System. Results of the study indicated that, in general, evaluators and Level II and III teachers were in agreement with the fundamental beliefs and principles of the system, but Level I teachers and nonparticipants were not. No group surveyed felt that the process was understood by teachers. Also, no group felt that differences in learners, schools, and school districts are considered when assessing the effectiveness of teaching behavior. There was agreement across groups that evaluation is better conducted by a team of three evaluators rather than a single individual and that data should be collected from a teacher's immediate superior and from his peers.

It seems clear that teachers were split in their attitudes regarding the Career Teacher Evaluation System. There appears to be a relationship between success in attaining upper Career Ladder status and a positive attitude toward the program. Likewise, there appears to be a relationship between a lack of success in attaining upper Career Ladder status and a negative attitude toward the program.

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