Crucial issues in developing teacher educators' performance appraisal

Abstract

Abstract Educational research studies show some significant contributions towards improving the quality and productivity of the education sector. With this paper, I would like to do the same by presenting the results of my pilot study on key elements of developing teacher educators' performance appraisal. This study explores a number of issues that can influence appraisal: purposes, setting standards, evaluation instruments, and implementation. The purpose of the study is to reveal what the influencing circumstances in developing teacher educators' performance appraisal are, and how teacher educators perceive the role of staff involvement in developing teacher educators' performance appraisal. In order to fulfil the above goals, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten teacher educators, currently working at two Universities of Education in Myanmar. The interview results revealed that the acceptability of performance criteria is important and academic staff involvement in developing performance appraisal design should be encouraged. Effective leadership, trust, clear and equitable systems can lead to successful appraisal. Finally, the implications are discussed with a focus on designing teacher performance appraisal.