Fear, the School Organization, and Teacher Evaluation

Abstract

Fear can be conceptualized differently as experienced by those inside and outside the school organization. Internally, participants respond to fear in a politics of maintenance aimed toward protection against anticipated job loss(es). This article examines internal organizational participants' fear, with particular attention to teachers' fear of being evaluated. It is argued that the cellular organization of teaching contributes to fear, as do certain existing conflicts in evaluation. For example, teachers fearing a summative evaluation may be less than forthcoming about their performance shortcomings and/or goals. An analysis of fear in teacher evaluation should take into account (a) teacher controllability of teaching and its evaluation and (b) principals' preference for evaluation rigidity. In environments compromised by fear, for example, administrators might restrict information in teacher evaluation. Reform directions such as union participation and altering the adversarial tone of evaluation may improve evaluation by more fully developing the skills desired in teaching.