A Study on Teacher Evaluation System to Improve Professional Development Among Junior High School Teachers in Ghana

Abstract:

The study examined the perceptions of teachers and supervisors in four circuits from the Oforikrom Municipality in the Ashanti Region of Ghana on the impact of the Teacher Evaluation Process on their classroom practices and professional growth. The study sought to determine to what extent the process of evaluation and the role evaluators played in the process influenced the teacher’s classroom practices and their professional growth. The themes that emerged from the data defined a new teacher-centered interpretation of evaluation and leadership expected of supervisors.

The study employed the simple qualitative methodology with narrative inquiry as the method. Interviews were conducted on Twenty-Four (24) participants from 12 schools in 4 circuits. The findings indicated that summative evaluation had prominence over the formative and that increased the level of subjectivity. The study therefore recommended that teacher evaluation be aligned with professional development to establish a positive link between them.