Shaping Instruction Using Teacher Evaluation Experiences: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive design study was to understand how 6-12^th grade teachers describe their teacher evaluation experiences and the role those experiences play in shaping their instructional practices. The literature review indicated the need to understand how teacher understandings of evaluation tools influence their instructional improvement. Bandura’s self-efficacy theory was used as a theoretical framework for the study. A conceptual framework of effective teaching was also used to frame the study. Two research questions guided this study. The research questions for this qualitative study addressed how teachers describe their experiences with teacher evaluations and the role those evaluations play in shaping their instruction. The sample consisted of 32 participants. All participants participated in a questionnaire used to collect data. Fourteen participants chose to expand on their answers in a one-on-one semi-structured interview via Zoom and were collected by the researcher. The data was hand-coded and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis, which resulted in the emergence of five themes: evaluators communicating procedures to staff, quality evaluators differentiating among teachers, teacher confidence in performance due to understanding of the tool, the prominent appearance of a tool’s subjectivity, and efficacy from the tool that created instructional shifts. The data compiled in this qualitative descriptive study indicated that under certain conditions, teachers feel that evaluation tools can have both positive and adverse effects on instructional practices.