Expert Judgment: A Concept for Teacher Evaluation in a Postmodern World

• In Event: Reconceptualizing Teacher Evaluation Policies and Practices

Abstract

The purpose of this conceptual/theoretical essay is to begin to rethink the practice of teacher evaluation by explicating expert judgment, a fundamental, but ignored, concept. After describing the ritual, one section will address two of the reasons why we have been unable to think differently about teacher evaluation: its evolved purposes, and the many voices of authority over time that have influenced it. The next section provides a rationale for why we need to focus on expert judgment, and a final section poses concepts for expert judgment about teaching. By considering the notion of judgment, we may be able to better understand and transform the age-old ritual of teacher evaluation.

Author

• Helen M. Hazi, West Virginia University