Does Teacher Evaluation Impact Teacher Motivation and Performance?

• In Event: 63.055 - Diverse Approaches to Teacher Evaluation: Policy, Implementation, and Impacts

Abstract

Shifts in policy have resulted in a flurry of activity surrounding the development of new teacher evaluation systems. Unfortunately, the evidence on these new systems is mixed, and very few studies systematically explore how teacher motivation resulted in observed outcomes. This study draws on expectancy-value theory and uses mixed methods to examine the impact of a new teacher evaluation system in an urban school district in Texas on teacher motivation and effectiveness. Analyses revealed that the new system had a negative impact on teachers’ level of expectancy (belief in their abilities) and no significant impact on teachers’ value (the importance they placed on their work) or their effectiveness. However, qualitative data revealed that results varied considerably across schools.

Author

• Claire Robertson-Kraft, University of Pennsylvania