ASSESSMENT OF KEY ASPECTS OF TEACHERS’ PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: THE CASE OF SELECTED PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN SEBETA, OROMIA

Abstract

The goal of this study was to assess the core TPE components' strengths and shortcomings in a sample of private primary schools in Sebeta, Oromia, and to make potential improvements to the TPE program there that could serve as a model for other institutions with a comparable educational environment. The area of concern believed to be relevant to examine the TPE system were the purposes and criteria of TPE, the evaluation process, problems and errors associated with the current TPE. With respect to this, a descriptive survey research method was employed. Three selected private primary schools were included in the study. The subjects of this study were 130 teachers, 26 unit leaders and 3 directors. Questionnaire, interview and relevant documents were used for the purpose of data collection. The major findings of the study include: the TPE scheme of the schools hardly served the developmental purposes. It has served the administrative purposes to some extent; teachers did not participate in the formulation of the TPE criteria. Some of the criteria were found to be vague, general, and irrelevant to the actual performance of the teachers; major sources of evaluation were directors, unit leaders, peers and students. However, most of the evaluators lack the necessary knowledge, skill and commitment to evaluate teachers. Evaluations of teachers have been conducted twice a year at the end of each semester. The current TPE method has not been executed as it was intended to be, and the main issues with TPE, like the evaluators' lack of the requisite knowledge and skills and the way the whole evaluation process was managed, were encountered. To address these, it was suggested that teachers who performed poorly should receive short-term trainings, in-service training, and orientation programs; those who performed better should receive results and rewards; all evaluatees and evaluators should receive training and orientation on TPE; and the process of TPE should be regarded as one of the crucial steps in the teaching and learning process.