Self-Evaluation as a Factor of Quality Assurance in Education

Abstract

Using an empirical research study based on a systematic sample of teachers, school counselors, and principals working in Slovenian primary and secondary schools, we examined how frequently these education professionals self-evaluate their work. The multiple regression models demonstrated that educators' interest in research work and belief in the necessity of continuous professional development have the strongest impact on their views of the importance of self-evaluation. Those educators whose knowledge of conducting self-evaluation is greater also attach more importance to carrying out self-evaluation. School management's encouragement has a further impact on educators' views on the importance of conducting self-evaluation. If an educational institution is to adopt self-evaluation as a permanent expert activity, which is a precondition for effective quality improvement, it needs to develop an adequate atmosphere among its educators. This atmosphere should enable and encourage research work, self-evaluation, and educators' professional development.

The Role of Headteachers, Teachers, and School Counselors in the System of Quality Assessment and Assurance of School Work

“…Although the responses of different groups of respondents to this question showed a statistically significant difference (2Î = 71.935, g = 20, α = .000), the majority of the respondents replied that they perceived conducting self-evaluation as important or very important for their profession. In the present research, the group with the largest proportion of respondents who believe that conducting self-evaluation is important or very important is primary-school headteachers (89.7%), followed by secondary-school headteachers (86.2%), primary-school counselors (80.5 %), and primary-school teachers (79.5%), while the share of secondary-school counselors (66.7%) and secondary-school teachers (66.4%) who share such opinions is slightly lower (Podgornik & Mažgon, 2015). For headteachers, teachers, and school counselors to be able to explore pedagogical practice and effectively carry out self-evaluation, it is assumed that they possess appropriate methodological knowledge in addition to knowledge of their area of expertise.…”

“…Learning content related to the methodological planning and carrying out of self-evaluation should be integrated into courses dealing with the subject matter in the field of research (Podgornik & Mažgon, 2015). Learning content pertaining to quality assessment and assurance in education should be addressed in other subjects, as well.…”

“…In the present empirical research, the focus was on the conducting of self-evaluation research in Slovenian primary and secondary schools, based on the assumption that, if we want the results of self-evaluation to form the basis for the further planning of educational work, the concept of quality needs to be developed at the level of the professional autonomy of the school and the individual teacher (Podgornik & Mažgon, 2015).…”

“…One of the main reasons for the need to transfer greater responsibility and autonomy to the school in the process of quality assurance is that increased organizational authority of schools enhances their flexibility, thus enabling higher quality work adapted to the realities of the job. Processes of quality assessment and assurance are closely linked to research work: more specifically, to conducting self-evaluation research (Podgornik & Mažgon, 2015). The idea that teachers should conduct research work, and that they should be reflective practitioners, originates from the English Ford Teaching Project (1973)(1974)(1975)(1976), within which teachers were trained to carry out action research and self-evaluation of educational practice (Stenhouse, 1975).…”

“…The idea that teachers should conduct research work, and that they should be reflective practitioners, originates from the English Ford Teaching Project (1973)(1974)(1975)(1976), within which teachers were trained to carry out action research and self-evaluation of educational practice (Stenhouse, 1975). Research work was addressed as an integral part of the daily tasks of teachers, and the results served as a basis for further planning of educational work (Podgornik & Mažgon, 2015).…”