Date of Award
Spring 5-16-2017
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate of Education, Ed.D.
College
College of Education
Department
Education
First Advisor
Donna Graham, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Anastasia D’Angelo, Ed.D.
Third Advisor
Jean Swenk, Ph.D.
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of the evaluation system currently used in their district. This study was guided by the following research question: How do teachers perceive the teacher evaluation process in a Midwestern Teacher and student Advancement Program (TAP) school? The theoretical foundations used in this study were Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory and Kirkpatrick’s four levels of evaluating training programs. The researcher learned that Midwestern teachers in a TAP school perceived the evaluation system to have impacted their teaching in a positive manner and, at the same time, contributed to their stress level. Thirteen teachers participated in the study. Data sources included questionnaires, interviews, observations, and focus groups. The questionnaires, interviews, and observations were coded and used to determine the teachers’ perceptions of the evaluation system. The results indicated that teachers perceived the system both positively and negatively. The findings of this study indicated that a positive impact of the evaluation system had a positive impact on teaching. Further, the researcher uncovered negative perceptions that might be addressed.