Teacher appraisal and quality teaching: is there a worthwhile connection?

Phil begins by challenging the notion of individual appraisal as an effective means of bringing about improvement and continues with a consideration of the various purposes of appraisal and how these purposes inevitably conflict with negative consequences for improvement.

The argument is that the appraisal systems as they are traditionally conceived have their roots in an impoverished conceptualisation of teaching as, at best, a set of craft skills, and as such stand little chance of making a substantive contribution to the sort of improvements in teaching quality that really count. Instead, the most promising approach to appraisal as a stimulus to improved teaching will require a reconceptualisation of the process as a professional activity centred on fostering critical self-reflection and professional dialogue.

Finally complementary approaches to the improvement of teaching are considered - approaches which should constitute a prior call on scarce educational resources, rather than directing these to appraisal activities which have a doubtful pay-off.

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