Teacher appraisal: the experiences of Kenyan secondary school teachers
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to report the findings of a study focusing on the state of teacher appraisal in Kenyan secondary schools and to argue for an improved (facilitating) model of teacher appraisal.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted a qualitatively‐oriented case study using multiple cases and drawing on multiple methods of data collection.
Findings
The findings indicate that teacher appraisal policies and practices in Kenyan secondary schools exhibit weaknesses, which need to be urgently addressed if teacher appraisal is to be used to improve the quality of teaching and education in Kenya.
Research limitations/implications
Of the eight administrative regions in Kenya, only one region was selected for data gathering. The reason for restricting the scope of the study related to availability of time in the first instance and the need for in‐depth investigation. The research was also limited to a study of six secondary schools. While including more schools in the sample would have widened the focus of the study, limited time and funding made such a wider study prohibitive. Moreover, the six schools, consisting of two private schools, and four public schools of various sizes, provided the opportunity to study Kenyan secondary schools in a variety of contexts.
Originality/value
There is a dearth of research‐based information on teacher appraisal in third world countries – especially Kenya – and this paper will therefore in itself be beneficial to education policy makers. This paper offers a more sophisticated conceptualisation of teacher appraisal, thereby laying a foundation for subsequent investigations. Such a conceptualisation should serve as a basis, not only for evaluating the existing teacher appraisal system in Kenya, but also for offering guidance for future practice and policy.
Keywords
Citation
Odhiambo, G.O. (2005), "Teacher appraisal: the experiences of Kenyan secondary school teachers", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 43 No. 4, pp. 402-416. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230510605441
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited