Attitudes and Perceptions of Teachers towards Performance Appraisal in Botswana

Introduction

Teachers have been the important people in the pursuance of the quality education. The role of the teachers is also changed by the increasing competencies in the modernization and the parents are expecting them to do fulfill their responsibilities in forging the intelligence of the students. The skills and knowledge of the teachers are valuable for the students in achieving the quality education that can help the students in the future.

Background and Problem Statement

The effectiveness of the teacher in teaching has been the issue of the educator’s proficiency in delivering the quality education. Under the series of criticisms, the performance of the teachers has been the employed in the performance appraisals. In this case, the performance appraisals in every organization are important factor to measure the performance as well the influence of the employees in their workplace. This idea is also applied in the schools to measure the effectiveness and the performance of the teachers in delivering the quality education. However, the appraisal cannot be ignored nor be overemphasized. And what would be the attitudes and perceptions of the teachers towards the performance appraisal in Botswana?

Research Objectives

The first objective of the study is to determine the attitude and perceptions of the teachers regarding the performance appraisal. Secondly is to determine the impact of the appraisals in the performance of the teachers. Meeting the two objectives can help the study to deliver the right application of the appraisals in increasing the performances of the educators.

Literature Review

The effectiveness of the performance appraisal in the faculty has gained the increasing popularity in the system of monitoring the teachers. Various schools have adopted the performance appraisal and gives value to its accountability and purpose for their own development. In the analysis of the previous researchers, the extent of the procedures and opportunities of the appraisal were successfully applied in the schools all for the purpose of analyzing the performance level of the educators in terms of teaching. The staff appraisal in every organization covers the performances of the people. The main purpose of the appraisal is to modify or change the working conditions of the employees. Based on the feedbacks of each employee can affect their working behaviors and performance which is usually the basis in judging the compensation. This basis for compensation is common among the teachers. On the other hand, appraisal is important in an organization to provide comprehensive actions of the management in creating decisions on their human capital.

All of the decisions generated from the appraisal play an important role delivering the training and developmental needs, most especially on teachers. Appraisal can help the teachers in fostering their own development. In addition, the appraisal is a good tool for the monitoring the performances of the teachers all intentionally for the purpose of the schools. It is also a good record for the improvement of the teachers (Monyatsi, 2008). In the issue of productivity, the organizations such as schools are busy in attempting to improve the productivity of the teachers. And the improvement can be only seen in the performances of the teachers (Monyatsi, 2006). Appraisals can be a strategy and it should cover the greatest issue in the teachers’ abilities and career in noble work. With the help of the appropriate use of appraisals, there will be an implication of the effective management for the teachers. And it should be supported by the administrators to answer the various inquiries and concerns of the teachers (Mpokosa, et. al., 2008). The pursuance of the career development is an open opportunities for the teachers to improve themselves in professionalism. Above all, appraisal can therefore be viewed as a social relationship characterized by information sharing to avoid conflict and enhance effectiveness.

Methodology

The suggested method is the use of the questionnaires which is applied across the participants and thereby be divided into two groups. The sample of the method can be from the teachers who are already been appraised and the others that needed to be appraised. This mixture of the teacher’s population can determine both the attitudes and perceptions of the teachers where one is being appraised and the other one is the appraiser. Based on the questionnaires, the appropriate answer regarding the idea of the teachers on the performance appraisals in the faculty can be facilitated. As the result of this survey on the perceptions of the teachers, there will be a good definition regarding the need for training and implementation of additional teaching strategies.

References:

Monyatsi, P.P., 2006. Motivating the Motivators with Developmental Teacher Appraisal, Journal of Social Science, Vol. 13, No. 2 [Online] Available at: http://www.krepublishers.com [Accessed 31 March 2010]

Monyatsi, P.P., 2008. A Critical Analysis of the Mechanisms and Procedures that Facilitate Effective Teacher Appraisal in Botswana Schools, Educational Research and Review, Vol. 4, No. 4 [Online] Available at: http://www.academicjournals.org/err/PDF/Pdf%202009/Apr/Monyatsi.pdf [Accessed 31 March 2010].

Mpokosa, C., Ndaruhutse, S., McBride, C., Nock, S., & Penson, J., 2008. Managing Teachers: The Centrality of Teacher Management to Quality Education, Lessons from Developing Countries [Online] Available at: http://www.scribd.com/doc/16035065/managing-teachers [Accessed 31 March 2010].