Evaluation of Teachers' Performance, Teaching and Learning Methods

national | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Tuesday March 15, 2005 16:32 by Union of Secondary Students Ireland (USS) - Union of Secondary Students Ireland (USS) info at ussonline dot net 34 Broadmeadow Green, Ashbourne, Co. Meath, Ireland 085 1421202

The evaluation of teachers’ performance and teaching and learning methods is necessary and has the purpose of being a basis for continuous improvement of education and the dialogue between teachers and students. The process of continuous evaluation of the quality of education is indispensable when it comes to ensuring high quality education, and should thus be guaranteed by education authorities and school management.
Evaluation of quality with the aim to assess the standard of education should be accompanied by clear and binding guidelines concerning the involvement of all stakeholders in education when the initiation, execution, interpretation of results and the follow-up of an evaluation are concerned. In order for the evaluation of teachers’ performance, teaching and learning methods to serve its purpose, the results of the evaluation must be followed up and used as a part of further development of schools and education.

Students often feel neglected in the monitoring, development and evaluation of their own education and wish to have a say in these areas. As students are the main actors in education, their experience should be regarded as valuable when assessing the quality of the education, the competence of teachers and the teaching and learning methods used.