A avaliação de desempenho docente na perspetiva dos diretores

: um estudo empírico

Abstract

The introduction of an assessment model of teachers’ practice, in 2008, which is significantly different from its predecessor has led to a fierce debate on the aims and functions of this assessment as well as on its suggested assessment procedures. The new model was part of an educational policy which stood up for the supervision and the assessment mechanisms aiming at differentiation of practices, profitability of resources, accountability, improvement, effectiveness and quality. As regards teachers’ practice, this aim is intended to be achieved both through the professional development of teachers, as a result of the reflexive processes carried out, and through the more and more explicit compulsoriness to improve the academic results. The approach to this subject demanded, in a first stage, the understanding of theoretical presuppositions linked to the educational policy which legitimates the state as evaluator, as well as the theoretical presuppositions which give scientific certification to the assessment models of professional practice. In a second stage, having resorted to the qualitative methodology has enabled to fulfil the purpose of this research, which means to understand the way the schools’ headteachers position themselves not only towards the phenomenon of the assessment of teachers’ practice but also towards the model established by the law the Decreto Regulamentar nº2/2010 from June 23rd. As main conclusions, one should highlight the fact that the headteachers consider that the assessment of teachers’ practice is rather important for the professional development of teachers. However, such aim is dependent on the assessment model put into practice which should be rather different from the model established by the Decreto Regulamentar nº 2/2010 from June 23rd, since this has neither promoted the improvement of the teaching practices nor the improvement of the students’ academic results.

Date of Award	2013
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Nuno Filipe Rosa Melão (Supervisor)