DJE - 2023 2(1):23–36

Teacher’s Performance Appraisal Practice and Challenges in Government

Primary Schools of Dilla City Administration
Befkadu Legesse Abate ∗

PhD Candidate, Institute of Education and Behavioral Sciences, Dilla University.

Received: 30 December 2022 Accepted: 11 December 2023 Published: 30 December 2023

A R T I C L E I N F O. Abstract

Key words/phrases: The main purpose of this study was to assess the current practice and challenges
Performance appraisal, of teachers’ performance appraisal practices in government primary schools under
Performance appraisal practice
and challenges, Teacher the Dilla City administration. The research utilized a mixed-method concurrent
triangulation design approach. There were four complete primary schools in the city,
and two of them were included in the study. From these schools, 62 teachers, two
principals, one school supervisor, two department heads, two PTAs, and two students
were selected as a sample. Concerning the sample, teachers were selected using
proportional and systematic sampling techniques. Contrary to this, the purposive
sampling technique was used to select principals, department heads, and student
council; PTAs and one supervisor were also selected by the available sampling method.
Findings from both instruments were presented in an integrative way. The findings of
the study revealed that teacher performance appraisal has been a common practice,
often conducted twice a year, but with the principal as the dominant appraiser.
Concerning purpose, the current system of teachers’ performance appraisal has not
mainly served the developmental drives of PA. The criteria used to appraise teachers
were viewed by teachers as fine, but the participation level in the formulation process
was forced by the South American Nationalities Education Bureau. Concerning
common challenges in the TPA: poor feedback system, low teacher participation, post-
appraisal discussions, students’ bias, and sometimes using PA for revenge. The text
advocates for teacher involvement in formulating TPA criteria, involving stakeholders,
and adapting guidelines, while also recommending meticulous assessment of teacher
performance using interpersonal communication.

1 Introduction Performance appraisal is a part of the HR manage-

ment method that identifies, measures, and eval-
1.1 Background of the Study
uates staff performance and then discusses that
To achieve the objectives for which it was founded,
performance with the employee (Ozkeser, 2019).
an organization needs both human and non-human
This tells us that performance appraisal is a proper,
resources. The most valued and in-demand of
structured system of measuring and evaluating job-
these resources for the effective achievement of the
related behaviors and outcomes to get performance
intended goals is people. This is frequently the
reasons and the way to perform effectively in the
case since human resources offer the ability, skills,
future so that employees, organizations, and society
and efforts necessary to efficiently and effectively
are going to benefit.
employ all available resources (Zeng & Qi, 2021).
Any organization’s management and oversight of It is considered an instrument through which an
its overall activities, whether directly or indirectly, employee’s performance and capabilities can be
depends on its human resources.
©2023 Dilla University.
∗
Email: [email protected]
DOI: 10.20372/dje.v02i01.03

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Befkadu Legesse Dilla Journal of Education (2023), 2(1) 23–36

matched to the job requirements and career plan a negative attitude towards the entire system of
over time. A properly designed performance ap- performance ratings.
praisal system serves as a device for better commu-
nication and development of the employee as well Presently, government schools at all levels exe-
as for the attainment of organizational goals and cute performance appraisals, which are occasion-
objectives (Negash et al., 2021). General personnel ally done. However, it seems that performance
choices are made using a performance appraisal. It appraisal is given the proper attention by those
contributes to choices about promotions, transfers, schools and exercised periodically more as a usual
and terminations (Islami et al., 2018). It acts as practice than as a tool of motivation based on which
a tool for determining training and development various administrative and developmental decisions
requirements as well as a standard by which pro- are taken.
grams for selection and development are evaluated.
The major purpose of this study was to assess the
The objective of giving employees feedback on
practice and challenges of teachers’ performance in
how the organization perceives their performance
government primary schools in Dilla city adminis-
is likewise achieved via appraisal. Similar to other
tration. The study also aims to fill the existing gaps
social institutions, schools were created to support
and give possible recommendations for improving
the teaching and learning process. They are in-
the performance appraisal practices of the target
stitutionalized to alter and enhance kids’ conduct
schools. Therefore, at the end of this study, the
(Monari & Wanjau, 2022). A system of teacher
researcher planned to achieve the following specific
performance appraisal (TPA) properly designed
objectives:
and implemented is believed to have favorable re-
sults in the professional development of teachers. • Examine the existing performance appraisals
In school settings, according to Vansteenkiste et in those government primary schools.
al. (2020), teachers are the primary expensive
resources who need and deserve support and en- • Assess the awareness of teachers about the
couragement to extend their skills and the frontiers purpose of the current TPA.
of their knowledge. • Identify the challenges of teachers’ perfor-
mance appraisals in schools.
In Ethiopia, the present system of performance
appraisal of teachers is result-oriented performance
appraisal (ROPA) and outlines four performance 2 Research Method Approach
categories: poor, acceptable, very good, and excel-
lent. Mohammed (2020) based on teachers’ results For this study, a mixed method was employed. A
on key, major, and minor tasks. In the context mixed-methods procedure that combines data from
of Ethiopia, primary school teachers estimate that both quantitative and qualitative methods to provide
based on the results of the performance appraisal a better understanding of a research problem. It can
and length of teaching experience, teachers have be useful when unexpected results arise, deepen
the chance to grow into nine stages in the career understanding of quantitative findings, and help
ladder structure: beginner teacher, junior teacher, design and validate research instruments. Addition-
teacher, and senior teacher, associate teacher, lead ally, interviews and document analysis fall under
teacher, senior lead teacher-I, senior lead teacher-II, the qualitative approach (Creswell & Zhang, 2009).
and senior lead teacher-III (SREB, 2017). Mixed research methods are convenient for the
social and human sciences as distinct research is
Teacher performance appraisal in Ethiopia has lots used to collect extensive data and confirm findings
of problems. According to Shugate (2020), some from different data sources. In general, mixed-
of the problems with teaching performance eval- methods research represents research that involves
uations in secondary schools in Ethiopia include collecting, analyzing, and interpreting quantitative
inadequate evaluator skills, performance criteria and qualitative data in a single study or in a se-
that are unrelated to instructors’ professions, and ries of studies that investigate the same underlying
phenomenon.

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Befkadu Legesse Dilla Journal of Education (2023), 2(1) 23–36

Researchers may use various mixed-methods re- the total number of primary schools in the city. In
search designs depending on the study topic, avail- the two full-cycle primary schools, there were 73
able data, and available resources (Dawadi et al., teachers and 18 administrative bodies that could
2021). For this study, the researcher used conver- participate in the appraisal of the performance of
gent parallel triangulation mixed methods designs. teachers (six principals, four department head teach-
This design benefits the researcher, who converges ers, four PTA representatives, four representatives’
or merges quantitative and qualitative data to pro- student council, and one cluster supervisor).
vide a comprehensive analysis of the research prob-
lem (Creswell & Zhang, 2009). In this procedure, According to Dhivyadeepa (2015), in order to per-
the qualitative and quantitative strands are usually form a stratified random sample, the researcher has
weighted equally. to obtain a comprehensive list of the population
and clearly split each unit into one stratum. Thus,
Hence, the researcher used triangulation to validate the researcher took into consideration the number
quantitative data for this study. In this context, the of teachers, department heads, and student council
researcher collects both types of data at the same members while choosing a sample from a school
time. In short, interview qualitative items were for this study using stratified and simple random
adjusted and held at a time during the collection selection approaches.
period of the quantitative survey.
Concerning sample teachers, first, the researcher
This design directly compared and contrasted the determines the sample teachers via the Cochran
quantitative results with qualitative findings for sampling size determination table, and then they
corroboration and validation purposes. A qualita- are selected using proportionality and systematic
tive component promotes a better understanding of sampling techniques. Then, from each school, sam-
complex situations (often an understanding of the ple units were selected via a systematic sampling
phenomena from the participant’s point of view), technique. 50% of teachers from each school were
while a quantitative component allows researchers included in the study, which makes up a total of
the opportunity to answer questions that concern 62 teachers. This technique was used to include
relationships among the measured variables to ex- teachers from each school in proportion to their size
plain, predict, and control phenomena. to ensure representation in the population. After
the number of samples was determined, systematic
2.1 Population sampling techniques were used, and, thus, every
The target population of this research was all the 3rd teacher on the name list was selected using the
permanent teachers, principals, cluster supervisors, formula,
department heads, PTAs, and student councilors in K= N
n,
the entire four primary target schools in the Dilla
City administration. In Dilla city administration, Where "N " is the total number of teachers in the
there were four full-cycle primary schools. school and "n" is the sample required from that
population.
2.2 Sample Size and Sampling technique
Utilizing a formal tone, the selection of 62 teachers
Mulualem et al. (2022) define sampling as the pro- from the sample schools was accomplished through
cess of selecting a subset of the population to serve the application of the formula K = N n , where "n"
as a representative sample of the entire population signifies the necessary sample from the population
of objects, people, or animals. Additionally, it says and "N " denotes the entire teacher population in the
that a sample that contains the majority of the data respective schools. Moreover, two Parent-Teacher
necessary to achieve the research’s goal is one that Associations (PTAs) were selected via purposive
was correctly chosen. To make the sample area sampling, which entailed the active participation of
manageable and representative, the schools were two PTA members in the teacher appraisal process,
selected by a simple random sampling technique. while the remaining individuals did not actively
In this case, two primary schools are taken from

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Befkadu Legesse Dilla Journal of Education (2023), 2(1) 23–36

participate in PTA tasks. In essence, two depart- their roles. This study utilized semi-structured in-
ment heads with a year or more of experience and terviews to gain in-depth insights into the strategies
two student representatives from grade eight were and measures employed by each school to achieve
chosen through purposive sampling based on their their goals, particularly regarding teacher perfor-
maturity level and academic performance. Addi- mance appraisal practice, due to their flexibility in
tionally, two principals, one from each school, were question order.
selected to provide accurate data that would best
enable them to address the research questions. As The study analyzed sample schools’ performance
noted by Manna and Mete (2021), purposive sam- appraisal records for the 2021–2022 academic year,
pling allows researchers to choose a sample based portfolio documents, and appraisal criteria, as well
on their informed judgment and understanding of as portfolio documents demonstrating the link be-
the population. Furthermore, one supervisor was tween appraisal and the TPA process, criteria, prob-
selected using the available sampling method. lems, and interventions.

2.3 Data Collection Instruments 2.4 Procedures for Data Collection, Analysis,
and Interpretation
Considering the aforementioned fact, three types of
data collection instruments were used: primary data The initial step in data analysis was systematic data
sources, namely the questionnaire and the interview. collection, which entails gathering data sets that
Secondary data sources were relevant documents are examined for patterns and trends (Englander,
that the researcher used as additional evidence for 2012). This process involves utilizing a variety of
the study. Questionnaires were used to collect infor- data collection techniques, including surveys, fo-
mation from teachers, and interviews were used to cus groups, interviews, observations, experiments,
collect information from principals and supervisors, and secondary data analysis. These techniques are
student council members, department heads, and employed to gather data from a range of sources,
PTA members. The questionnaires were composed investigate it for trends and patterns, and interpret
of closed-ended items and contained demographic it to gain new insights. In this study, data was col-
variables about the respondents. lected through surveys, interviews, and document
analysis and examined to provide context for the
The closed-ended items were treated using a 5- information that had been gathered.
point Likert scale of strongly agree (SA), agree
(A), moderate (M), disagree (DA), and strongly 2.5 Method of Data Analysis
disagree (SD) with their respective values of 5, 4, 3,
2, and 1, respectively. The questionnaires contain The initial portion of the questionnaire, which per-
five different parts and 34 closed-ended questions. tained to biographical information, was analyzed
When responding due to language barriers, the and interpreted through the use of descriptive tech-
questionnaire distributed to teachers was translated niques, specifically percentages. Additionally, the
from English to Amharic. Most of the items were data collected via closed-ended questions was en-
adopted from previous related studies (Baye, 2021). coded and analyzed statistically using SPSS version
An equal number of the questions were restructured 23. To evaluate the differences between two in-
by the researcher himself. dependent groups of data collected from schools
A and B, an independent t-test was utilized. This
Interviews are a valuable tool for researchers, as statistical method is appropriate for comparing the
they facilitate the collection of diverse perspectives means of two sets of data (Duffy & Orlandi, 2008;
from participants and enable the gathering of de- Watson & Moritz, 1998). Thematic analysis and
tailed, first-hand information (Kelly et al., 2010). semi-structured interviews were employed to ob-
The study utilized interviews to gather valuable tain words, phrases, statements, and paragraphs to
information from selected informants, including narrate the qualitative data. The qualitative data
department heads, student council members, PTAs, were utilized as a complement to the quantitative
school principals, and cluster supervisors, based on data.

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3 Results and Discussion

3.1 Practice of Teachers’ Performance Appraisal
Accordingly, Tables One, Two, and Three, followed currence, and appraisers in a teacher’s performance
by a data description, present the practice that was appraisal in the targeted school.
measured in terms of accessibility, frequency of oc-
Table 1: Availability of Teachers’ Performance Appraisal

Is there formal appraisal process in your school? Total

Yes % No. % I have no idea % No. %
61 98.4 1 1.6 0 0 62 100

Participants were asked to rate the availability of practice in their schools. whereas the remaining
PA practice; accordingly, 61 (98.4%) of teacher one respondent in the table responded that there is
respondents confirmed that there was a formal PA no formal PA.
Table 2: Frequency of occurrence of Teachers’ Performance Appraisal

How often is performance appraisal conducted in your organization? Per year Total
Once % Two times % Three times % Four times and above % No. %
8 12.9 50 80.6 3 4.8 1 1.6 62 100

Concerning the frequency of occurrence displayed remaining 8, 3, and 1 teachers assured that they
in the above, 50 (80.6%) respondents confirmed were appraised once a year, three times a year, and
that performance appraisal activities were held in four times or more a year.
their school semiannually or twice a year. The
Table 3: About appraisers of Teachers’ Performance Appraisal

In your school, who are involved in the process of teachers’ performance appraisal?
Directors &/or % Department % Student % PTA % Supervisors % All %
Vice Directors heads
48 77.4 6 9.7 3 4.8 1 1.6 4 6.5 0 0

Regarding appraisers, a majority of the respondents and coach them on their limitations to help my
(48, 77.4%) claimed that directors or vice directors; school achieve its intended purpose." Likewise, in-
the rest (six, 1, 4, and 0 respondents) discovered terviewee TH asserted that "the purpose of PA in
that department heads, student council members, my school is to motivate best-performing teachers
members of PTA, cluster supervisors, and all were and punish unsuccessful teachers, provided that
involved in undertaking teachers’ PA, respectively. both accountability and motivational purposes are
materialized." Similarly, interviewees SUP and SC
In the same mood, interviewees asserted that there explain, "The results of our twice-a-year teacher
is a formal appraisal practice in their school to performance evaluation at our school will be used as
achieve different goals. Interviewee TR revealed a measure of progress and other benefits." This tells
that "performance appraisal in our school aims to the researcher that performance is being assessed
enhance better learning and achieve the school’s in the schools. The independent t − test results in
intended outcome." Similarly, interviewee WMH terms of availability of formal PA in each school,
explained that "the aim of PA in the school is to regarding the frequency of PA in the two schools,
identify the strengths and weaknesses of teachers

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Befkadu Legesse Dilla Journal of Education (2023), 2(1) 23–36

and concerning who is involved in the process of of the appraisal practice didn’t bring any statistically
teacher PA (D = 0.576 and p − value >0.05), (D = significant variation between schools, implying that
0.666 and p − value > 0.05), and (D = 0.355 and the accuracy of the performance appraisal practice
p − value >0.05) respectively, show that the mean was almost the same across schools.
Table 4: Independent samples t − test for carry out of performance appraisal

Sig. Sig. (2-tailed)

Is there a formal appraisal system in your school? .255 .576
.323
How often is performance appraisal conducted in your school? .829 .666
.685
Who are involved in the process of teachers’ performance appraisal? .019 .233
.355
Note: The Sig (2-tailed) is a two-tailed p-value used to evaluate the null hypothesis that the mean is not
equal to 50, and a value below the alpha level indicates statistically significant difference from zero.

3.2 Purpose of Teacher’s Performance Appraisal

The purpose of a teacher’s performance appraisal promotion, motivation, and scholarship. Likewise,
is to assess their effectiveness and provide feedback concerning improving classroom preparation, how-
on their teaching methods and strategies. ever, they clarified that it had made an insignificant
contribution. According to Interviewee SUP, "Cur-
Regarding the purpose of the performance appraisal, rently, teachers’ performance appraisal is used to
13 items of questions were arranged and dissemi- upgrade the teacher’s education status; otherwise,
nated to teacher respondents. Of these questions, the contribution of performance appraisal in re-
the first five focus on the purpose of PA being warding outstanding teachers in terms of finance,
to improve instruction; the second three items of certificates, and moral support is negligible."
questions focus on teachers’ professional develop-
ment; the third two items of questions weigh on In the same vein, interviewees WMH and TH make
aiding school administrators in making decisions; clear that the purpose of PA is right now for "paper
and the last three items of questions concentrate on value," implying that PA experience in the sample
motivating teachers to take more responsibility. schools rarely contributed to improving instruction,
enhancing teachers’ professional development, or
Therefore, evidence respondents stated that PA ex- making valid administrative and motivational deci-
perience in their respective schools was successful sions.
in improving instruction (mean = 4.51), enhancing
teachers’ professional development (mean = 4.57), Independent t-test results under the subject of im-
aiding school administrators in passing decisions proving instruction (D = 0.473 and p − value >
(mean = 4.17), and motivating teachers for more 0.05) indicate that there is no significant difference
responsibility (mean = 4.23). This shows that a between the two schools. However, on the topic of
significant number of participants had the view that identifying the strengths and weaknesses of teach-
their PA had met its intended purpose. ers (D = 0.038 and P − value 0.05), this shows
that there is a significant difference between the
The interviewees asserted that the purpose of PA two schools.
is theoretically to achieve different goals. Never-
theless, the data from Interviewee TR didn’t verify Regarding performance appraisal criteria Perfor-
the findings presented in the table above. They mance criteria are statements of standards used
brightly explained that the PA purpose in their re- for measuring job-related performance. For per-
spective schools is not meant to secure periodic formance to be effective, it should encourage the

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participation of employees in designing the organi- have to participate in all aspects of educational
zational goal up to its implementation. This is also development activities.
true in the education system, where all stakeholders
Table 5: Performance appraisal purpose

No Items related purpose of performance appraisal 1 2 3 4 5 Total Mean

1 To improve the teaching-learning process F - - 3 12 47 62 4.71
% 4.8 19.4 75.8 100
2 To identify the strengths and weaknesses of the teacher F -v 1 5 15 41 62 4.55
% - 1.6 8.1 24.2 66.1 100
3 To decide on teacher’s salary improvement F 4 1 11 11 35 62 4.16
% 6.5 1.6 17.7 17.7 56.5 100
4 To enhance students’ academic achievement F - 1 3 18 40 62 4.56
% - 1.6 4.8 29.0 64.5 100
5 To offer a high-quality education F - - 7 12 43 62 4.58
% - - 11.3 19.4 69.4 100
6 To identify training needs (training purpose) F - 5 4 10 43 62 4.47
% - 8.1 6.5 16.1 69.4 100
7 To link teachers needs with the organizational goal F 1 2 9 24 25 62 4.79
% 1.6 3.2 14.5 38.7 40.3 100
8 To help teachers develop professionally F - 1 8 15 38 62 4.45
% 1.6 12.9 24.2 61.3 100
9 To provide information on teachers’ promotion & transfer F 2 4 8 19 29 62 4.11
% 3.2 6.5 12.9 30.6 46.8 100
10 To control the overall performance of teachers F 1 2 9 20 30 62 4.23
% 1.6 3.2 14.5 32.3 48.4 100
11 To improve the motivation of teachers F - 2 6 17 37 62 4.44
% - 3.2 9.7 27.4 59.7 100
12 To provide feedback on teachers’ performance F 1 2 5 15 39 62 4.44
% 1.6 3.2 8.1 24.2 62.9 100
13 To serve as the basis for reward and punishment F 6 2 11 20 22 62 3.82
% 9.7 3.2 17.7 32.3 35.5 100
The values are; strongly disagree =1; disagree =2; Undecided =3; agree =4; strongly agree = 5

As illustrated from Table 6, items 1–5, in the teach- the mean values were less than the expected mean,
ers’ appraisal criteria, the group of respondents which was 2.44. This implies that the entire group
responded with their disagreement with the par- of respondents opposed the participation of teach-
ticipation of teachers in the formulation of TPA, ers in the formulation of the TPA. However, Q2, 3,
the clarity of the criteria objectives, the relevance 4, and 5, with respective mean values of 4.03, 4.29,
of the TPA criteria, the measurements of teachers’ 4.02, and 4.24, indicated that the group of respon-
professional competency, and the appraisal criteria dents agreed on the issues related to performance
that measure teachers’ motivation to work. Almost appraisal criteria.
all respondents showed their disagreement, and

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Table 6: Regarding Performance appraisal criteria

No Items related to criteria of performance appraisal 1 2 3 4 5 Total Mean

1 There is the participation of teachers in the formulation of criteria F 6 6 9 21 20 62 2.44
% 9.7 9.7 14.5 33.9 32.3 100
2 The criteria used are clear F 2 4 11 18 27 62 4.03
% 3.2 6.5 17.7 29 43.5 100
3 The criteria used are relevant to the purpose of PA F 2 2 6 18 34 62 4.29
% 3.2 3.2 9.7 29. 54.8 100
4 The appraisal criteria objectively measure teachers’ F 2 5 10 18 27 62 4.02
professional competence % 3.2 8.1 16.1 29 43.5 100
5 The appraisal criteria measure teachers’ motivation to work F 2 2 6 21 31 62 4.24
% 3.2 3.2 9.7 33.9 50 100
The values are; strongly disagree =1; disagree =2; Undecided =3; agree =4; strongly agree = 5

The interviewee believed that the criteria were the formulation of PA criteria. The independent t-
already developed by the Ministry of Education test result regarding performance appraisal criteria,
framework and adopted by the SNNPR education items of questions related to the participation of
bureau. Speak with SUP and TH. It is important to teachers in the formulation of criteria, the clarity of
note that teachers do not participate directly in the criteria used, the criteria relevant to the purpose of
preparation process; they know what is expected PA, the appraisal criteria measurement, and teach-
of them when they enter into a goal agreement ers’ professional competence, and the appraisal
with the principal before starting work. SC has no criteria measure teachers’ motivation to work.
information regarding a teacher’s participation in
Table 7: Independent samples T-Test for performance Appraisal criteria

Items Sig. Sig. (2-tailed)

There is a high participation of teachers in the formulation of criteria .101 .216
.276
The criteria used are clear .232 .135
.185
The criteria used are relevant to the purpose of TPA .471 .917
.926
The appraisal criteria objectively measure teachers’ professional competence .721 .949
.950
The appraisal criteria measure teachers’ motivation to work .504 .852
.867
Note: The Sig (2-tailed) is a two-tailed p-value used to evaluate the null hypothesis that the mean is not
equal to 50, and a value below the alpha level indicates a statistically significant difference from zero.

Regarding Performance appraisal problems/ teachers about performance appraisal; the bias of
challenges evaluators; the maturity level of evaluators; and
the criteria. In this regard, some (nine) of teachers’
Since teachers’ performance appraisal is a complex performance appraisal problems were listed, and
activity, schools have faced problems in practicing 62 of them were asked to rate those problems based
it. These problems may be related to the skill on the Likert rating scale: very highly serious (5),
and competence of evaluators; the operational pro- highly serious (4), moderately serious (3), mini-
cess of the appraisal scheme and the perception of

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mally serious (2), and very minimally serious (1). (very low), 1.5–2.49 (low), 2.5–3.49 (medium),
According to Asfaw (2021), the mean scores from 3.5–4.49 (high), and above 4.5 (very high).
the data analysis were interpreted as 0.05–1.49
Table 8: Regarding Performance appraisal problems/challenges

No Items related to problem and challenges of PA 1 2 3 4 5 Total Mean

1 Appraisers lack of the necessary knowledge & skill F 9 8 13 17 15 62 3.34
% 14.5 12.9 21 27.4 24.2 100
2 Appraisers lack of the necessary experience F 9 8 19 12 14 62 3.23
% 14.5 12.9 30.6 19.4 22.6 100
3 Poor administration of the overall process F 10 9 15 15 13 62 3.19
% 16.1 14.5 24.2 24.2 21 100
4 Shortage of pre-appraisal discussion F 9 10 11 13 18 62 3.5
% 14.5 16.1 17.7 21 29 100
5 Lack of post-appraisal discussion F 2 4 8 19 29 62 4.11
% 3.2 6.5 12.9 30.6 46.8 100
6 The presence of negative perception of teachers about PA F 6 7 12 19 18 62 3.58
% 9.7 11.3 19.4 30.6 29 100
7 The presence of inadequate and inappropriate appraisal criteria F 10 6 17 17 12 62 3.24
% 16.1 9.7 27.4 27.4 19.4 100
8 Bias of evaluators that can replace organizational standards by F 9 13 12 12 16 62 3.21
personal values in the evaluation process % 14.5 21 19.4 19.4 25.8 100
9 Students aren’t mature enough to properly evaluate their teachers F 8 7 9 15 23 62 3.61
% 12.9 11.3 14.5 24.2 37.1 100

In response to items 1–9, in the Performance Ap- appraisal of teachers’ performance. According to
praisal Problems/Challenges, the teacher respon- them, students ranked 1-3 mostly participated in
dents reply with the necessary knowledge and skills, teacher evaluations. Students do not have any train-
the necessary experience, administration of the ing in PA, and sometimes they use the appraisal
overall process, per-appraisal discussion, and post- as a revenge mechanism. Most students were not
appraisal discussion, the perception of teachers aware of the purpose of TPA, so they simply filled
about PA, inappropriate appraisal criteria, the bias out the form. Some students are regularly "biased
of evaluators, and maturity to properly evaluate in marking on matters unrelated to the performance
their teachers. Almost all respondents showed their of teachers."
agreement, and the mean values were greater than
the expected mean (3:00), which were 3.34, 3.23,
4 Discussion
3.19, 3.5, 4.11, 3.58, 3.24, 3.21, and 3.61.
4.1 Practice of Teachers’ Performance Ap-
On the other hand, the responses obtained from in- praisal
terviewees TR and WMH were forwarded with the
Regarding availability, in those sample schools,
following suggestions: "Due to the lack of knowl-
teachers’ performance is evaluated on a regular ba-
edge, skill, and experience of appraisers, they found
sis or by procedure, and the schools have a planned
that managing the appraisal process in their school
way of letting the teachers know where they stand
was one of the more difficult tasks." Interviewee
and how they are progressing. This means very
SUP also argued that "post-appraisal discussion
large numbers of teachers were assured of the exis-
is the most serious challenge in the teacher perfor-
tence of performance appraisal practices in primary
mance appraisal process." Interviewees TH and
schools in the mentioned city.
SC, on their part, forwarded the following as the
major constraints: "Mostly higher levels of aca- Regarding the frequency of the occurrence of per-
demic achievement" students are involved in the formance appraisals in the selected school, ques-

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tionnaires and interviewee respondents revealed from the work of Emile Durkheim and focuses
that there is teacher performance appraisal practice attention on feedback as a means of shaping behav-
that occurs twice a year. Teacher evaluation should ior (Glad & Ljung, 2018). The social cognitive
be conducted twice at the end of each semester theory was developed by Bandura. According to
(MOE, 1997). This is because not only are the Beauchamp et al. (2019), it is based on his central
rules established twice a year, but instructor perfor- concept of self-efficacy. This suggests that what
mance ratings are also calculated each semester as people believe they can or cannot do has a powerful
part of the student assessment process. In this sit- impact on their performance.
uation, teacher performance evaluation, formative
use of performance appraisal, or making the best Regarding the purpose of performance appraisal,
use of teacher evaluation data poses several issues the study results indicated that teachers are not com-
and is used to decide on career promotion, give out peting with each other based on their PA results for
performance advantages, or penalize instructors promotion or demotion. The investigation made
who don’t perform at the same level. it clear that the teachers’ outcomes were undesir-
able. However, the wrong attitude of carelessly
Regarding appraisers of TPA, the result shows that "using it" as if teachers must be promoted; there is
the majority of participants (48, or 77.4%) claimed also concrete quota promotion (professional train-
that the school principals are the main ones, and ing, upgrading) from teachers in the school. The
it seems like a solitary agent who evaluates their purpose of performance appraisal was misused or
performance through inbuilt or other parts of per- interpreted negatively in this case.
formance related to the school system. However,
appraisal of the performance of teachers requires In line with this, it is possible to explain why the
participation from different stakeholders (MOE, interviewees reflect the purpose of PA destructively.
2002). Nonetheless, this shows that either the The researcher suggested that the current system of
school leader is not willing to use other possibil- performance appraisal is conducted only for proce-
ities, such as self-appraisal, colleagues, etc., or dure purposes, and there is no way to accomplish its
may have other justifications. This issue needs purpose properly. When there is an opportunity for
further investigation. If employees are not allowed benefit, the quota and the type of subject will come
to evaluate themselves, they will become highly de- together, and the teacher who does not perform well
fensive during the appraisal review and may refuse will possibly benefit from the quota. In the same
to accept the evaluation result. It is also critical to way, promotion is associated with a pay raise, but
understand the weak points of your coworkers. all teachers benefit from promotion, even if they do
not perform well. This means that the purpose of
The independent t − test results in terms of the teacher evaluation has failed.
availability of formal PA in each school, regarding
the frequency of PA in the two schools, and who Independent t − test results under the subject of
is involved in the process of teaching PA (D = improving instruction (D = 0.473 and p − value >
0.576 and p-value >0.05), (D = 0.666 and p-value 0.05) indicate that there is no significant difference
>0.05), and (D = 0.355 and p-value >0.05), respec- between the two schools. However, on the topic of
tively, show that the mean of the appraisal practice identifying the strengths and weaknesses of teach-
didn’t bring any statistically significant variation ers (D = 0.038 and P − value 0.05), this shows
between schools, implying that the accuracy of that there is a significant difference between the
the performance appraisal practice was almost the two schools. Therefore, the aim of performance
same across schools. appraisal in school B is to help the appraisers iden-
tify the strengths and weaknesses of teachers and
support them based on evidence accordingly, but in
4.2 Performance appraisal purpose school A, the topic of identifying the strengths and
In goal theory, Locke and Latham (2019) highlight weaknesses of teachers is not reasoned. This indi-
mechanisms that connect goals to performance out- cates that in school B, there is formative assessment
comes. The other theory Control theory emanates practice, while in school A, there is no formative

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Befkadu Legesse Dilla Journal of Education (2023), 2(1) 23–36

assessment practice at all. Glad & Ljung (2018) document, the criteria for the evaluation of the per-
and Ozbay (2019), a control theory, focus attention formance of teachers transferred from the Ministry
on feedback as a means of shaping behavior. Thus of Education and the criteria prepared by the prin-
far, the rest of the questions Q 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, cipals of both sampled schools are the same. This
14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20 have independent does not make teachers see themselves as stake-
t − test results (D = 0.473, 0.724, 0.265, 0.584, holders who attempt to achieve the school’s goals
0.996, 0.772, 0.086, 0.846, 0.42, and 0.588, respec- and objectives rather than being directly involved
tively). This shows that with a P-value > 0.05, there in setting standards. As Sewagegn (2019) stated,
is no significant difference between the two schools when preparing the teacher’s performance appraisal
regarding the above points of the question of TPA. standard, if the teacher knows as much as possible
about the standard that is being evaluated, there
4.3 Performance appraisal criteria will be many benefits.

In this regard, respondents were asked to evalu- The independent t-test result regarding performance
ate the appraisal criteria that have been practiced appraisal criteria, items of questions related to the
in the sample school. The result shows that the participation of teachers in the formulation of crite-
mean values (2.44, 4.03, 4.29, 4.02, and 4.24) and ria, the clarity of criteria used, the criteria relevant
weighted mean (3.8) were above the ideal mean to the purpose of PA, the appraisal criteria measure-
(3). The mean value of the Q is 2.44. This implies ment and teachers’ professional competence, and
that the majority of respondents opposed the idea. the appraisal criteria measure teachers’ motivation
According to Nadot (2022), nevertheless, any small to work (p − value > 0.05) shows that the mean of
defect in the procedure may lead the practice to com- the appraisal exercise regarding the criteria didn’t
plete failure. However, in the teacher’s appraisal bring any statistically significant variation between
system, the group of respondents expresses their schools, implying that the accuracy of the perfor-
disagreement with the participation of teachers in mance appraisal criteria was almost the same in
the formulation of PA. two schools.

In line with this, the interview group made pub-

lic that there was no teachers’ participation in the 4.4 Performance appraisal problems and chal-
formulation of the TPA criteria. The interviewee lenges
believed that the criteria were already developed by In this regard, nine of the teachers’ performance ap-
the Ministry of Education Framework and adopted praisal problems were listed, and 62 teachers were
by the SNNPR Education Bureau. The interview asked to rate those problems based on the Likert
group made it clear that teachers do not partici- rating scale very highly serious (5), highly serious
pate directly in the preparation process; they know (4), moderately serious (3), minimally serious (2),
what is expected of them when they enter into a and very minimally serious (1). According to As-
goal agreement with the principal before starting faw (2021), the mean scores from the data analysis
work. It is also important to understand if there were interpreted as 0.05–1.49 (very low), 1.5–2.49
are any questions or concerns that you do not un- (low), 2.5–3.49 (medium), 3.5–4.49 (high), and
derstand. According to the results of the survey above 4.5 (very high).
and the interview, one of the reasons why teachers
do not participate directly in the preparation of the Therefore, the mean score of participants in the
assessment criteria is that the assessment criteria three items, Q.36, 38, 41, and 30, was related to
have already been developed by the Ministry of the maturity level of evaluators (3.61), the nega-
Education and sent to all regions. The second is tive perception of teachers towards performance
that when teachers agree on a goal with the princi- appraisal (3.58), the shortage of per-appraisal dis-
pal, they discuss the key, major, and minor tasks in cussion (3.5), and the shortage of post-appraisal
depth and ensure understanding. discussion (4.11).

According to the information obtained from the Participants were rated as having highly serious

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Befkadu Legesse Dilla Journal of Education (2023), 2(1) 23–36

problems, with a mean score ranging from 3.5 to satisfaction with the suitability of the standards.
4.49. While, again, looking at the mean score of However, they feel that other points that should be
the five items, Q33, 34, 35, 39, and 40, they related included have been left out because they were not
to poor administration (3.19); lack of skill and involved in developing the appraisal criteria. Here,
knowledge (3.34); experience with regards to PA the evaluation criteria come from the Ministry of
(3.23); adequate criteria (3.24); and evaluator bias Education, but they remain localized. Rather than
(3.21), which was rated as a moderately serious presenting another alternative, the principals copied
problem by participants with a mean score ranging the requirement from the guidelines and gave it to
from 2.5 to 3.49. us to implement, so this opens the door to influence
and can be a hindrance to achieving the school’s
On the other hand, the interview with them also goals.
disclosed that due to the lack of knowledge, skill,
and experience of appraisers, they found managing According to the findings, insufficient training for
the appraisal process in their school to be a difficult evaluators is a critical issue in addressing the chal-
task. They indicated that lack of necessary train- lenge and problem at hand. For example, the
ing of appraisers and low participation of teachers evaluators selected from among the students use
when teachers’ performance appraisal criteria were the appraisal of the teachers to take revenge on the
developed as the number one major problems of appraiser. Moreover, the lack of teacher participa-
TPA in their schools. For, students with mostly tion in the development of performance evaluation
higher levels of academic achievement are involved criteria for teachers is a significant area for improve-
in the appraisal of teachers’ performance (Almu- ment. The absence of post-evaluation discussions,
tairi & Shraid, 2021). Students do not have any teachers’ difficulty in identifying their weaknesses,
training concerning PA, and sometimes they use and their low regard for the importance of school
the appraisal as a revenge mechanism. improvement are additional factors that contribute
to the problem. Consequently, teachers may per-
As LEMJI (2019) also argued, post-appraisal dis- ceive evaluation results as lacking relevance to their
cussions between the assessed and the appraiser professional growth.
are a highly serious challenge in the teacher per-
formance appraisal process. The t − test analysis
for the data in both (school A and school B) gov- Recommendations
ernment primary schools indicates that there is no Drawing from the aforementioned conclusions, the
significant difference between the two schools. following recommendations are suggested: Schools
in the study area must implement formal teacher
5 Conclusions performance appraisal systems and practices, typi-
cally conducted on a biannual basis. However, it
Formal teachers’ performance appraisals are often is crucial to note that these practices often appear
conducted twice a year. The practice is measured in superficial and aim to fulfill bureaucratic require-
terms of accessibility and frequency of occurrence. ments rather than foster genuine improvement. A
Although the guidelines state that many stakehold- fundamental shift in perspective is therefore neces-
ers are involved, the principal is the one who has sary. To address this issue, school leaders ought to
the highest share. This is outside of the guidelines utilize teacher performance appraisals as a means of
and can lead to biased results. Every teacher gets driving strategic, developmental, and communica-
promoted when it comes to performance; every tive initiatives, with the ultimate goal of enhancing
teacher gets a pay raise and benefits. On the con- teacher academic and professional competencies
trary, teachers who do not show the proper quality as well as overall school performance.
and results in the work of the school may be pre-
vented from progressing under the excuse of quotas. Concerning the intended purpose of performance
Either way, the process is unfair. Teachers are not appraisal, the author of the study proposes the fol-
competing with each other and are promoted as lowing recommendations: school administrators
long as they meet the criteria. Teachers expressed should carefully consider the objective of teacher

34
Befkadu Legesse Dilla Journal of Education (2023), 2(1) 23–36

performance evaluations and carry them out ac- dis Ababa. Doctoral Dissertation, St. Mary’s
cording to relevant guidelines and objectives. Ad- University.
ditionally, it is suggested that each school establish
its own comprehensive teacher performance evalu- Baye, A. (2021). Teachers’ Performance Ap-
ation plan to optimize the system’s operation and praisal Practices in Government Schools of Ad-
implementation. This plan, along with the school’s dis Ababa.
strategic objectives, should be communicated to Beauchamp, M. R., Crawford, K. L., & Jackson,
all stakeholders and experts. Furthermore, it is B. (2019). Social cognitive theory and physi-
recommended that school principals design tai- cal activity: Mechanisms of behavior change,
lored training programs for teachers and implement critique, and legacy. Psychology of Sport and
a performance-based reward system to motivate Exercise, 42:110-117.
superior performers.
Chen, J., Cheng, H., Zhao, D., Zhou, F., & Chen,
The criteria for evaluating the performance of teach- Y. (2022). A Quantitative Study on the Impact
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Conflict of Interests tistical methods for comparing two data sets.
The authors declare that there is no conflict of The Applied Computational Electromagnetics
interest. Society Journal (ACES), 90-97.

Englander, M. (2012). The interview: Data col-

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