Teachers’ and Evaluators’ Perceptions of Teacher Effectiveness after the Implementation of the Danielson Framework for Teaching

Abstract

The challenge of accuracy faces those who are responsible for evaluating classroom teachers. One way to accurately evaluate teachers and enhance a school’s culture is to use a clearly defined and structured evaluative framework. However, evaluative frameworks do not eliminate discrepancies between the perceptions of teachers and those of evaluators regarding the characteristics of an effective teacher. The purpose of this study is to address the teacher evaluation inconsistency by examining teachers’ and evaluators’ perceptions of the criteria for teacher effectiveness through a case study conducted at a local Lebanese school that implements the Danielson Framework for Teaching. The study follows a mixed methods approach that combines both quantitative and qualitative approaches using a questionnaire and focus group interviews conducted on two groups (a group of teachers and a group of evaluators).The purposive sample consisted of twelve teachers and twelve evaluators who completed the questionnaire. Six of the participants for each group participated in two focus group interviews through the Zoom application. Data from the questionnaire was presented as descriptive frequency counts and percentages. An inductive data analysis was implemented for the interviews. Findings of the study revealed that both teachers and evaluators had similar perceptions of effectiveness. This study is among the first to examine differences in perceptions of teachers and those of evaluators after the implementation of the Danielson Framework for Teaching in Lebanon. It invites further research on evaluative frameworks in Lebanese settings and provides implications for practice and recommendations for school leaders in Lebanon on effective and accurate teacher evaluation.