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The purpose of the study was to determine if teacher appraisal instruments used in Indiana public schools contained teacher performance criteria identified by teaching effectiveness researchers. Student scores from the 1986 Indiana Basic Competency Skills Test were examined to determine the relationship to the use of teaching effectiveness criteria on teacher evaluation instruments, per pupil expenditure, and other selected variables.A questionnaire was mailed to each Indiana public school superintendent along with a request to return the teacher evaluation instrument currently being used. Each evaluation instrument was judged to determine the percent of teacher evaluation criteria matching the twenty effective teaching criteria identified by Manatt and Stow. Data obtained from the questionnaire and teacher evaluation instruments were analyzed using frequency tabulations, percentages, and statistical treatment. The Spearman Rank Order of Correlation and the Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance were used to determine significance between student test scores, effective teaching criteria and selected variables. P=<.05 was used as the statistical measure to determine the level of statistical significance.Among others, the following conclusions were drawn:1. There is no significant difference between student achievement scores on the Indiana Basic Competency Skills Test and school corporations having a higher or lower percentage of research-based criteria on teacher evaluation instruments, except in 6th grade Math.2. There is no significant difference between student achievement scores and school corporations spending more or fewer dollars per pupil.3. Students from school corporations with larger student enrollments score significantly lower on the Indiana Basic Competency Skills Test. / Department of Educational Administration and Supervision

Dozens of studies throughout a wide range of professions and settings have demonstrated significant correlations between emotional intelligence and high levels of perfonnance, productivity, team effectiveness, lower levels of job stress and other positive organizational outcomes. There is little research on the emotional intelligence of nurses and none in the United States on the measured EI of clinical staff nurses.This descriptive, explorative and quantitative study was undertaken to analyze the emotional intelligence of clinical staff nurses. Clinical staff nurses from three urban hospitals on Oahu, Hawaii, participated in the study. An emotional intelligence instrument was used that was based on the ability model of emotional intelligence (MSCEIT v2). Findings from this study support the conclusion of previous studies in non­ nursing literature that perfonnance level correlates positively with emotional intelligence scores. Nurses in this study demonstrated greater ability in emotional intelligence skills related to strategizing with emotions than the skills related to experiencing them. The highest branch scores were related to the skills of managing emotions and the lowest the skills of perceiving emotions. The findings of this study suggest that inclusion of emotional intelligence skills in nursing curricula, both in the academic and clinical practice settings, may be important to retaining and supporting a resilient and thriving nursing workforce in the future.

Konstanz, Univ., Diss., 2009.

M.Com. (Industrial Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

This study had as a major objective the development and validation of a new behaviour-oriented appraisal instrument with increased information content and improved rating characteristics as compared to Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales. The study was conducted in a sequential manner, beginning with a review of the literature on the problems of performance appraisal and training evaluation and the nature and characteristics of different performance evaluation methods, followed by several developmental phases relating to the development of critical incidents and the creation of the instruments. The research concluded with field studies for the purpose of establishing the construct validity of the instruments and determining their rating characteristics when applied in an organizational environment. The literature reviews revealed two major issues in the areas of performance appraisal and training evaluation: criterion and methodology. The methodology problem is open to much controversy, but on the criterion issue the tendency is to favour multiple and behaviour-oriented criteria. After determining a focal job for which an appraisal instrument had to be developed, workshops with five supporting organizations were organized. Each workshop was attended by five job incumbents, five superiors and five subordinates. The purpose of these meetings was to develop critical incidents, or samples of effective or ineffective job behaviour as observed by peers, superiors and subordinates, thus including every aspect of the job. The collected items were edited to conform to proper English and to avoid redundancies. The items were then listed in random order and submitted to judges (expert job incumbents) who made decisions on the validity of the items and the job dimension or category to which each item belonged. Only items on which 80% of the judges agreed were retained. Since the remaining item pool was still too large to be submitted to an inter-organizational body of judges, a panel of experts made up of training managers of the participating organizations selected 159 items according to agreed-upon criteria (lowest standard deviation and 100% agreement among judges) to ensure that only the best items were chosen. A list of these items was submitted to 200 judges of each participating organization. The judges were asked to decide whether each item was a valid sample of a job incumbent's job behaviour, and to rate it on a 1 to 7 scale as to the degree of effectiveness of the job behaviour it described. Items were retained when 80% of all judges and 60% of the judges of individual organizations agreed on their validity and their standard deviation did not exceed 1.5. One hundred and twenty items (or 75%) were retained. Two types of instruments were developed from the item pool, a seven-point behaviourally anchored rating scale (BARS), and a twenty-item behaviour description index with Yes/No/Uncertain responses (BDI). A third instrument, a seven-point graphic rating scale (GRS) was based on the official performance appraisal forms of the participating organizations. To assess the validity of the respective instruments, two field studies were undertaken. Two groups of superiors (N₁ =31,N₂ = 42) rated their subordinates using all three instruments. The construct validity of the instruments was assessed through the Campbel1-Fiske [1959] multi-trait-multi-method matrix, an analysis of variance, and correlations with (relatively) independent performance criteria. All instruments showed significant convergent validity but only BARS and BDI demonstrated significant discriminant validity. Correlations with the independent criteria of performance were highest for the BDI. A second goal of the field studies was to compare the three instruments on psychometric characteristics such as halo, leniency, central tendency, reliability, information content, and rater preference. The results indicate that in most comparisions the BDI demonstrated superiority. However, it has not been validated as yet for use in industry. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / The motivation for this research-project is to find criteria to identify a good teacher. The education-profession can not afford to train teachers if they are not completely dedicated. Such criteria can also be used for the appointment and/or promotion of efficient teachers. Therefore the purpose of this research is to find a set of criteria founded on theory and an empirical study which may be used to identify an efficient teacher. The focus must be on those factors which make a teacher efficient and effective. In this research a questionnaire was used, using post-graduate education students at the Randse Afrikaanse University. No differences in emphasis were found between the different groups, therefore the findings of the group as a whole were accepted. Emphasis was placed on the following: a teacher must have respect for pupils' uniqueness and that children must also be accepted as valuable. Such teachers must have a love for children; and have a positive attitude towards and respect for the teaching-profession. Educational implications of this study is founded in the fact that a good teacher is a teacher that is n master in his subject and thoroughly prepare his lecturers and also prepare the children for adulthood.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions held by building administrators and teachers of the evaluation system being used in the Vancouver (Wash.) School District. Through the administration of separate questionnaires for building administrators and teachers, research was conducted to determine if significant differences existed among groups of teachers, among groups of building-level administrators, and among building-level administrators and teachers. The population of the study consisted of 235 randomly selected teachers from kindergarten through high school and 29 building-level administrators. Two different questionnaires were administered, one to teachers and one to building administrators, to determine the sample's perceptions of the current evaluation system being used in the Vancouver School District. Results of the questionnaires were examined based upon the categories of evaluator quality: comfort with evaluator; frequency of classroom visitations; evaluation procedural points; and utilization of evaluation results. Data within the building administrator group were examined through Chi Square, as also were comparative data between the building administrator and teacher groups. Data within the teacher group were examined both through Chi Square and through MANOVA and ANOVA statistical analysis. The results of the study indicated that teacher grade level may have a significant impact upon a teacher's perception of the evaluation process, but gender, age and teaching experience may not significantly impact teacher perceptions. The data further showed that grade level may not be significant in building administrator perceptions. In regards to comparing teacher and building administrator perceptions, it was found that these two groups may have different perceptions of a teacher evaluation system and process. Recommendations for improvements in the evaluation system for the school district are included. These same recommendations may also be appropriate for other school districts as well. Other districts are encouraged to review their evaluation process in a similar manner to determine its perceived effectiveness by the practitioners that use it.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of elementary teachers and principals of the evaluation system used in two suburban school districts near Portland. Oregon. The two districts involved in the study used the ITIP model for instruction and teacher evaluation over a period of several years. The Teacher Evaluation Profile (TEP) developed by the Northwest Regional Education Laboratory was the instrument used in the study of teachers. A modified version of the TEP was used with elementary principals. The population of the study consisted of 233 elementary teachers from grades K-6 and 14 elementary principals. The study examined their perceptions of the teacher characteristics, evaluator characteristics, evaluation procedures, the feedback, the evaluation context, and experience with Madeline Hunter's Instructional Theory into Practice. In addition to examining the general perceptions of teachers and the principals, the study also investigated four research questions: (I) Is the value that teachers place on teacher evaluation related to the characteristics of the evaluation? (2) Does the amount of training that teachers receive in ITIP affect the value they place on teacher evaluation? (3) Do probationary and tenured teachers have different perceptions about the nature and value of teacher evaluation? (4) Do principals and teachers have different perceptions about the nature and value of teacher evaluation? The results of the questionnaires were examined using ANOVA and correlational techniques. In addition, alpha coefficients were computed to estimate the internal reliability of the instruments. The findings suggest that teachers and principals had positive perceptions of the quality, impact, and value of the evaluation process. Teachers perceived a positive working relationship with their principals in the evaluation process, and they rated the principals high on their evaluation skills. Teachers reported that feedback from principals was specific and that feedback was generally helpful. Teachers and principals agreed that there was value in sharing a common terminology (from lTIP) for discussions in the evaluation conference.

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