There are growing concerns about quality of education in schools in many countries, and education systems implement mechanisms like school inspection, an external education quality assurance measure, to evaluate their education. Realising that effective improvement of education quality may be achieved from within rather than from outside, many education systems are adopting School Self-Evaluation (SSE), an internal evaluation process, to evaluate quality of education. This study attempted to identify the characteristics of effective SSE frameworks in order to develop one for Zimbabwean primary schools. The study utilised exemplary frameworks as facilitators for introducing SSE practices in Zimbabwe and was guided by the following question: What are the characteristics of an effective SSE framework for improving classroom quality in Zimbabwean primary schools? The study espoused design research approach which aims to provide solutions to various education problems. The study comprised three phases, the preliminary phase which included a literature review and a needs analysis with the former aimed to gain insight into the efficacy of SSE in evaluating quality of education. The needs analysis sought to establish how education is evaluated in Zimbabwean primary schools. The second, the prototyping phase, involved developing and formatively evaluating various prototypes. The last phase, a semi-summative evaluation, involved field-testing and appraisal of the intervention. Interviews and questionnaires were used to collect data. Six design principles were generated with the main ones being to engage stakeholders in developing SSE frameworks, to agree on the need for SSE initiative and to define the quality indicators in context. The main characteristics of the SSE framework were that it should have a clear purpose, be context specific, and should focus on what is essential for education. The main conclusion of the study is that there are no clear policy guidelines for Zimbabwean primary schools, coupled with lack of SSE instruments, to engage in self-evaluation of quality of education and therefore, no meaningful SSE takes place. An SSE framework with procedural guidelines developed in this research appears to be relevant, feasible and is expected to be effective for use in Zimbabwean primary schools. Some recommendations were made in order to improve Zimbabwe‟s quality of education. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Centre for Evaluation and Assessment (CEA) / University of Pretoria / Science, Mathematics and Technology Education / PhD / Unrestricted

Η παρούσα μελέτη επιχείρησε μια ανίχνευση της αλλαγής του τρόπου αξιολόγησης του εκπαιδευτικού έργου με την εισαγωγή της διαδικασίας της αυτοαξιολόγησης της σχολικής μονάδας και ειδικότερα στη βαθμίδα της πρωτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης. Επιπλέον, η μελέτη βασίστηκε στη θεωρητική προσέγγιση του B.Bernstein και η υλοποίησή της βασίστηκε σε ανάλυση περιεχομένου και διεξαγωγή συνεντεύξεων. Βασικά ευρήματα της μελέτης αποτελούν: α) Το βασικό πλαίσιο της διαδικασίας της αυτοαξιολόγησης της σχολικής μονάδας στη βαθμίδα της πρωτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης δεν αποτελεί αλλαγή σε σχέση με το προϋπάρχον πλαίσιο αξιολόγησης του εκπαιδευτικού έργου στην Ελλάδα β) Οι εκπαιδευτικοί της βαθμίδας της πρωτοβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης οι οποίοι κλήθηκαν να υλοποιήσουν το πλαίσιο αυτό θεωρούν ότι συνιστά αλλαγή σε σχέση με το προϋπάρχον πλαίσιο αξιολόγησης του εκπαιδευτικού έργου στην Ελλάδα. / The present study attempted a detection of change in the way of evaluation of educational work with the import of process of school self-evaluation in primary education. Moreover, the study was based on the theoretical approach of B.Bernstein and its implementation was based on content analysis and interviews. Basic discoveries of study constitute: a) the basic frame of process of school self-evaluation in primary education does not recommend α change related to the preexisting frame of evaluation of educational work in Greece b) the teachers of primary education which were called to materialise this frame they consider that does recommend a change related to the preexisting frame of evaluation of educational work in Greece.

ABSTRACT Starting in September 1997, the Hong Kong Education Commission has adopted School Self-Evaluation as part of the framework of Quality Assurance Mechanism for promoting quality education culture in schools. Under a project initiated by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, some primary and secondary schools started to implement school self-evaluation in their school. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of this self-evaluation framework based on principals’ and teachers’ perception of these participating schools. The relationships among school self-evaluation, school cultural changes, teacher co-operative learning culture and principal leadership are also explored. Furthermore, this study examines whether other factors, such as school type, teacher gender, teacher ranking position, teachers’ year-of-teaching-career and Chinese cultural values, will affect the implementation of self-evaluation in schools. A mixed approach of methodology was adopted for this research work. The findings indicated that school self-evaluation can initiate teacher co-operative learning culture, which in turn effects cultural changes in these schools. Also, the above named components play specific roles in the school self-evaluation implementation – school cultural change process: teacher co-operative learning culture acts as mediator, school self-evaluation as moderator and principal leadership as change facilitator.

ABSTRACT Starting in September 1997, the Hong Kong Education Commission has adopted School Self-Evaluation as part of the framework of Quality Assurance Mechanism for promoting quality education culture in schools. Under a project initiated by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, some primary and secondary schools started to implement school self-evaluation in their school. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of this self-evaluation framework based on principals’ and teachers’ perception of these participating schools. The relationships among school self-evaluation, school cultural changes, teacher co-operative learning culture and principal leadership are also explored. Furthermore, this study examines whether other factors, such as school type, teacher gender, teacher ranking position, teachers’ year-of-teaching-career and Chinese cultural values, will affect the implementation of self-evaluation in schools. A mixed approach of methodology was adopted for this research work. The findings indicated that school self-evaluation can initiate teacher co-operative learning culture, which in turn effects cultural changes in these schools. Also, the above named components play specific roles in the school self-evaluation implementation – school cultural change process: teacher co-operative learning culture acts as mediator, school self-evaluation as moderator and principal leadership as change facilitator.