Lianne Dominguez, Secondary School Principal & College Counseling Director considers what empowers educators and thus improves their performance and overall sense of well-being.
Trends & Themes
- Teacher evaluation should be focused on improvement, transcending the role of performance assessment to develop open conversation and reflective practices.
- The impact of transformational leadership on teacher commitment: It ignites motivation and deep commitment, nurturing a sense of purpose within educators
- Autonomy is more than professional privilege; it's intertwined with a teacher's self-identity
Practical Applications
- Teacher evaluations should emphasise collaboration, improvement roadmaps, and fostering a culture of continuous learning to transcend the role of performance assessment.
- Create spaces where shared values thrive, communication flourishes, and empowerment becomes a priority.
- Schools must empower educators as curriculum architects, weaving their voices into the educational fabric. Creativity must be celebrated by schools.
What does the research tell us?
In the world of education, where the shaping of young minds is a shared mission, teacher well-being and professional identity plays a central role. Through the lens of various studies, a story unfolds, illuminating a path towards empowering educators and cultivating an environment that fosters growth and satisfaction.
Embedded within these studies is the transformative potential of teacher evaluation. Janet Looney's "Developing High-Quality Teachers: teacher evaluation for improvement" sheds light on how evaluation transcends the role of performance assessment. Instead, it evolves into a tool for growth, where constructive feedback illuminates the path toward enhancing well-being and establishing a clearer professional identity. This transformation calls for dialogues between teachers and evaluators that draw upon relevant professional standards. Emphasizing collaboration, improvement roadmaps, and fostering a culture of continuous learning, these dialogues become a pivotal aspect of practical implementation.
Complementing this, Lance D. Nielsen's exploration in "Teacher Evaluation: Archiving Teaching Effectiveness" introduces a comprehensive evaluation framework. This framework is not confined to quantitative metrics; it embraces qualitative insights that encourage reflective practices among educators. In effect, it aligns with teachers' evolving self-perception, thus enriching their professional identity through a process of ongoing refinement. As such, both studies underline the power of evaluation as a mechanism for growth, well-being, and the cultivation of a robust professional identity.
'...urging school leaders to create spaces where shared values thrive, communication flourishes, and empowerment becomes a priority.'
Yet, the transformation of education extends beyond evaluation. The concept of transformational leadership, discussed by Xavier Dumay and Benoît Galand in "The multilevel impact of transformational leadership on teacher commitment: cognitive and motivational pathways," emerges as a guiding principle. It ignites motivation and deep commitment, nurturing a sense of purpose within educators. This finds resonance in real-world application, urging school leaders to create spaces where shared values thrive, communication flourishes, and empowerment becomes a priority.
Another important thread is autonomy, as illustrated in L. Carolyn Pearson and William Moomaw's study "Continuing Validation of the Teaching Autonomy Scale." Autonomy isn't just a professional privilege; it's intertwined with a teacher's self-identity. Practical application calls for schools to empower educators as curriculum architects, weaving their voices into the educational fabric. This connection between autonomy, job satisfaction, and a vibrant professional identity is tangible in classrooms where creativity is celebrated.
However, the journey isn't solely about individual growth. The interplay of self-efficacy, job satisfaction, motivation, and commitment, as explored in "Self-efficacy, job satisfaction, motivation and commitment: exploring the relationships between indicators of teachers' professional identity" by Esther T. Canrinus and colleagues, forms the foundation. Schools play a pivotal role by offering tailored professional development that amplifies belief in oneself, ignites motivation, and fosters a confident professional identity.
An unexpected note arises from "High-quality relationships, psychological safety, and learning from failures in work organizations" by Abraham Carmeli and Jody Hoffer Gittel. While not inherently tied to education, the principle of psychological safety finds relevance. Fostering an environment where innovation is celebrated and mistakes are viewed as stepping stones cultivates well-being, deepens professional identity, and encourages growth.
Collectively, these studies form a unified narrative. Within this narrative, the intricate connection between teachers' well-being and their professional identity becomes evident. This connection thrives through the development of a supportive environment, the cultivation of inspiring leadership, and the fostering of autonomy. Each of these factors contribute to the overarching process of growth within the educational sphere. Through this collective effort, the landscape of education evolves into a harmonious space where empowered educators and enriched learning experiences converge, becoming the defining elements of this journey.
References
Elevating Education: Nurturing Teacher Well-being and Identity for Enriched Learning.
- Looney, J. (2011). Developing High-Quality Teachers: Teacher Evaluation for Improvement. European Journal of Education, 46(4), 440-455. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41343393
- Dumay, X., & Galand, B. (2012). The multilevel impact of transformational leadership on teacher commitment: Cognitive and motivational pathways. British Educational Research Journal, 38(5), 703-729. https://www.jstor.org/stable/23263775
- Pearson, L. C., & Moomaw, W. (2006). Continuing validation of the Teaching Autonomy Scale. The Journal of Educational Research, 100(1), 44-51. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27548158
- Nielsen, L. D. (2014). Teacher Evaluation: Archiving Teaching Effectiveness. Music Educators Journal, 101(1), 63-69. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43289093
- Canrinus, E. T., Helms-Lorenz, M., Beijaard, D., Buitink, J., & Hofman, A. (2012). Self-efficacy, job satisfaction, motivation and commitment: Exploring the relationships between indicators of teachers' professional identity. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 27(1), 115-132. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43551089
- Carmeli, A., & Gittell, J. H. (2009). High-quality relationships, psychological safety, and learning from failures in work organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 30(6), 709-729. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41683863
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