Teacher evaluation as a wicked policy problem

Abstract

While it is generally assumed that the aim of teacher evaluation is to formatively support teachers’ professional development, research finds that teacher evaluation practices are predominantly summative. This paper describes a Norwegian governmental policy experiment aiming to overcome this fallacy through a bargaining process, where experience-based knowledge was combined with research evidence. When preparing to introduce teacher evaluation, the Ministry of Education and Research commissioned a group of researchers and a group representing practitioners to identify teacher evaluation practices that are conducive for educational quality. Drawing on experiences from the policy experiment, the article discusses three approaches to teacher evaluation: the political, the administrative and the professional. The analysis indicates that successful implementation of interventions needs a new educational infrastructure and professional school leadership. One conclusion is that teacher evaluation cannot be successfully implemented through traditional linear approaches. A more productive approach is to treat it as a wicked problem.