School principals’ perceptions and requirements of school evaluators
| Pages | 489-501 |
| Published date | 08 October 2018 |
| Date | 08 October 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-01-2018-0006 |
| Author | Yael Cohen-Azaria,Sara Zamir |
School principals’perceptions and
requirements of school evaluators
Yael Cohen-Azaria
Ashkelon Academic College, Ashkelon, Israel, and
Sara Zamir
Department of Education, Achva Academic College, Shikmim,
Israel and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev - Eilat Campus, Eilat, Israel
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of school principals of the evaluator’s
role and to learn abouttheir requirements of school evaluators.
Design/methodology/approach –The current study is based on the qualitative paradigm of data
collection andanalysis. This paradigm provides a profound a description of the phenomenonin the context in
which it takes place, based on the respondents’perceptionsand how they interpret their experiences. In the
course of the study,the authors used semi-structured in-depth interviews.
Findings –Findingsindicated that principals had regarded the roleof the school evaluator mainly as that of
an expert, a managerialpartner and an implementer of school evaluationculture.
Research limitations/implications –The interviewerswere the teachers who had been trained for the
school evaluator’sposition.
Practical implications –The “school evaluator”and the principalsbear the complex task of evaluation
on their shoulders, and their success in fulfilling it depends on their insights about how to delineate and
implement the evaluator’s role. The paperoutlines some crucial benchmarks for resolving the issue of role
definitionsbetween them.
Social implications –As a relatively new profession, derivedfrom other professions and research areas,
evaluation has no solid, historical occupational legacy in schools. This paper broadens the merit of school
evaluatoras the facilitator of quality assurance.
Originality/value –The increased responsibilityplaced on schools, the demand of accountability as well
as transparency,have obliged the schools to broaden and deepen the internalevaluation activities. This paper
revealsthe essence of school evaluator’s role and suggestssome key points for his/her valuable work.
Keywords Schools, Educational administration, Assessment, Management education
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In the past two decades, the Israeli education system has become more and more aware of
the need to train expert educational evaluators with broad theoretical and professional
knowledge, who can function as internal school evaluation experts. The increased
responsibility placed on schools, a product of the autonomy granted to the Education
Ministry districts and schools, and the demand for accountability as well as transparency,
have obliged them to broaden and deepen the internal evaluation activities (Levin-Rosalis
and Lapidot, 2010;Kliger,2009).
The State of Israel was stunned when the exam results of the PISA international 2000
were published. In the reading discipline, Israel was positioned in the 30st place out of 41
countries; In literacy, math and science, Israel was positioned in the 31st place. Like many
Requirements
of school
evaluators
489
Received15 January 2018
Revised15 May 2018
Accepted25 June 2018
QualityAssurance in Education
Vol.26 No. 4, 2018
pp. 489-501
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0968-4883
DOI 10.1108/QAE-01-2018-0006
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