Quality assurance in teacher education through insider evalutation and stakeholder involvement: A case for programme renewal

Abstract

This paper presents a description of a teacher education programme evaluation that was initiated, planned, and executed in an attempt to enhance the quality of the programme's content, delivery, and impact. The evaluation was conducted within the framework of academic research, and comprised reports on the perspectives of major stakeholders' (principals, heads of departments, deans, and teachers) on whether the Diploma in Education (Dip.Ed.) programme (2004-2009) had met their expectations; and on the benefits and limitations of the programme and the impact of the programme on teachers' practice. In addition to those stakeholders, data were collected from officials of the Ministry of Education, who are categorized as the client of the School of Education, who is the provider. Subsequent to the preliminary enquiry into those stakeholder perspectives, a more probing approach was applied to the perspectives of heads of departments, SOE staff, and Ministry officials. The final phase of the evaluation involved observation of teachers' classroom teaching and interviews with the top and middle management of those schools. The evaluation was guided by Guskey's (2002) theoretical and conceptual model of evaluating the impact of CPD on teachers' practice, and by the fourth generation evaluation model of Guba and Lincoln (1989). The sample for each phase was either stratified random or purposive. This research is significant in that it focuses on the role of the stakeholder in determining effective practice in teacher education. It also highlights the process of rigorous programme evaluation and renewal through staff engagement.