Classroom evaluation - values, interests and teacher development

This paper describes the processes of curriculum and teacher development that follow an evaluation of a British University English for Academic Purposes programme. The evaluation is carried out by the teacher using a group discussion technique, as recommended by departmental policy for quality assurance purposes. It generates data that contribute to a constructive discussion in the classroom and, in the subsequent weeks, a process of rethinking core principles and teaching strategies by the teacher. The research data - ethnographic fieldnotes from the classroom and interviews with the teacher and students - document these change processes in relation to the teaching of vocabulary in the classroom. The analysis shows that evaluation is both a complex political process in the classroom and a context for teacher change and development. Thus, this micro-study of a teaching strategy within a programme underpins empirically a claim often made for evaluation and teacher development. It also suggests that such development is deeply embedded in teaching processes, and may not be evident in the reporting of evaluations for quality management purposes.