Appraisals can be an important part of meaningful professional development for teachers - but only if they are done well.
Too often, they become stale, box-ticking exercises that have little effect on teaching and learning. This is how it used to be at my school.
We had a simple process: teachers were given targets and evidence was collated on how they’d reached those targets.
But we weren’t seeing the effects in the classroom. So, we decided to transform our appraisal process, and replace it with an action-research model that would give teachers the time and support to innovate and take risks.
We wanted to create a culture in which teachers were encouraged to try new approaches and study their impact. We got rid of the targets and folders of evidence in favour of turning our teachers into researchers as a way to refine their practice in an evidence-based manner.
So, how did it work?
Step one: Help teachers decide on a research question
We didn’t expect our teachers to come to us with a long list of research questions that they were eager to investigate straight away. Therefore, the first step was to transform our staffroom into a reference library filled with interesting literature to spark their interest. We also hosted staff meetings that facilitated in-depth discussions of current trends in education research.
All teachers then attended an appraisal meeting, in which they were expected to present an area of practice that they had an interest in researching. Precise research questions were formulated alongside a detailed action plan for the year.
Each project was expected to be grounded in current research, requiring some initial background reading. Importantly, the research proposal had to be realistic in scope, measurable and potentially up-scalable if proven to have an impact.
The range of research questions this year reflected the variety of interests and skills that we have among our staff. There were projects investigating everything from vocabulary acquisition to strategies to engage boys in the writing process; from the impact of explicit oracy lessons on reading outcomes to the use of gamification in PE, and so much more.
More teaching and learning:
Step two: Provide support from SLT
We knew that moving away from a traditional approach to appraisal required a shift in culture, and teachers were expected to take a more active role in their own professional development.
We also had to ground the process in a level of genuine trust to make sure staff would engage with it.
To secure this buy-in from teachers, they were supported throughout their projects by a member of the senior leadership team with whom they could discuss ideas and seek advice if unforeseen problems arose. We also made sure that we set aside time in staff meetings for this each term so that the process didn’t simply add another demand to already busy timetables.
Step three: Facilitate data collection
Much of the initial baseline data collection was under way by the end of the autumn term, with most teachers focusing on specific groups within their classes. A range of qualitative and quantitative data collection techniques were used, including teacher observations, pupil voice and academic progress measures.
Discussions around research became commonplace in the staffroom and the corridors, with increasing layers of collaboration between teaching staff, leaning into one another’s prior knowledge and expertise to enrich their projects.
Step four: The analysis
Once a baseline had been established, teachers then put into practice the new technique or strategy that they wanted to measure. We encouraged them as much as possible to do this within their class and as part of the normal school day.
Towards the end of the year, a second data collection took place, leading to a comparative analysis to measure impact. At this point, a further staff meeting was set aside for our teachers to work in groups of three to peer review each other’s research and support it with data analysis.
Teachers were then set the task of writing conclusions and recommendations based on their research ahead of our end-of-year celebration event.
Step five: The implications for the classroom
On the final day of term, each teacher stood up and delivered a presentation outlining the research process and key findings to their colleagues.
The success of our new approach to appraisal can be seen clearly this academic year, with teachers adopting new strategies and approaches based on their colleagues’ research findings. Innovative approaches supported by data are helping to improve teaching and learning across our school.
Our appraisal meetings for the coming year are under way at the moment, with each teacher being appraised on the design and execution of their research project.
With a year of experience under their belts, the community of researchers in our staffroom is now designing new projects with an added confidence and purpose, as we look forward to another year of innovation.
Nicky Pear is deputy headteacher at Cubitt Town Primary School in Tower Hamlets, East London
