ERIC Number: EJ1019328
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Mar
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-189X
EISSN: N/A
Teacher Evaluation Policy and Conflicting Theories of Motivation
Firestone, William A.
Educational Researcher, v43 n2 p100-107 Mar 2014
Current interest in teacher evaluation focuses disproportionately on measurement issues and performance-based pay without an overarching theory of how evaluation works. To develop such a theory, I contrast two motivation theories often used to guide thinking about teacher evaluation. External motivation theory relies on economics and extrinsic incentives. Internal motivation uses psychology and intrinsic incentives. These theories and available evidence raise doubts about performance-based pay, but not the use of other extrinsic incentives. These theories also suggest that to maintain effective intrinsic incentives, policies to remove ineffective teachers should not reduce autonomy or trust among effective teachers and that evaluations should provide teachers with useful feedback and policy makers with information on the conditions that facilitate good teaching.
Descriptors: Teacher Evaluation, Educational Policy, Incentives, Professional Autonomy, Feedback (Response), Performance Based Assessment, Teacher Motivation, Teacher Effectiveness, Trust (Psychology), Theories, Policy Analysis, Psychology, Economic Factors, Elementary School Teachers, Secondary School Teachers
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: New Jersey; New York; Tennessee; Texas
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A