Teachers’ Perceptions of Teacher Evaluation, Professional Identities and Educational Institutions: An Analysis Based on the Symbolic Universes Approach

Abstract

This chapter aims to investigate Greek teachers’ perceptions about teacher evaluation (TE) policies, in association with their views about their professional identities and the public educational institutions. Teachers’ views are examined using the notion of symbolic universes (SU) (Salvatore et al., PLoS ONE 13(1):e0189885, 2018), or affect-laden, generalized patterns of meaning about the self and the social context. The qualitative study examined which elements of SUs, along with elements of emotionality and resilience, prevail in teachers’ discourse. Twelve individual interviews and three focus groups were conducted with Greek primary school teachers and administrators. Analysis of data, based on the principles of thematic analysis and supported by ATLAS.ti software, yielded three themes. The first theme, “turning to the school community as a niche of belongingness vis-a-vis threatening state policies”, was associated with mistrustful views of state policies, interpersonal resources as supports for professional resilience, and negative views of TE policy. The second theme, “How things should be: TE policies based on the interpersonal bond in the school community”, expressed teachers’ wish for supportive state policies, for autonomous and flexible professional identities and for TE policies focusing on professional development. The third theme, “Other’s world: teachers try to survive threatening policies on their own”, was characterized by a generalized anomic view of state policies, by insecure professional identities and by threatening perceptions of TE policies. It is argued that study of teachers’ identities and attitudes towards the state may play an important role in the successful design and implementation of quality assurance policies in education.