The influences of teachers’ perceptions of using student achievement data in evaluation and their self-efficacy on job satisfaction: evidence from China

Abstract

This study employed survey research in China to investigate the relationships among teacher evaluation, teacher self-efficacy, and teacher job satisfaction, while controlling for demographic variables. Four hundred and twenty-five teachers from a medium-sized city in Heilongjiang Province participated. The study examined the teachers’ perceptions regarding using student achievement data in evaluation, finding mixed views about the inclusion of student scores, consistent with many recent studies on teacher evaluation reforms. Principal component analysis was conducted on the perception data and three factors emerged. The three factors were used in hierarchical multiple regression analyses and, in addition, three variables of teacher self-efficacy (i.e., efficacy for student engagement, efficacy for instructional strategies, and efficacy for classroom management) also were included in the analyses. The analyses found that (a) teachers’ perceptions of their evaluation have a significant explanatory power on their job satisfaction, and (b) when their perceptions of evaluation are controlled, teachers’ self-efficacy can explain additional variance in teachers’ job satisfaction. Specifically, teachers’ self-efficacy for student engagement was significantly predictive. Implications for educational policymakers and practitioners in light of enhancing teacher job satisfaction and developing rigorous teacher evaluation are discussed.