The role of leadership in evaluation utilization – Cases from Norwegian primary schools

Abstract

This thesis looks into the engagement of the principals in the use of school evaluation. The purpose of the study is to increase the knowledge of the processes that take place after the schools’ have completed the evaluation and to establish a more thorough understanding of how the schools use the evaluations to improve their learning environments. A particular focus is given the role and engagement of the school principals in this work. The thesis is founded on four articles that present and discuss the findings of this study. The overall problem addressed in this study is:How is school evaluation used as a foundation for further work in the schools and how do the principals engage themselves in this work?The study is a qualitative case-study using phenomenological interviews with principals, teachers and pupils at six primary schools that had implemented and completed one school evaluation. I asked the teachers how they had experienced the principal’s engagement in the use of school evaluation and the follow-up work with the results of the evaluation. I also asked the principals how they had experienced their own role in this work. In addition to the interviews, the empirical material consists of observations of meetings and document analyses. Four of the schools had completed an external school evaluation and two of the schools had completed an internal school evaluation. The evaluation model used by the schools was expected to meet the Norwegian Education Act and its Regulation, about accountability and school evaluation.The overall objectives of this study are discussed from different theoretical perspectives and reviews of various fields of research with relevance for the study. In the 1st article, I look at different ways of using the school evaluation and various factors that may influence the use. The 2nd article is based on management theory developed by Erik Johnsen (2002) and discusses the management of the management processes. Theory on organizational learning is used as a theoretical framework of the third article, whereas theory and reviews of research on accountability builds the frame of the 4th article. The discussion is based on the findings presented in the four articles and is framed by Dewey’s theories on learning and development as well as empirically generated theory on professional learning coummunity and the purpose of evaluation. The use of school evaluation of, for and as school improvement of the school as a learning environment forms the structure of the discussion.This study shows different ways of using the school evaluation. Three of the schools use the school evaluation as a basis for further decisions on future work. One school uses the evaluation as a learning process, whereas two schools do not take the evaluation results into consideration in their further work. One of the main findings in this study is that the principals’ engagement is of significant matter as to how the school evaluation is used. The principals’ thoughts, wishes and rank of priorities when it comes to the schools’ needs for further adjustments and participation in the follow-up of the processes, does influence if and in which way the school evaluation is used.Another finding in this study is that the teachers’ participation in reflecting on the school evaluation results is negligible, and that only a minimum of time is spent on this when the schools decide how to use the evaluation results. «Activity traps» (Earl, Katz, & Ben Jafaar, 2009) is a concept that involves a strongly focused action where little time is used to find desired areas of practice. An important element in professional learning community is the ability to think and reflect critically. Critical thinking and reflection may raise the level of professionalism (Dale, 1998). The research subjects of this study describe the reflections on evaluation findings as a discussion about what fits in/ what does not fit in, and in which areas do they/ do they not have an interest in working with improvement. In bringing new knowledge into this reflection, the schools might challenge their experiences and their theories of action. This could give the schools a better foundation in their decision-making as to which part of their practice they need to follow up and improve.