Effectiveness of Formation of a Forum in School Evaluation

Abstract

  The purpose of this study is to investigate how a public sphere can be formed in evaluation in the field of education and its effectiveness, aiming at a useful school evaluation and teaching evaluation. The objective of evaluation activities in school should be not only to improve teachers' ability but also school education as a whole. However, for the students teaching is undoubtedly the most important school activity. Therefore, teaching evaluation should be the core of evaluation in school, but it is much to be desired that the effect is extended to the whole of education. This paper proposes the formation of a forum where a variety of people concerned in a school participate in teaching evaluation and discuss freely, and suggests that such a forum may bring about desirable changes in the school.

  At Tatsuno High School in Nagano Prefecture, teaching evaluation by a student council was carried out, and the results were discussed as part of the agenda at a conference in which student, teacher and PTA delegates took part. A public forum was formed as a result of the democratic discussion at the conference. In this forum, various plans have been determined to improve not only teaching techniques but also the curriculum of the school. The desirable changes that occurred in the school were not restricted to those in teaching and curriculum, and the community spirit of students was also raised by joining in the evaluation activities.