The Evaluation Of College Teachers In China: Theory And Practice

The evaluation of teachers in colleges and universities is an important subject, as well as a difficult problem, in teacher administrative activities. Although the current college teacher evaluation plays a positive role in the development of universities and the society, some problems and drawbacks, closely related to the college teacher evaluation system, are exposed in its process. Taking "system" as an important starting point, this dissertation, first, makes a rational re-examine and thinking about the current college teacher evaluation system, and then presents recommendations for its implementation. This study follows the theoretic routine of "status quo-the problems - the reasons behind - countermeasures and recommendations".This research proposes that college teacher evaluation systems should be formulated and implemented to promote faculty development, the organizations. To achieve this goal, with various definitions explored and a summary made of "system", the article proposes the connotations and dimensions of college teacher evaluation "systems", which consist of subjects, content, standards, procedures and etc. A detailed analysis of these dimensions is illustrated in the evaluative activities of teaching and researches.Through questionnaires and interviews, the ideas embodied in the current evaluation system and its deficiencies are painstakingly studied in the article. The current system, named a" Possessory System " by this paper, is essentially top-down, manipulative and dominated by the administration. Afterward, the status quo, features and problems of the current teaching and research evaluation are analyzed in the above-mentioned dimensions, which form an analytical framework. To sum up the characteristics of its written texts and to assess it, questionnaires and interviews are cited and "the Theory of Effectiveness of Policies" is applied. The negative impacts of this system and the causes of the impacts are discussed in great detail and profundity, the former including alienation, one-sidedness, the reduction of creativity, occupational burnout, and recession of humanities; and the later including market economy and the social utilitarianism, instrumental and technical rationality, McDonaldization and the impact of our "show -age".Through the dimensions of the subjects, content, indexes and procedures of the evaluation, the paper makes a survey of different universities in order to find out the historical and developmental routine of evaluation systems, from University of Paris and the University of Bologna in Middle Ages, Berlin University in the 19th century and Peking University in the charge of Cai Yuanpei, to the contemporary universities in the United States. The article maintains that the mode of systems has changed from "Charisma" to "Bureaucracy" in its development and evolution, the subjects from single to multiple, its content, procedures and methods from simple to complicated, and eventually, its goal from administrative to helpful to the development of university teachers.To promote faculty development, the article explains the theoretical foundations of college teacher evaluation systems, which take the organizations of universities as their scope and college teachers as objects. As to the scope of systems, the paper explores the relationship between systems and "profound knowledge " of the organizations of universities, with a detailed study of their meaning, categorization and etc. Evaluation systems require the subjects to be distinguished experts in a specific field, due to the profundity of such knowledge; different stages of evaluation for non-linear in its development, different methods for its various disciplines, and all in all, leniency and patience for the uncertainty in its production. As to the objects of the systems, the role of Chinese college teachers is analyzed, against the cultural background of china: they are pursuers of truth, moral models for the society, and representatives of social consciousness.A new system, a constructive one in contrast to the current "possessory" one, is proposed to invite teachers as subjects, with an emphasis on the non-text aspects of the system. The paper suggests some principles for the new system: diversified subjects, standards and content to promote teachers' individuality and versatility. The goal of the system is to encourage the communication among all participants and enhance teachers' subjectivity and involvement in the evaluation activities.