School self-evaluation and development planning in the Maltese context : the impact on school improvement

Abstract

Strategic planning and reflection are essential in today’s educational environment. School self-evaluation leading towards development planning is a process which aims at supporting schools in reflecting on their vision for improvement through a consistent exercise of analysis and evaluation. However, both research and practice in schools show that this process is not always carried out effectively and does not necessarily lead towards school improvement. This affects how educators not only approach but also adopt internal quality assurance and strategic management in schools. This study investigates the different areas of the School self-evaluation process, how these impact each other within the same process and ultimately how these parts are taken into consideration by schools. The study raises several questions which lead towards reflection on the process within the bigger picture of strategic management and quality assurance within compulsory education. Is there a clear understanding of how school self-evaluation and development planning processes can be used effectively towards improvement? To what extent do leaders and educators understand the importance of consistency and evaluation in carrying out the process especially considering different contexts and realities? These are some of the questions which the study aims at addressing through a review of the relevant literature as well as through a case study approach carried out within a Maltese compulsory education context. The research was carried out through a longitudinal case study on the role of school self-evaluation and development planning within two primary schools in Malta, with special focus on evaluation and how educators view this aspect of the process. A mixed method approach was adopted where seventy-five educators participated in the study. Two sessions of in-depth interviews were carried out with ten educators and focus group sessions were held with Senior Leadership Teams of both schools. This study aimed at approaching the process in a different way not only by looking at school self-evaluation in its entirety but also through the analysis of the different components which make the process. The research aimed at looking at possible pitfalls which might be faced by schools while also reflecting upon ways of how the interaction and synergy between educators and school development processes might be enhanced towards effective school improvement. Findings from the research show that breaking down the process is an important step in understanding how and when it works. This is especially true in relation to the monitoring and evaluation phase which, during the study, was found to be the weakest link in the process. This in turn brought about an impact on the perception which educators held towards the effectiveness of School self-evaluation and Development Planning. Findings in this regard were especially poignant in relation to leadership and the approach which is taken towards the process. By reflecting on the different parts of the process especially the monitoring and evaluation phase, educators were given the opportunity to make tangible a process which is usually perceived as abstract. Findings in this area helped in opening the door to strategy and foresight into strategic management at school level with special attention given to national compulsory settings.