Real-World Dilemmas in Performance Evaluation of Teachers in Higher Vocational Institutions and Pathways to Solutions

Abstract

Performance evaluation of teachers in higher vocational institutions is a key task for these schools, as it effectively promotes the professional growth of teaching staff and contributes to the high-quality development of the institutions. However, the current teacher performance evaluation system faces several practical dilemmas during implementation, including insufficient knowledge of the evaluation procedure, imperfect design of evaluation criteria, a singular evaluation body, and inadequate monitor and appeal mechanisms. By taking into account the unique characteristics of higher vocational institutions, as well as the diversity and complexity of teachers' work, this paper proposes several pathways to address these issues. These include clarifying the purpose of performance evaluation, constructing a diversified evaluation indicator system, implementing comprehensive evaluation methods, strengthening categorized and multilayered assessment, enforcing multi-lateral evaluation, enhancing supervising and rewarding mechanisms, and integrating annual performance evaluation with appointment-term performance evaluation.