magazinelogo

The Educational Review, USA

ISSN Online: 2575-7946 ISSN Print: 2575-7938 CODEN: TERUBB
Frequency: monthly Email: edu@hillpublisher.com
Total View: 6841636 Downloads: 1430757 Citations: 1026 (From Dimensions)
OpenAlex-based citation data
  • citations

    1417
  • h-index

    13
  • i10-index

    14
ArticleOpen Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/er.2026.05.001

Ghanaian Teachers’ Perception of School Self-Evaluation as a Tool for School Improvement

Joseph Ezale Cobbinah*, Clement Adamba, Patience Atobajeun

Department of Educational Studies and Leadership, School of Education & Leadership, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, P.O. Box LG 25, Ghana.

*Corresponding author: Joseph Ezale Cobbinah

Published: May 07, 2026

Abstract

School self-evaluation (SSE) is a fundamental aspect of school life and has been identified as one of the approaches to school improvement. Several countries have adopted SSE as a strategy to enhance both schools and students’ academic performance. This study examined teachers’ perceptions of SSE as a tool for improvement. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with teachers and headteachers to assess their understanding, perceptions, and experiences in schools where SSE is implemented as a tool for improvement. The results indicated that SSE is not consistently practiced in these schools; however, they employ their own informal methods of evaluating performance. It also became evident that most teachers and headteachers do not have an in-depth understanding of SSE; however, they envisaged SSE as a valuable evaluation process that the schools must adopt to enhance existing evaluation practice so as to bring improvement into the schools.

Keyword

School self-evaluation; performance; improvement; accountability; quality; external evaluation; assessment

References

Ağalday, B., & Yiğit, M. (2022). Why do teachers fear? Investigating teachers’ perceptions of the culture of fear through mixed methods research. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 9(1), 204-218.

Antoniou, P., Myburgh-Louw, J., & Gronn, P. (2016). School self-evaluation for school improvement: Examining the measuring properties of the LEAD surveys. Australian Journal of Education, 60(3), 191-210.

Asamoah-Gyimah, K. (2012). Impact of school self-evaluation training on improvement of basic schools in Brong-Ahafo Region, Ghana [Unpublished master’s thesis/doctoral dissertation]. University of Ghana.

Aziz, S., Mahmood, M., & Rehman, Z. (2018). Implementation of CIPP model for quality evaluation at school level: A case study. Journal of Education and Educational Development, 5(1), 189-206.

Baxter, J. (2017). School inspectors as policy implementers: Influences and activities. In School Inspectors (pp. 1-23). Springer Cham.

Blaik Hourani, R., & Litz, D. (2016). Perceptions of the school self-evaluation process: The case of Abu Dhabi. School Leadership & Management, 36(3), 247-270.

Brady, A. M. (2016). The regime of self-evaluation: Self-conception for teachers and schools. British Journal of Educational Studies, 64(4), 523-541.

Brejc, M., Gradišnik, S., & Koren, A. (2011). Teachers’ roles in self-evaluation in education. In Knowledge as Business Opportunity: Proceedings of the Management, Knowledge and Learning International Conference 2011 (pp. 531-537). International School for Social and Business Studies.

Brown, M. (2013). Deconstructing evaluation in education: The case of Ireland [Doctoral dissertation, Dublin City University].

Brown, M., Gardezi, S., del Castillo Blanco, L., Simeonova, R., Parvanova, Y., McNamara, G., & Kechri, Z. (2021). School self-evaluation an international or country specific imperative for school improvement? International Journal of Educational Research Open, 2, 100063.

Brown, M., McNamara, G., O’Brien, S., Skerritt, C., & O’Hara, J. (2020). Policy and practice: Including parents and students in school self-evaluation. Irish Educational Studies, 39(4), 511-534.

Brown, M., McNamara, G., O’Hara, J., & O’Brien, S. (2016). Exploring the changing face of school inspections. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 16(66), 1-26.

Brown, M., McNamara, G., O’Hara, J., & O’Brien, S. (2017). Inspectors and the process of self-evaluation in Ireland. In School Inspectors (pp. 71-96). Springer Cham.

Brown, M., McNamara, G., O’Hara, J., O’Brien, S., Young, C., & Faddar, J. (2018). Integrated co-professional evaluation? Converging approaches to school evaluation across frontiers. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43(12), 76-90.

Cassano, R., Costa, V., & Fornasari, T. (2019). An effective national evaluation system of schools for sustainable development: A comparative European analysis. Sustainability, 11(1), 195.

Chapman, C., & Sammons, P. (2013). School self-evaluation for school improvement: What works and why? CfBT Education Trust.

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in education (6th ed.). Routledge.

Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2017). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage.

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage.

Department of Education and Skills. (2016). School self-evaluation guidelines 2016-2020: Post-primary. Government of Ireland.

Dewodo, C. Y., Agbetorwoka, A., & Wotordzor, P. (2019). Problems of school supervision at the basic school level in the Hohoe Municipality of Ghana. American Journal of Educational Research, 7(2), 133-140.

Ehren, M. C., & Visscher, A. J. (2006). Towards a theory on the impact of school inspections. British Journal of Educational Studies, 54(1), 51-72.

Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1), 1-4.

Eyisi, D. (2016). The usefulness of qualitative and quantitative approaches and methods in researching problem-solving ability in science education curriculum. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(15), 91-100.

Fernandez, K. E. (2011). Evaluating school improvement plans and their effect on academic performance. Educational Policy, 25(2), 338-367.

Fushimi, A. (2014). School self-evaluation for quality improvement: Investigating the practice of the policy in Kenya [Doctoral dissertation, University of Sussex].

Govender, N., Grobler, B., & Mestry, R. (2016). Internal whole-school evaluation in South Africa: The influence of holistic staff capacity. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 44(6), 996-1020.

Hall, C., & Noyes, A. (2009). School self evaluation and its impact on teachers’ work in England. Research Papers in Education, 24(3), 311-334.

Harris, A. (2013). School improvement: What’s in it for schools? Routledge.

Hofman, R. H., Dijkstra, N. J., & Hofman, W. H. A. (2009). School self-evaluation and student achievement. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 20(1), 47-68.

Hofman, W. A., Hofman, R. H., & Gray, J. M. (2010). Institutional contexts and international performances in schooling: Comparing patterns and trends over time in international surveys. European Journal of Education, 45(1), 153-173.

Irwan, D. (2020). School self-evaluation and organisational learning approaches to improving the quality of professional learning of teachers in school [Doctoral dissertation, University of Leicester].

James, C. (2010). The psychodynamics of educational change. In Second international handbook of educational change (pp. 47–64). Springer.

Johnson, R. B., & Christensen, L. (2019). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed approaches. Sage.

Jung Peng, W., Thomas, S. M., Yang, X., & Li, J. (2006). Developing school evaluation methods to improve the quality of schooling in China: A pilot ‘value added’ study. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 13(2), 135-152.

Kizlik, B. (2012). Measurement, assessment, and evaluation in education. Retrieved October 10, 2015, from 

http://www.adprima.com/measurement.htm

Kvale, S. (2003). The psychoanalytical interview as inspiration for qualitative research. American Psychologist, 58(1), 24-33.

Ladden, B. (2015). School evaluation: An exploration of the impact of evaluation processes on the staff in an Irish post-primary school [Doctoral dissertation, Dublin City University].

Lambert, M. (2012). A beginner’s guide to doing your education research project. Sage.

Learmonth, J. (2020). Inspection: What’s in it for schools? Routledge.

Lee, J. C. K., Ding, D., & Song, H. (2008). School supervision and evaluation in China: The Shanghai perspective. Quality Assurance in Education, 16(2), 156-172.

Leedy, P. D., & Ormrod, J. E. (2015). Practical research: Planning and design (Global ed.). Pearson.

Leung, L. F. (2013). A study of the principals’ and teachers’ perceptions of the effects of collegial. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Toronto].

MacBeath, J. (2006). School inspection & self-evaluation: Working with the new relationship. Routledge.

MacBeath, J. (2010). Self-evaluation for school improvement. In Second international handbook of educational change (pp. 901-912). Springer.

MacBeath, J. (2017). A role for parents, students and teachers in school self-evaluation and development planning. In Measuring quali-ty (pp. 100 121). Routledge.

MacBeath, J., & McGlynn, A. (2004). Self-evaluation: What’s in it for schools? Routledge.

MacBeath, J., Schratz, M., Jakobsen, L., & Meuret, D. (2000). Self-evaluation in European schools: A story of change. Psychology Press.

Manichander, T. (2016). Assessment in education. Lulu.com.

McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2010). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry. Pearson.

McNamara, G., & O’Hara, J. (2008). The importance of the concept of self-evaluation in the changing landscape of education policy. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 34(3), 173-179.

Meuret, D., & Morlaix, S. (2003). Conditions of success of a school’s self-evaluation: Some lessons of a European experience. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 14(1), 53-71.

Mohajan, H. K. (2018). Qualitative research methodology in social sciences and related subjects. Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People, 7(1), 23-48.

Mutch, C. (2012). Complementary evaluation: The development of a conceptual framework to integrate external and internal evaluation in the New Zealand school context. Policy Futures in Education, 10(5), 569-586.

Nelson, R., Ehren, M., & Godfrey, D. (2015). Literature review on internal evaluation. Institute of Education, University of London.

Nevo, D. (2001). School evaluation: Internal or external? Studies in Educational Evaluation, 27(2), 95-106.

Nevo, D. (2002). Dialogue evaluation: Combining internal and external evaluation. In School-based evaluation: An international perspective. Emerald.

Nevo, D. (2010). Internal and external evaluation. In P. Peterson, E. Baker, & B. McGaw (Eds.), International Encyclopaedia of Education (3rd ed., pp. 781-785). Elsevier.

Ngan, M. Y., Lee, C. K. J., & Brown, G. T. L. (2010). Hong Kong principals’ perceptions on changes in evaluation and assessment policies: They’re not for learning. Hong Kong Teachers’ Centre Journal, 9, 29-44.

O’Brien, S., McNamara, G., O’Hara, J., & Brown, M. (2017). External specialist support for school self-evaluation: Testing a model of support in Irish post-primary schools. Evaluation, 23(1), 61-79.

O’Brien, S., McNamara, G., O’Hara, J., & Brown, M. (2022). Learning by doing: Evaluating the key features of a professional devel-opment intervention for teachers in data-use, as part of whole school self-evaluation process. Professional Development in Edu-cation, 48(2), 273-297.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2013). Synergies for better learning: An international perspective on evaluation and assessment. OECD Publishing.

Plowright, D. (2008). Using self-evaluation for inspection: How well prepared are primary school headteachers? School Leadership and Management, 28(2), 101-126.

Prew, M., & Quaigrain, K. (2010). Using school performance data to drive school and education district office accountability and improvement: The case of Ghana. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 38(6), 728-744.

Quist, D. (2003). School self-evaluation: The path to a better school. ADEA Working Group on the Teaching Profession.

Rapti, D. (2013). School climate as an important component in school effectiveness. Academicus: International Scientific Journal, 8(16), 75-88.

Robinson, O. C. (2014). Sampling in interview-based qualitative research: A theoretical and practical guide. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 11(1), 25-41.

Scheerens, J., Glas, C. A., & Thomas, S. M. (2003). Educational evaluation, assessment, and monitoring: A systemic approach (Vol. 13). Taylor & Francis.

Schildkamp, K. (2019). Data-based decision-making for school improvement: Research insights and gaps. Educational Research, 61(3), 257-273.

Schildkamp, K., Vanhoof, J., van Petegem, P., & Visscher, A. (2012). The use of school self-evaluation results in the Netherlands and Flanders. British Educational Research Journal, 38(1), 125-152.

Sehlapelo, T. W. (2021). Teachers’ perceptions of school self-evaluation on quality teaching and learning in Mankweng, Limpopo Province [Doctoral dissertation, University of Limpopo].

Setlalentoa, W. N. (2014). School self evaluation: How involved are educators in the process? International Journal of Educational Sciences, 7(3), 525-533.

Skerritt, C. (2019). Discourse and teacher identity in business-like education. Policy Futures in Education, 17(2), 153-171.

Skerritt, C., O’Hara, J., Brown, M., McNamara, G., & O’Brien, S. (2021). Enacting school self-evaluation: The policy actors in Irish schools. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 30(1-2), 1-23.

Swaffield, S., & MacBeath, J. (2005). School self evaluation and the role of a critical friend. Cambridge Journal of Education, 35(2), 239–252.

Thatcher, R. W. (2010). Validity and reliability of quantitative electroencephalography. Journal of Neurotherapy, 14(2), 122-152.

Thompson, C. S. (2018). School administrators’ and stakeholders’ attitudes toward, and perspectives on, school improvement planning. Educational Planning, 25(4), 7-26.

Townsend, T. (2007). 20 years of ICSEI: The impact of school effectiveness and school improvement on school reform. In International handbook of school effectiveness and improvement (pp. 3-26). Springer.

Van der Bij, T., Geijsel, F. P., & Ten Dam, G. T. M. (2016). Improving the quality of education through self-evaluation in Dutch secondary schools. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 49, 42-50.

Vanhoof, J., & Van Petegem, P. (2007). Matching internal and external evaluation in an era of accountability and school development: Lessons from a Flemish perspective. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 33(2), 101-119.

Vanhoof, J., & Van Petegem, P. (2010). Evaluating the quality of self-evaluations: The (mis)match between internal and external meta-evaluation. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 36(1-2), 20-26.

Vanhoof, J., & Van Petegem, P. (2011). Designing and evaluating the process of school self-evaluations. Improving Schools, 14(2), 200-212.

Vanhoof, J., & Van Petegem, P. (2012). The process and results of school self-evaluations through the eyes of experts: A Delphi study. International Studies in Educational Administration, 40(1), 47-61.

Wong, M. N., & Li, H. (2010). From external inspection to self-evaluation: A study of quality assurance in Hong Kong kindergartens. Early Education and Development, 21(2), 205-233.

Young, C., McNamara, G., Brown, M., & O’Hara, J. (2018). Adopting and adapting: School leaders in the age of data-informed decision making. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 30(2), 133-158.

Copyright

© 2026 by the author(s).
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not modified or adapted.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

How to cite this paper

Ghanaian Teachers’ Perception of School Self-Evaluation as a Tool for School Improvement

How to cite this paper: Joseph Ezale Cobbinah, Clement Adamba, Patience Atobajeun. (2026). Ghanaian Teachers’ Perception of School Self-Evaluation as a Tool for School ImprovementThe Educational Review, USA10(5), 254-267.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/er.2026.05.001