Improving the Effectiveness of Teacher Assessment in Higher Education: A Case Study of Professors’ Perceptions in Morocco

Abstract

Teacher assessment in higher education is a widely used strategy in Western countries, but it is not common practice in Moroccan academia. In consequence, the establishment of a new assessment policy in higher education creates a new dynamic in teaching practices, teacher assessment and professional career development. This type of major change, however, is likely to generate anxiety among staff regarding the learning of new practices, and uncertainty in respect of their involvement in the process of teacher assessment. The objective of the present study was thus to explore the perceptions of professors concerning the implementation of teacher assessment in Moroccan universities (Mohamed V University and Ibn Tofeil), through a survey and interviews carried out among the professors. The majority of professors expressed a positive attitude towards the usefulness of teaching evaluation. According to them, teacher assessment helps them identify strengths and weaknesses in their teaching. In contrast, there is a recurring issue among the respondents, namely the crisis of trust towards the parties involved in the evaluation process and apprehension regarding consequences of these evaluations’ results on faculty status and rank progression. The majority were very suspicious of using student assessment for administrative purposes.