Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
A crescente tomada de consciência da necessidade de melhoria do desempenho das organizações escolares, perante os desafios de uma escola democratizada e muitas vezes massificada, assim como o aumento dos processos de comparação entre dispositivos educativos, seja a nível nacional seja mesmo a nível internacional, confirmam a incontornabilidade da aplicação de dinamismos de auto-avaliação. De facto, nos últimos anos têm aumentado claramente os casos dessa aplicação, assim como a investigação sobre os respetivos modelos, frequentemente por influência de práticas auto-avaliativas existentes em contexto empresarial.
No caso português, estando ainda no início as práticas de aplicação da auto-avaliação escolar, torna-se necessário estudar tudo o que está aí envolvido, para poder implementá-las cada vez com mais compreensão e conhecimento. O presente trabalho pretende ser um pequeno contributo para esse estudo.
Para tal, inicia-se com uma síntese das principais teorias da avaliação, inspirando-se sobretudo nos trabalhos de Charles Hadji, sobre o juízo avaliativo e os seus dinamismos, e de Gérard Figari, sobretudo sobre a importância da referencialização para o processo de avaliação.
Como se trata de compreender melhor o processo auto-avaliativo de uma escola, o estudo enquadra esse processo no contexto da organização escolar e da sua compreensão fundamental, partindo da teoria das organizações. Pressupondo que a escola seja uma organização muito específica, atravessada por dinamismos complexos, a auto-avaliação que a serve terá que se adequar a essa complexidade organizacional.
O estudo concreto que pretende apresentar-se aqui é precedido de uma contextualização no caso português, sobretudo por análise da legislação correspondente e dos modelos e projetos de auto-avaliação já experimentados, assim como de estudos realizados sobre o assunto, em Portugal.
O trabalho de campo, enquanto estudo de um caso, pretende compreender melhor os mecanismos da prática auto-avaliativa de um Agrupamento de Escolas. Recorrendo a análise documental, entrevistas e inquéritos, chega-se à perceção do decorrer desse processo, assim como das suas fraquezas e das suas forças. Verifica-se que o processo de auto-avaliação está assumido como positivo e importante pelos elementos envolvidos, manifestando contudo diversas lacunas. Estas são originadas, essencialmente, pela falta de formação, na área, dos elementos da equipa que a dinamizaram, e pela ausência de circunstâncias organizacionais – disponibilidade de tempo e de recursos – que a favoreçam. As práticas já levadas a efeito, contudo, permitem vir a melhorar substancialmente o processo. A aplicação da auto-avaliação encontra-se, pois, em franco processo de aperfeiçoamento.
The increased awareness of the need to improve schools’ performance given the challenges of a democratized school system that is often influenced by the masses as well as the increase of the comparison processes among academic institutions at national and international levels confirm the application of self-evaluation forms. In fact, within the last years there have been clear increases in their application and in the investigation of such tools, frequently influenced by self-evaluation practices in the business community. In Portugal, which is still in the initial stages of applying school self-evaluations, it is necessary to study what is involved to be able to implement them with more understanding and knowledge. The goal of this paper is to make a small contribution to that study. For such ends, this study begins with a review of the principal evaluation theories, especially those of Charles Hadji on evaluative judgment and its applications and Gerard Figari on the importance of referencing for the evaluation process. Since it aims at better understanding the self-evaluation process of a school, this study looks at that process within the context of an academic institution and its fundamental understanding by using organizational theory. Assuming that schools are very specific and complex organizations, the self-evaluation applications used should be adjusted to their complexity. The concrete study presented here includes legislative analysis, self-evaluation models and projects as well as other studies already implemented in Portugal. The field work, in the form of a case study, aims to better understand the mechanisms of the self-evaluation practice in the school aggregates. The documental analysis, interviews and questionnaires increase our understanding of the process, its weaknesses and strengths. The participants in the study agree that self-evaluation is positive and important. The drawbacks they expressed essentially arise from: lack of training in the area; shortcomings in the team that implement them; and because of the absence of organizational circumstances, time and proper resources. What has already been done, however, allow us to substantially improve the existing process. The application of self-evaluations is in true need of reform.
The increased awareness of the need to improve schools’ performance given the challenges of a democratized school system that is often influenced by the masses as well as the increase of the comparison processes among academic institutions at national and international levels confirm the application of self-evaluation forms. In fact, within the last years there have been clear increases in their application and in the investigation of such tools, frequently influenced by self-evaluation practices in the business community. In Portugal, which is still in the initial stages of applying school self-evaluations, it is necessary to study what is involved to be able to implement them with more understanding and knowledge. The goal of this paper is to make a small contribution to that study. For such ends, this study begins with a review of the principal evaluation theories, especially those of Charles Hadji on evaluative judgment and its applications and Gerard Figari on the importance of referencing for the evaluation process. Since it aims at better understanding the self-evaluation process of a school, this study looks at that process within the context of an academic institution and its fundamental understanding by using organizational theory. Assuming that schools are very specific and complex organizations, the self-evaluation applications used should be adjusted to their complexity. The concrete study presented here includes legislative analysis, self-evaluation models and projects as well as other studies already implemented in Portugal. The field work, in the form of a case study, aims to better understand the mechanisms of the self-evaluation practice in the school aggregates. The documental analysis, interviews and questionnaires increase our understanding of the process, its weaknesses and strengths. The participants in the study agree that self-evaluation is positive and important. The drawbacks they expressed essentially arise from: lack of training in the area; shortcomings in the team that implement them; and because of the absence of organizational circumstances, time and proper resources. What has already been done, however, allow us to substantially improve the existing process. The application of self-evaluations is in true need of reform.