Abstract:

This research project aims to tackle the issue of developing effective teacher evaluation tools which results from adopting the latest advances in information technology in the teaching environment, and in particular the use of e-portfolios to achieve this. Nowadays, many forms of education technologies are being used to deliver learning through which interaction between teachers and students occurs. Research shows the evaluation methods and tools used in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia currently are lacking in this area and have not been sufficiently developed to take advantage of the advancements in information technology to achieve this. As such this in turn has repercussions on the quality of teaching being delivered and on the assessment of teaching staff . Maintaining the status-quo means depriving many teachers of opportunities for promotion, career development and chances to improve the quality of provision. Such method is the use and evaluation of portfolios and e-portfolios, which are based on grounded theories that are used for evaluation purposes. Conducting unbiased evaluations of teaching processes and related activities are key challenges which will be addressed in this research in order to enhance the educational output in Saudi Arabia. The use of such evaluation tools in the educational and social context of Saudi Arabia shall be investigated in order to measure their effectiveness against currently employed methods. As such this paper will evaluate the possible advantages of moving from the method of traditional summative assessment to a more formative focused evaluations process. The adopted research method is questionnaire of early career teachers in KSA. The quantitative data is analysed and conclusions drawn. The e-portfolio has proven to be a successful mean of evidencing teacher knowledge and skills and can help develop teacher’s professionalism. This will result in a rich corpus of information which will aid the development of a comprehensive evaluation tool and procedural recommendations which will assist in better evaluating teachers working in Saudi Arabian schools.

Keywords:

Teachers, evaluation, e-portfolio, provision.