Qualitative evaluation of teacher performance in Ecuadorian educational institutions

Abstract

This article offers a critical analysis of teacher performance evaluation through a qualitative, descriptive-interpretive lens in order to understand how it is applied, how it is perceived by educational actors, and what it implies for professional improvement. Semi-structured interviews with teachers and principals were conducted and complemented with documentary analysis. The study identified five emergent categories: perception of the process, validity of instruments, feedback received, emotional impact, and proposals for improvement. Findings reveal a disconnect between the formative aims promoted by policy and a day-to-day practice experienced as punitive, weakly contextualized, and lacking follow-up. The absence of feedback and the use of generic criteria are associated with anxiety, demotivation, and adverse effects on professional identity and commitment. At the same time, participants advanced actionable ideas: contextualizing instruments, institutionalizing timely feedback and formative accompaniment, and broadening participatory instances. The study’s contribution lies in an integral, human-centered perspective that links technical and socio-emotional dimensions, clarifying conditions to shift from a sanction-oriented culture to a learning-oriented one. We conclude that evaluation should evolve into a reflective, ethical, and situated practice sustained by dialogue, professional recognition, and continuous development. These results inform school and policy decisions and open future lines of inquiry on pedagogically grounded and context-sensitive evaluation cultures.