School self-evaluation (SSE) or data-based decision making is now a common feature of mainstream education in an increasing number of jurisdictions. The participation of stakeholders including students, is promoted internationally as a key feature of effective SSE. Despite this, very little research has been carried out on how education systems…

Current approaches to the regulation of schools in most jurisdictions tend to combine elements of external inspection with systems of internal self-evaluation. An increasingly important aspect of the theory and practice of both, but particularly the latter, revolves around the role of other actors, primarily parents and students, in the process.…

This article presents a study that aimed to understand the contributions of self-evaluation (SE) processes towards the development of curricular and social justice and educational improvement. The study focuses on data collected from the schools' external evaluation (SEE) process and from the TEIP programme (Educational Territories of Priority…

The research explores the views of teachers about how their teaching is evaluated by others. The tensions between evaluations motivated by the drive to improve practice (school self-evaluation) and evaluation related to external accountability (external evaluation-inspection) are considered, linked to findings and ideas reported in the literature.…

This article is an account of a project in Laos which aimed to support schools in evaluating and developing responsiveness to diversity in student populations. Teachers, students and members of the community were involved in review, evaluation and leadership of change to improve learning and participation for all school-aged members of the…

This article aims to illustrate a school self-evaluation project implemented in three Cyprus primary schools. The project adopted three theoretical assumptions, namely, an orientation towards school improvement, a participatory school-level approach allowing support from a critical friend and a focus on effective teaching. In line with a…

In exchange for the autonomy they have been granted, schools are required to evaluate the quality of the education they provide. Self-evaluation initiatives are a frequently chosen method. The present article reveals the underlying processes which have an impact on the results of such self-evaluations. It is based on research which demonstrates…

Critical friendship is a versatile form of external support for school colleagues engaged in leadership activities, and one that is subject to increasing professional and political interest. This article focuses upon the contribution of critical friends supporting leadership and school improvement in a range of contexts, including an international…

Self-evaluation is a concept replete with paradox and ambiguity. It suggests a spontaneous impulse but connotes a political mandate. It posits an individual act of self-reflection but is a meaningless notion without some social reference point. Its application may be personal, social or institutional, its purpose summative or formative. It may be…

This article examines three projects in which a Higher Education Institution (HEI) worked in partnership with individual secondary schools to support school self-review. Each project was designed and negotiated to meet the needs of the school. External "visitors" from the HEI worked alongside teachers to gather evidence and develop…