ARE WE DOWNGRADING THE ROLE OF TEACHERS? AN EVALUATION
OF TEACHER WORK PERFORMANCE INDICATORS IN INDONESIA
Punang Amaripuja
11
Lecturer, Department of Management, Faculty of Economics and Business
1
Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta
([email protected])
ABSTRACT
This paper evaluates the indicators used in the appraisal of teachers work performance in Indonesia in the light of work performance. The evaluation will be used to investigate whether the required role of teachers is still relevant with the current demands of education in the 21st century. Work performance is first described in its traditional view as behaviors or actions that are relevant to the goals of the organization, and its evolution into a four dimensional concept is then exposited. The role of teachers in the Indonesian education system is presented together with work performance indicators used in the teachers appraisal system. It is concluded that the teacher competency appraisal system used in Indonesia mostly addresses task performance and contextual performance, while adaptive performance is only related to two competency components. In effect, this will mainly enforce the traditional role of teachers, while downplaying the role of teachers as innovators and active stakeholders. The use of an integrated job context model will require further improvement in the teacher work performance appraisal system in Indonesia, as well as other related systems such as welfare and career planning. Such an endeavor will hopefully pave the way for the emergence of teachers that are better prepared to equip students with 21st century skills, and more aligned with their actual role as a vital
component of the school system, and on a larger scale, the education system.
1. The Traditional View of Work Performance
Without a clear understanding of work performance itself, discussions on the matter would seem like aiming at a moving target. Griffin et.al. (2007) observed that the meaning of work performance in the field of organizational behavior has changed over the last 40 years, which shifted from a focus on jobs and their fixed tasks to a broader understanding of work roles in dynamic organizational contexts. Work performance was traditionally defined as “behaviors or actions that are relevant to the goals of the organization” (Campbell, 1990, in Koopmans et.al, 2011). Thus, work performance is defined in terms of
2. Work Performance as a Multidimensional Concept
The 2017 International Conference on Management Sciences ( ICoMS 2017) March 22, UMY, Indonesia The latest advancements in the concept of
work performance was chronicled by Koopmans et.al. (2013) which was divided into 4 dimensions. The first dimension, task performance, refers to the proficiency with which an employee performs central job tasks (Campbell, 1990, in Koopmans et.al., 2013). The second dimension, contextual performance, refers to employee behaviors that support the organizational, social, and psychological environment in which the central job tasks are performed (Borman and Motowidlo, 1993, in Koopmans et.al., 2013). The third dimension, adaptive performance, refers to an employee’s proficiency in adapting to changes in work
roles or environment (Griffin et.al., 2007). The fourth dimension, counterproductive work behavior, refers to behavior that is harmful to the well-being of the organization (Rotundo and Sackett, 2002, in Koopmans et.al., 2013).
From a multi-disciplinary, systematic literature review of the research found in PubMed, Embase.com, PsycINFO, and ABI Inform, Koopmans et.al (2011) developed a heuristic framework of individual work performance (Figure 1) which consisted of four broad and generic dimensions.
Figure 1. Heuristic framework of individual work performance (Koopmans et.al., 2011).
The highest level of the framework shows the latent, general factor of individual work performance. The existence of this general factor accounts for substantial variation in job performance ratings. The second level situates the four dimensions of individual work performance, while the the third level locates the individual measures corresponding to each dimension. The importance of these dimensions, and the exact indicators associated with each dimension, may differ depending on the context involved. Task performance
Figure 2. Integrated Job Context Model (Folami and Jacobs, 2005)
Folami and Jacobs (2005) took a different approach by combining findings on task design from the organizational behavior literature with research findings on organizational context from organizational theory to develop an integrated task characteristics/organizational context model.
As shown in Figure 2, factors other than task characteristics that may impact performance include individual, economic, and organizational context variables. Individual factors that may affect performance include ambition, education, ability, professional experience, and occupational level. Employee growth need strength (GNS) has been used to proxy for ambition and individual differences between employees, which is supported by previous research which support GNS as mediating the relationship between job characteristics and affective outcomes (Hackman & Lawler, 1971; Hackman & Oldham, 1976; Hackman, Oldham, and Pearce, 1976, in Folami and Jacobs, 2005). Individual differences are used in the task characteristic model to capture how
3. The Role of Teachers
UNESCO Santiago (2005) acknowledges that teaching is a highly complex endeavour, and the situations in which teachers make daily decisions are extremely variable. In this perspective, the teaching process requires a deep understanding of the working context, suitable mastery of teaching content (Shulman, in UNESCO Santiago, 2005), as well as a wide range of teaching strategies. This would also include the ability to interact and communicate and develop knowledge and practical elements in an environment of freedom, trust, attention, reasoned decision, empathy and authority, and thus involves the ability to reason and judge what is or is not appropriate in practice (Ávalos, 2009, in UNESCO Santiago, 2005). In Indonesia, the Law No.14/2005 on Teachers and
Lecturers stipulates that
The 2017 International Conference on Management Sciences ( ICoMS 2017) March 22, UMY, Indonesia to make it difficult for teachers, but rather the
performance assessment should be conducted to create a professional teacher, because the dignity of a profession is determined by the quality of the professional service. The assessment of teacher performance is also meant to show accurately the activities of teachers in the classroom, and help them to improve their knowledge and skills. It is thus expected to contribute directly in improving the quality of learning, as well as assist the career development of teachers as professionals.
According to the Minister for the Empowerment of State Officials and Bureaucratic Reform Regulation No. 16 / 2009, the assessment of teacher performance is an evaluation that is carried out on each item of the main task of the teacher for the purpose of career development, rank, and occupation. Performance assessment related to the implementation
of the teaching and learning process for subject teachers and classroom teachers include planning and implementing of learning, evaluating and assessing, analyzing the results of the assessment, and implementing a follow-up on assessment results in applying the four (4) domain competencies required of teachers in accordance to the Minister of National Education Regulation Number 16 / 2007 on Academic Qualifications Standards and Competencies of Teachers.
The implementation of teaching and learning requires teachers to master the 24 (twenty four) competencies that are grouped into pedagogical, personality, social, and professional dimensions, which are further are summarized into 14 (fourteen) competence as published by the National Education Standards Agency (BSNP). The details of these competencies are outlined in the table below.
Table 1. Classroom / Subject Teacher
s Competencies
No. Competency Dimensions No. of Competencies No. of Indicators
1 Pedagogical 7 45
2 Personality 3 18
3 Social 2 6
4 Professional 2 9
14 78
The following shows the teacher competencies appraised in each competency dimension:
Pedagogical Competence
1. Understands the characteristics of students
2. Masters learning theories and principles of educative learning
3. Development of the curriculum 4. Educational learning activities
5. Understand and develop student’s potential 6. Communication with learners
7. Assessment and evaluation
Personality Competence
1. Acting in accordance with religious norms, legal, social, and national culture of Indonesia
2. Demonstrate a mature personality and act as a role model
3. Good work ethics, high responsibility, a sense of pride in being a teacher
Social Competence
1. Be inclusive, acting objectively, and non discriminatory
2. Communication with fellow teachers, educators, parents of students, and the community
Professional Competence
1. Mastery of the material, structure of scientific concepts, and mindsets that support the
subjects of teaching
2. Develop professionally through reflective actions
5. Contemporary Views on Teachers Work Performance Appraisal Systems
public schools. The levels of autonomy between regular public and charter schools appeared to be the strongest differentiating factor across two groups of schooling, with both task and extra role types of teacher performance in charter schools outweighed their counterparts in public schools. Those in favor of charter schools predicted that autonomy in structuring and managing, innovative actions through the use of aforementioned unconventional policies and practices, and being accountable for results would lead to improved student achievement.
Studies in other sectors have also documented that ERP contribute to employee task performance and overall organizational performance (e.g. Koys, 2001; Podsakoff et al., 2009; Vey and Campbell, 2004, in Duyar et.al., 2014). Duyar et.al. (2014) observes that while they are expected to perform beyond expectations, teachers are overwhelmed with already burgeoning tasks and poor climates in schools.
A more holistic approach to assess teachers’ performance was proposed by Murphy (2013), which stated that the three most common ways to evaluate teacher effectiveness are gains in test scores, classroom observations and pupil surveys. Murphy (2013) further states that gains in pupil test scores are the best available metric to measure teacher performance. The main advantage of this measure is its objectivity; and despite its shortcomings, it is by far the most reliable of the three measures in predicting a teacher’s future performance. On the contrary, test and exam results cannot reliably be used to differentiate teachers who are just above and below average, but they can
effectively be used to identify teachers who consistently perform well or badly.
In addition, Murphy (2013) also proposes that while appraisal and evaluation should focus on classroom activities, teachers’ contributions to extra-curricular activities, including sports, trips and clubs, should also be recognised. This observation is also in line with UNESCO’s findings in Latin America (UNESCO Santiago, 2005) which shows that teacher’s professional performance does not end in the classroom, because teachers have clear responsibilities to the school where they work, to the parents of their students, to the community they serve; and to the professional associations to which they belong.
6. Evaluation of Teachers Work Performance Indicators in Indonesia
This section will first map out each of the components of each of the competency dimensions in relationship to the heuristic framework of individual
work performance developed by Koopmans et.al.
(2011) and the integrated job context model proposed by Folami and Jacobs (2005). Any discrepancies will be further investigated, and referenced back to the role of teachers in Indonesian context.
The section will provide a review of whether the teachers work performance indicators used in Indonesia are in-line with the modern context of work performance, and the demands laid out for schools of the 21st century.
Tabel 2. Comparison between the teachers competency components used in Indonesia with the Heuristic IWP
Framework ( Koopmans et.al., 2011).
Competencies Heuristic IWP Framework
(Koopmans, 2011)
A Pedagogical Competence
1 Understands the characteristics of students Task Performance 2 Masters learning theories and principles of
educative learning Task Performance
The 2017 International Conference on Management Sciences ( ICoMS 2017) March 22, UMY, Indonesia 1 Acting in accordance with religious norms,
legal, social, and national culture of Indonesia Contextual Performance 2 Demonstrate a mature personality and act as a
role model Contextual Performance
3 Good work ethics, high responsibility, a sense
of pride in being a teacher Contextual Performance
C Social Competence
1 Be inclusive, acting objectively, and non
discriminatory Adaptive Performance
2 Communication with fellow teachers, educators, parents of students, and the
community Contextual Performance
D Professional Competence
1 Mastery of the material, structure of scientific concepts, and mindsets that support the
subjects of teaching Task Performance
2 Develop professionally through reflective
actions Task Performance
Based on Table 2, the teacher competency appraisal system used in Indonesia mostly addresses
task performance and contextual performance in
Koopmans (2011) framework, while adaptive
performance is only related to two competency
components. The use of the counterproductive work behavior dimensions seems not to be suitable for the formal appraisal, but can nonetheless be assessed through other means such as observations of day-to-day behavior, peer evaluations, and supervisor assessments. The lack of adaptive performance components is very unfortunate, since these are primary requirements needed to help students acquire 21st Century Skills.
7. Conclusion
In general, the examined teacher work performance indicators in Indonesia mainly enforce the traditional role of teachers, and more emphasis on the role of teachers as innovators and active stakeholders of the school system is needed. The use of the integrated job context model will require further improvement in the teacher work performance appraisal system in Indonesia, as well as other related systems such as welfare and career planning. The improvements will obviously be a complex and lengthy process, but will benefit the education system in the long run, since it emphasizes on results rather than a snapshot of behavior, and will integrate performance
with internal and external factors. Such an endeavor will hopefully pave the way for the emergence of teachers that are better prepared to equip students with 21st century skills, and more aligned with their actual
role as a vital component of the school system, and on a larger scale, the education system.
References
Duyar, I., Ras, N., and Pearson, C.L., 2014, Analysis of Teachers’ Task and Extra-Role Performance
Folami, L.B., Jacobs, F., 2005, The Joint Effect Of Task Characteristics And Organizational Context
On Job Performance: A Test Using SEM,
Journal of Business & Economics Research Volume 3, Number 7.
Griffin, M.A., Neal, A., Parker, S.K., 2007, A New Model of Work Role Performance: Positive Behavior in Uncertain and Interdependent
Contexts. Academy of Management Journal.
Koopmans, L., Bernaards, C.M., Hildebrandt, V.H., Schaufeli, W.B., de Vet, H.C.W., Van der Beek, A.J., 2011, Conceptual Frameworks of Individual Work Performance: A
Systematic Review, Journal of Occupational
and Environmental Medicine Volume 53, Number 8.
Koopmans, L, Bernaards, C.M., Hildebrandt, de Vet, H.C.W., van der Beek, A.J., 2013,
Measuring Individual Work Performance
-Identifying and Selecting Indicators, in
WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation. 2013; 45(3). Law No.14/2005 (Indonesia) on Teachers and
Lecturers
Minister for the Empowerment of State Officials and Bureaucratic Reform Regulation No. 16 / 2009
Minister of National Education Regulation Number 16 of 2007 on Standards of Academic Qualifications and Competencies of Teachers.
Murphy, R., 2013, Testing Teachers: What Works Best
for Teacher Evaluation and Appraisal, The
Sutton Trust.
P3 Pendidik, 2012, Pedoman Pelaksanaan Penilaian
Kinerja Guru, Kementerian Pendidikan Dan
Kebudayaan, Jakarta.
UNESCO Santiago, 2005, Critical Issues for Formulating New Teacher Policies in Latin America and The Caribbean: The Current
