ABSTRACT
This chapter is based on research carried out over three years and covering a number of geographical areas. Our initial research was conducted in a large LEA with a mixture of urban and rural schools. This LEA scheme for teacher and headteacher appraisal emphasises that appraisal is a developmental, continuous and systematic process intended to assist teachers in their professional development and career planning. During our evaluation the LEA saw the need for their scheme to be developed from the experience and perceptions of those who had already been involved in the process. This was particularly relevant as the Regulations require all teachers and head-teachers for whom the LEA are responsible to have been appraised, at least once, by 1995. The evaluation would then be used to inform future practice and ensure appraisal continued to be treated as a dynamic process, subject to modification and development in order to achieve maximum effectiveness.
