Abstract Book of the 9th International Academic Conference on Education
Year: 2025
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Crisis and Support: A Transformative Framework for Teacher Evaluation in Greece
Dr. Michail St. Fountoulakis
ABSTRACT:
Teacher evaluation in Greece remains a deeply contested and unresolved issue, historically entangled in distrust, ideological resistance, and bureaucratic inefficacy. This paper introduces the Crisis & Support Model—a novel, developmental framework that reconceptualizes evaluation as a formative, empowering, and collaborative process rather than a mechanism of compliance or control. Rooted in the foundational premise that effective evaluation systems must integrate professional growth with institutional accountability, the model draws upon both the historical evolution of Greek education policy and successful international paradigms, including Finland’s trust-based approach, Ireland’s holistic inspection systems, and Italy’s “La Buona Scuola” reform. The conceptual underpinnings of the model redefine “crisis” as critical self-reflection within the professional learning journey, while “support” is framed through socio-constructivist and mentoring-based theories of guidance and empowerment. Influences include the work of Schön on reflective practice, Fullan on system change, and Vygotsky on situated learning. The methodology combines qualitative policy analysis, semi-structured interviews with 18 educators and school leaders, and comparative case studies of the aforementioned international systems. Preliminary empirical data are presented from pilot sessions in three regional teacher training centers, where participants reported high levels of acceptance and perceived professional relevance of the model. Findings underscore the urgent need to decouple teacher evaluation from punitive consequences and instead prioritize structured reflection, collegial dialogue, and ongoing professional coaching. The Crisis & Support Model offers a realistic and culturally responsive pathway toward rebuilding institutional trust and fostering sustainable teacher development in Greece. The paper concludes with targeted policy proposals and suggests avenues for further empirical validation across diverse educational contexts, particularly in systems facing similar reform inertia.
Keywords: teacher evaluation, professional development, reflective practice, educational reform, crisis and support model