Social Sciences in China, 2021

Vol. 42, No. 1, 2021

Establishing a Teacher Performance Evaluation System Geared to the Cultivation of Character: With a Reflection on New Public Management Theory

(Abstract)

You Xuqun

Since New Public Management theory, which seeks to promote public management reform with the techniques used to catalyze economic development, was introduced into the field of education, it has led to the implementation of education accountability measures and reforms focusing on performance-related pay for teachers. Performance-related pay was meant to improve teacher performance, and has played an important role in providing teachers with incentives and raising educational quality. In practice, however, problems have emerged that deserve serious attention. For example, the evaluation indicators based on this theory have distorted the direction of public management due to their over-emphasis on instrumental rationality and neglect of value rationality. Further, they highlight the interim goal of “instilling knowledge” at the cost of the fundamental aim of “cultivating talent,” thus producing results opposite to those intended. On the basis of the value rationality of education and China’s reality, this paper suggests that educational institutions should shift from “New Public Management” to a “holistic and decentralized governance” approach, fostering an environment dedicated to cultivating talent and introducing this feature into the evaluation of teacher performance. The core socialist values need to be integrated into teacher policy and internalized by teachers as their emotional identity and customary behavior.

Keywords: New Public Management theory, teacher performance evaluation indicators, holistic and decentralized governance, cultivating talent