Teacher educators and Evaluation: Considerations upon the relation with pre-service teachers’ performance

Abstract

This is a mixed type research since it contains statistical data, interpretations, narrative descriptions, and other quantitative and qualitative characteristics. It was conducted to find out and understand the influence, importance and uses of evaluation in the Teaching English as a Foreign Language process at Universidad Santiago de Cali (USC) with students from first and second semester English classes in the Foreign languages English-French program. The main objective is to analyze the most frequently evaluation methods that six English professors use with first and second semester students at Universidad Santiago de Cali. This research was carried out by reading papers by authors such as Scriven, Dornei and Barnes, interviewing professors to find out their perspective and training on evaluation, conducting surveys to students and observations to classes to obtain a better picture of the context. Data was analyzed to be shown in both quantitative and qualitative ways through graphics, narrative descriptions, statistics and opinions. Finally, this project led to the conclusion that when used correctly, evaluation can be a beneficial tool for both professors and especially students. Thus, some suggestions are provided at the end to the foreign languages English-French program to improve the use evaluation in the Teaching English as a Foreign Language process.