Internal evaluation is particularly relevant to educational institutions such as schools when they need to assess development processes on a sound basis. Evaluations can support development initiatives and assess them upon completion; they also provide the evidence needed for informed decisions. This makes it possible to measure and analyse the effectiveness of ongoing school development processes. The following sections explain where and how internal evaluation can be used, which criteria need to be considered and which methods are suitable for evaluating development initiatives successfully. A practical example also illustrates how to carry out an internal evaluation as part of a school development process.
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What is evaluation?
Evaluation is the systematic collection and analysis of data with the aim of making informed decisions and judgements that are based on criteria, well founded and transparent. Evaluation seeks to provide an objective assessment. Pure feedback, by contrast, is a person’s subjective response.
In school development processes, evaluations are therefore carried out to enable informed assessments based on the data collected. An evaluation and subsequent analysis may cover various areas of school development (teaching, staff and organisation) and can take place before, during or after the overall process, or individual stages within it.
Internal evaluation and the management of school development
The aim of internal evaluation in education is evidence-based school and teaching development. Internal evaluation systematically explores key questions that are relevant to improving quality at the school.
Internal evaluation is used for:
- baseline analysis (taking stock of a selected area),
- process evaluation (supporting a development initiative), and
- outcome evaluation (a final assessment of the development initiative).
Evaluation promotes internal cooperation and communication, helps identify areas for development, supports informed decision-making and clarifies objectives for everyone involved. Internal evaluations carried out as part of school development processes enable continuous, data-driven management and improvement.
Evaluating school development: areas and use cases
School development encompasses various aspects that have a significant influence on the quality of educational institutions. Development processes should address organisational development, staff development and, not least, teaching development.
The three areas of school development (including use cases):
- Organisation (evaluating the school programme, committees, management, communication, external relations and work with external stakeholders, etc.)
- Staff (evaluating professional development, self-perception and external perception, teachers and school leadership; personal reflection on teaching and leadership practice; feedback such as 90° and 180° feedback)
- Teaching (evaluation focusing on school climate, school culture, the assessment and development of teaching, individual support, language support, gifted education, etc.)
Target groups therefore vary depending on the area and purpose. They may include pupils, teachers, school support associations, parents, external and internal service providers, partner schools and cooperation partners.
Questionnaires in internal school evaluation
Online questionnaires are frequently used for internal school evaluation. They can be used both when planning development processes and to support an ongoing process. Once a development process or an individual stage has been completed, questionnaire-based evaluation is also generally used to conduct a final assessment.
Uses of questionnaires in process evaluation:
- During planning: evaluate the common basis (objectives, resources and key figures)
- Before or during implementation: evaluate conditions, communication, cooperation and coordination; conduct a pulse check
- For qualitative evaluation during the process: have milestones been reached? Are we still on track? Is the schedule working?
- Process evaluation after completion: were the objectives achieved? Are follow-up actions necessary? Assessment and reassessment
Methods of school evaluation
Various methods can provide the basis for assessing school development processes. The most common methods used in internal evaluations include online data collection in the form of surveys and questionnaires, interviews, observations and workshops. Paper-and-pencil surveys, by contrast, are considered outdated. They offer no advantages over online evaluations, while creating unnecessary costs and taking more time.
The following sections present established evaluation methods, with examples and their respective advantages and disadvantages.
Online evaluation
Examples: opinion surveys; assessments of projects, teaching, concepts and processes; self-perception and external perception; satisfaction surveys; qualitative and quantitative evaluation.
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Interviews
Examples: guided interviews with pupils, such as “What do you value about the school climate?”; group discussions with teachers; interviews with parents.
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Observations
Examples: classroom observations; observations in the playground, such as social behaviour and peer mediation; break-time activities; group work.
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Workshops
Examples: a workshop with pupils, parents and teachers to develop a new homework policy; an inclusion focus group to collect perspectives and ideas; a facilitated session to identify ideas for improving all-day provision.
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Avoidable mistakes in evaluations
Internal evaluations: points to consider
- GDPR: pupils, parents and teachers are data-sensitive target groups.
- Planning: investing in planning sustainably reduces the effort required for data collection, analysis and assessment.
- Data security: information such as pupils’ contact details and teacher assessments requires protection.
- Consequences: derive and implement actions. When planning, consider the available scope for action and focus on realistic, feasible measures.
- Transparency: communicate the results.
- Evaluation: only evaluate something if it can be shaped through realistic action and if it can contribute relevant evidence to decision-making.
LamaPoll as an evaluation tool
- Easy and convenient to use.
- Wide range of applications: LamaPoll is versatile and adaptable, enabling you to create and conduct forms, live votes, complex surveys, quick regular pulse checks and more. It adds value across all areas and for all stakeholders.
- Secure: encrypted, hardened, scalable, proven, independently audited and certified (TÜV, TISAX).
- Data protection compliant: servers and data processing in Germany, German subcontractors, the need-to-know principle, and internal and external staff training.
- Attractive design: online, responsive, all question types and dynamic questionnaires.
- Real-time analysis: automatic results analysis in charts and tables, with filters, comparisons and more.
- Personal support included, by phone and email.
Evaluating a school development process: the “digital teaching” example
Although almost all methods, perhaps with the exception of online evaluation, have disadvantages, combining several methods can be useful. The following example outlines an evaluation accompanying a school development process. Its objective is to improve the digital teaching infrastructure, using an online survey as the primary method, supported by observations and workshops.
Before this, the objectives themselves should be assessed, for example against the SMART criteria.
Objective
- Improve the digital teaching infrastructure.
- Evaluation objective: examine the acceptance and use of tablets in lessons.
Methods
- Online questionnaires to assess how satisfied teachers and pupils are with the use of tablets.
- Classroom observations to assess how tablets are integrated into lessons.
- Workshops with teachers to discuss challenges and suggestions for improvement.
Schedule
- Evaluation in three phases: at the beginning, after three months and at the end of the school year.
Methods
1. Questionnaire:
- Teachers are asked to assess their current use of technology in lessons (e.g. “How often do you use digital devices in lessons?”).
- Pupils indicate how often they use tablets in lessons and how they perceive them (e.g. “Do you use the tablet as a learning aid?”).
2. Observations:
- A lesson is taught using tablets, with observations focusing on frequency of use, interactivity and challenges (e.g. “How often do technical problems need to be resolved during the lesson?”).
Methods
1. Questionnaire:
- Teachers are asked to assess how their use of tablets has changed since their introduction (e.g. “Has your use of digital devices changed since their introduction?” and “What challenges have arisen so far?”).
- Pupils indicate whether learning with a tablet has changed since the start (e.g. “Has the way you use the tablet changed compared with the beginning of the school year?”).
2. Observations:
- Another lesson is observed, focusing on progress since the baseline analysis: confidence in using tablets, remaining technical problems and integration into the lesson (e.g. “How has the frequency of technical problems changed compared with the baseline analysis?”).
Methods
1. Questionnaire:
- A comprehensive assessment of tablet use over the entire year, including questions about effectiveness in lessons and improvements to learning (e.g. “Has the use of tablets changed your learning habits?”).
2. Workshops:
- A final discussion with teachers and pupils to assess the overall impact (e.g. “What improvements would you suggest for the future use of tablets?”).
3. Observations:
- A final lesson is conducted to assess the integration of tablets and review progress compared with the initial phase.
Data analysis
- Questionnaire results are analysed quantitatively (e.g. percentage changes in satisfaction).
- Qualitative data from interviews and workshops is categorised and analysed (e.g. recurring suggestions for improvement).
Results
- Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current implementation.
- Formulate recommendations for the further digitalisation of teaching (e.g. “Provide more training for teachers on using tablets effectively”).
Possible actions
- Implement the recommended actions (e.g. additional training for teachers).
- Discontinue unsuccessful projects, for example due to insufficient acceptance or a lack of added value.
- Change structures or processes.
- Conduct a more in-depth evaluation.
- Introduce new evaluation phases in future school years to monitor the long-term impact.
This approach supports continuous improvement and adaptation throughout the school development process.
Questionnaire examples and templates for educational institutions, education providers and other providers of continuing education, retraining and professional development can be found in our section on questionnaire templates for education.
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