**1. Introduction**

The world is changing at a fast pace and institutions of higher learning are constantly faced with the challenge to be dynamic in their approach in shaping the skills of the students and graduates who ultimately complete their studies to join the work force. Ospina [1], aptly points out that universities need to rise up to this challenge in order to allow graduates to have skill sets that optimize their performance in their chosen career fields. In an attempt to overcome these challenges, a paradigm of competitiveness, relevancy and effectiveness of graduate professionals' knowledge requirements is deemed necessary. The quality and effectiveness of the teachers, instructors and lecturers is fundamentally linked

to the kind of interest and motivation for the subject matter; seeking other resources for further reading or knowledge development and the actual knowledge of the disciplines and actual competences the students and graduates attain that enable them to adapt in the workplace. The role and responsibility of the teaching staff is far reaching and it greatly contributes to the quality of graduates as they reach the workforce.

Undoubtedly, the role of the university teacher in the achievement of these goals is transcendental. The evaluation of the performance of university teacher has therefore become a very useful instrument for institutions of higher education that allows stakeholders to make decisions to improve and enhance the quality of the performance of the teachers and the teaching-learning process. In modern times, universities have a great challenge in developing performance evaluation systems, motivating a change in the daily duties and activities of teachers as they carry out their professional role of teaching [2].

Angola's current status on evaluation of the performance of human resources and especially of teachers in public universities is an ongoing concern that is mainly motivated by the need to raise standards and quality of education in general.

The course content, the skills and knowledge offered, the mode of transmission, i.e., the teacher-learning process, the teachers conduct and methods of offering teaching services are all part of the considerations that need to be evaluated for tertiary learning institutions in Angola.

Previous studies carried out from 2005 to the present on the situation of the system of higher education in Angola [3–7] revealed a whole set of weaknesses that hamper the effective performance of university teachers as summarized in **Table 1**

This unhealthy competition amongst professionals to join the teaching staff in institutions of higher learning with a defunct performance evaluation systems and by extension no professional code of performance of conduct severely affect the quality of education in Angola. The lack of pedagogical, instructive and research skills, sometimes leads to a situation where teaching staff do not act as facilitators of learning and therefore do not contribute to develop in the learners' creativity these competences are not evaluated in their performance.

In addition, research carried out by [7–9] uncovered shortcomings in the existing evaluation of performance, such as the instrument for the evaluation of the performance of university teachers is the same as that used to evaluate the other public works (technical and administrative staff). This entails that the indicators1 defined in this instrument are very general and do not apply for the assessment of the competencies that must be measured in the performance of a teacher, thus rendering very subjective results that cause dissatisfaction and performances that do not enhance the improvement of the skills of the teaching staff. This all culminates into a situation that negatively affects the quality of the process of teaching and learning in the Angolan public universities.

Consequently, this problem, justified the need to develop a system of performance evaluation that stimulates a change in the daily activities of the Angolan University teaching. However, many of the Angolan public universities lack knowledge on how to evaluate the performance of their teachers because there are few relevant methodological instruments in use to evaluate them, much less plan of actions for the improvement of their skills which would contribute to the quality of the process of teaching-learning in educational institutions.

**15**

*Evaluation of Human Capital as a Contribution to the Performance of the José Eduardo dos…*

Low standards are accepted and accepted as a norm so, a general culture has evolved around this where

Teachers in general do not receive comprehensive practical knowledge about teaching and learning assessment techniques, therefore, deficiencies in performance assessment initiate right from the teacher

A defunct performance evaluation system used by institutional managers has generated the status of complacence amongst teachers, in terms of their pursuit of excellence in their profession. The systems of performance evaluation do not make a distinction between teachers with superior performance or professionally competent compared to the insufficient performance or the incompetent teachers. Financial gain is the main motivation for the vast majority of teachers to aspire to work at institution of higher learning, as the remuneration packages at these institutions is rather higher than at lower level of learning. These institutions offer better income but show indifference and apathy as to the improvement of

Inadequate preparation of the teaching staff from the pedagogical point of view

*Challenges to the effective performance of the Angolan University teaching staff.*

The application of the procedure in the University José Eduardo dos Santos, has been developed taking into account the proposed principles. Phase 1 was fulfilled satisfactorily; a panel of experts, consisting of 19 people for the analysis of strategies and policies of Human Resources in alignment with the specific procedure proposed for these purposes was clearly defined. In addition, three awareness

The documentary analysis conducted, concluded that the performance evaluation process has the following limitations: the evaluation is carried out by the immediate superior head without participation of other stakeholders (teachers, students, and academic peers) and if one performs an analysis of the functions which a faculty teacher should perform according to the established category in the statutes of the teaching career from 1995 to the present, can easily ascertain that the performance indicators established in Decree 25/94 do not qualify to evaluate the competences of university teachers in alignment with the functions that must perform, therefore, are very general indicators that do not reflect the actual performance of the teacher. Surveys were also applied to a sample of 122 teachers and 18 managers of the University José Eduardo dos Santos, supporting the results obtained from the

Further, the implementation of phase 2 as planned, would facilitate the evaluation of the performance of 122 teaching staff of the Jose Eduardo dos Santos University. The analysis of the results is shown in **Table 2**, followed by subsequent conclusions highlighted as follows; out of 122 teaching staff at UJES: 23% of teachers were assessed "Insufficient", 64% "Good" and 12% "Very good". Actually, these results, demonstrate an improvement in the quality of the performance assessment process, in the first instance because it enabled to assess all full-time teachers based on indicators or performance criteria associated with their role in the UJES and secondly because enabled identifying those competencies where the teacher should improve

their performance to contribute effectively to the results of the institution.

The ranges of the evaluation scale were defined taking into consideration the criteria of the experts, who assessed the scale in agreement with that defined in article 60 of the academic regime for the evaluation of students ranging from 0 to 20. However, the most conventional scale is the one ranging from 0 to 100,

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.84844*

poorly trained teachers enter the workforce

the quality of the teaching-learning processes.

**2. Development**

*Source: own elaboration.*

**Table 1.**

training process

workshops were developed successfully.

application of the documentary analysis.

<sup>1</sup> The indicators defined for the evaluation of the performance are: professional competence, dynamism and initiative, the fulfillment of tasks, human relations at work, the professional adaptation, regularity, punctuality, and discipline, the appropriate use of the means of work, presentation and individual posture.

Inadequate preparation of the teaching staff from the pedagogical point of view

Low standards are accepted and accepted as a norm so, a general culture has evolved around this where poorly trained teachers enter the workforce

Teachers in general do not receive comprehensive practical knowledge about teaching and learning assessment techniques, therefore, deficiencies in performance assessment initiate right from the teacher training process

A defunct performance evaluation system used by institutional managers has generated the status of complacence amongst teachers, in terms of their pursuit of excellence in their profession. The systems of performance evaluation do not make a distinction between teachers with superior performance or professionally competent compared to the insufficient performance or the incompetent teachers.

Financial gain is the main motivation for the vast majority of teachers to aspire to work at institution of higher learning, as the remuneration packages at these institutions is rather higher than at lower level of learning. These institutions offer better income but show indifference and apathy as to the improvement of the quality of the teaching-learning processes.

*Source: own elaboration.*

#### **Table 1.**

*Education Systems Around the World*

as they reach the workforce.

their professional role of teaching [2].

tertiary learning institutions in Angola.

these competences are not evaluated in their performance.

and learning in the Angolan public universities.

the process of teaching-learning in educational institutions.

to the kind of interest and motivation for the subject matter; seeking other resources for further reading or knowledge development and the actual knowledge of the disciplines and actual competences the students and graduates attain that enable them to adapt in the workplace. The role and responsibility of the teaching staff is far reaching and it greatly contributes to the quality of graduates

is transcendental. The evaluation of the performance of university teacher has therefore become a very useful instrument for institutions of higher education that allows stakeholders to make decisions to improve and enhance the quality of the performance of the teachers and the teaching-learning process. In modern times, universities have a great challenge in developing performance evaluation systems, motivating a change in the daily duties and activities of teachers as they carry out

Undoubtedly, the role of the university teacher in the achievement of these goals

Angola's current status on evaluation of the performance of human resources and especially of teachers in public universities is an ongoing concern that is mainly

The course content, the skills and knowledge offered, the mode of transmission,

motivated by the need to raise standards and quality of education in general.

i.e., the teacher-learning process, the teachers conduct and methods of offering teaching services are all part of the considerations that need to be evaluated for

Previous studies carried out from 2005 to the present on the situation of the system of higher education in Angola [3–7] revealed a whole set of weaknesses that hamper the effective performance of university teachers as summarized in **Table 1** This unhealthy competition amongst professionals to join the teaching staff in institutions of higher learning with a defunct performance evaluation systems and by extension no professional code of performance of conduct severely affect the quality of education in Angola. The lack of pedagogical, instructive and research skills, sometimes leads to a situation where teaching staff do not act as facilitators of learning and therefore do not contribute to develop in the learners' creativity—

In addition, research carried out by [7–9] uncovered shortcomings in the existing evaluation of performance, such as the instrument for the evaluation of the performance of university teachers is the same as that used to evaluate the other public works (technical and administrative staff). This entails that the indicators1 defined in this instrument are very general and do not apply for the assessment of the competencies that must be measured in the performance of a teacher, thus rendering very subjective results that cause dissatisfaction and performances that do not enhance the improvement of the skills of the teaching staff. This all culminates into a situation that negatively affects the quality of the process of teaching

Consequently, this problem, justified the need to develop a system of performance evaluation that stimulates a change in the daily activities of the Angolan University teaching. However, many of the Angolan public universities lack knowledge on how to evaluate the performance of their teachers because there are few relevant methodological instruments in use to evaluate them, much less plan of actions for the improvement of their skills which would contribute to the quality of

 The indicators defined for the evaluation of the performance are: professional competence, dynamism and initiative, the fulfillment of tasks, human relations at work, the professional adaptation, regularity, punctuality, and discipline, the appropriate use of the means of work, presentation and individual

**14**

posture.

1

*Challenges to the effective performance of the Angolan University teaching staff.*
