This paper aims to analyse performance appraisal at Higher Education, with a particular focus on the evaluation of the teaching role of academic staff. This study is part of a broader project carried out in Portugal, within the context of a post-doctoral research. Based on a review of existing literature on performance appraisal in higher education and also on several policy documents, this study looks at three different schools at the University of Minho, namely in regard to the framework and guidelines for the performance appraisal of academic staff. The paper discusses the ways in which the evaluation of teaching has been considered in the overall evaluation of teachers and the dimensions, indicators and weights have been set out to evaluate staff performance. Implications of the evaluation of teaching and research for staff work and professional development are discussed.

Higher education, performance appraisal, teaching, research, professional development.