Challenges of qualitative evaluation in performance and education and the ways to improve the existing situation

During the 82-83 school year the descriptive evaluation system in Iran was implemented in some primary schools with the aim of creating fundamental changes in the existing evaluationsystem, with regard to the modern approaches in teaching- learning processes. This project is being extended to grade 5 in primary schools. This innovation in the field of education inspite of wide acclaim, face challenges.. After reviewing the available resources for research including the studies conducted in provincial education organizations, in order to evaluate these challenges, a questionnaire was prepared by the researcher. After examination of validity and reliability, the research was conducted on 83  primary education trainees in Shahid Hashemi Nejad  and Shahid Beheshti  training centres in Mashhad.  In addition, a semi-structured interview was performed with some teaching assistants at the training center with teaching experience in descriptive evaluation. Data were extracted from the questionnaire using descriptive statistics (frequency, frequency percentage, figures and plots). Finally, challenges were categorised  into five main groups, with inappropriate physical conditions and motivation weaknesses in implementation being the most and the  least frequent motive for participating in this research, respectively. The results were in accordance  with the ones reported previously.