The terms self-evaluation and self-assessment have been used synonymously in the literature on teacher evaluation. However, Wheeler and Haertel (1993) distinguish between the two terms. They define self-evaluation as the process of judging one's performance for the purpose of self-improvement. Self-assessment on the other hand, was defined as the process of collecting data and information on one's own teaching performance, using one or more assessment methods and data sources. Self-assessment could, therefore, be regarded as the first step in evaluation.

Examining the experiences of a sample of Jamaican teachers during that critical first year after professional training, the paper looks closely at their accounts of their classroom management style, and how they balance their own personal beliefs as well as what they learned in college with the reality of the learning environment. Interviews yielded data which suggest that those teachers with classroom experience prior to entering college were more comfortable with a democratic management style than those without this exposure.

Over the last ten years the Jamaican Government has made a concerted effort to provide for early childhood education. This is evidenced by the development of a curriculum for ages 4 to 5 years and the recognition and support of basic schools as well as other independent schools within the overall education system. This paper investigates the quality of these provisions in a select sample of schools in terms of their effectiveness in fostering creative expression among early childhood pupils.