Globally, the appraisal of educators remains a contested issue as the process, which aims to provide support
and development to educators, is generally considered a punitive measure for educators. Within the South
African context, the Integrated Quality Management System is used to evaluate educators. Drawing on
Fraser’s theories of social justice, this article explores the perspectives of 11 educators regarding educator
developmental appraisal in post-apartheid South Africa as a catalyst for social (in)justice. Data was collected
through semi-structured interviews and analysed using critical discourse analysis. This article highlights the
importance of social justice practices in enhancing learner achievement and foregrounds the (in)justices
often witnessed during the appraisal process. Findings reveal that the developmental appraisal process has
the potential to promote social justice; however, contextual factors seem to be hindering the successful
implementation of the appraisal process.Institute for Social and Health Studies (ISHS