Paper Title
THE DUAL EFFECTS OF PERFORMANCE EVALUATION-DRIVEN FACULTY BEHAVIOR ON STUDENT LEARNING QUALITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract
Amid the global trend of market-driven higher education reforms and China’s institutional shift toward “Breaking the Five-Only” policy, this study investigates how performance evaluation systems shape faculty behavior and subsequently influence student learning outcomes. Combining mixed-methods research—including longitudinal panel data analysis of faculty activities and thematic examination of pedagogical reflections—the research reveals a dualistic impact. While performance metrics drive standardization in curriculum design and incentivize technology-enhanced teaching innovations, they simultaneously create tensions between research productivity and pedagogical engagement. Key findings demonstrate that disciplinary differences significantly moderate these effects, with STEM faculty experiencing sharper role conflicts than their humanities counterparts. Institutional interventions, such as teaching-focused professorship tracks, emerge as effective buffers against evaluation-induced pressures. The study concludes by proposing a balanced governance framework that integrates differentiated evaluation mechanisms with capacity-building support systems, offering insights for reconciling accountability demands with educational quality in global higher education reforms. Keywords - Performance Evaluation; Teaching-Research Synergy; Dual Effects; Differentiated Evaluation Mechanisms; Mixed-Methods Research