Peer
observation of teaching
Introduction
Peer observation is a method of gaining feedback on your teaching.
Generally speaking, it involves a colleague observing your learning
and teaching practice with the aim of offering you constructive feedback
on what you are doing well and what you might improve. In some cases,
peer observation might involve a reciprocal arrangement in which you
also observe your colleague's teaching. The peer observation relationship
usually begins with a discussion about the areas of your learning and
teaching practice on which you would like feedback. These preliminary
discussions might be more or less formal, depending on the context in
which the peer observation is taking place - that is, the peer
observation might occur as part of personal development activities you
have initiated yourself, or it might occur as part of a school's support
for learning and teaching evaluation. The discussions are followed by
the observation of your learning and teaching session and then by a
follow-up meeting in which you discuss both your own reflections on
the session as well as your colleague's observations.
Peer observation can be formative - that is, primarily for the
purpose of development - or summative - that is, primarily
for the purpose of performance review. In Australia, it is generally
held that peer observation is particularly effective when carried out
for formative purposes. Bell notes that peer observation
is rarely if ever used in Australian universities for summative purposes
alone (2002, p. 7).
Clearly, peer observation can help you to develop and enhance your
learning and teaching practice. Conducted and documented systematically,
it can function as part of a suite of teaching evaluation strategies.
It can represent valuable evidence of a commitment to continual improvement
in learning and teaching and thus form part of an application for promotion.
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Benefits of peer observation
Peer observation can:
- reassure and support you, particularly if you are new to teaching,
as you implement new and unfamiliar learning and teaching practices
and strategies
- allow you to check your own perceptions of and feelings about your
teaching against the observations of others - when used in conjunction
with other forms of evaluation such as student
feedback and self-reflection,
this can provide a more accurate representation of how effectively
you are implementing your learning and teaching philosophy
- provide critical insights into your learning and teaching practice,
revealing aspects of it of which you might be unaware
- help you address specific areas of your teaching that you feel are
problematic
- provide a mechanism for formal evaluation of learning and teaching
innovations
- create a learning environment in which you and your colleagues can
learn from each other as observers and observees
- promote an environment in which open and public discussion of learning
and teaching is encouraged.
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How do I go about peer observation?
Peer observation through a classroom visit is the best way for
your colleagues to provide feedback on both your teaching and your students'
reactions to it. It is important to remember that your peers can give
you valuable feedback on your practice whether they are new or experienced
teachers. When setting up a classroom visit as the basis for a peer
observation activity, we suggest that you adopt a process such as the
following.
- Identify a colleague whom you can trust to give you constructive
feedback, and invite her/him to observe your teaching. You could also
suggest a "critical friendship" with your colleague, in
which you observe each other's teaching as part of a mutual learning
and feedback process.
- Set up a pre-observation meeting, in which you discuss ground rules,
areas for feedback, classroom context, and your post-observation follow-up.
- Establish some ground rules for the peer observation. For example:
- confidentiality
- your colleague's role during the actual classroom visit -
do you want her/him simply to observe or are you happy for her/him
to ask you questions?
- your colleague's position in the classroom - where will
s/he sit?
- your colleagues' interactions with students - will s/he
ask the students questions?
- Discuss with your colleague the areas of your teaching on which
you would like feedback. You might like to supply your colleague with
a checklist - we have provided a model
below.
- If your colleague isn't familiar with your classroom context, it's
often helpful to explain the learning aims and outcomes of the course
or session and provide any other details that might be relevant.
- As part of your preliminary discussions, set up a post-observation
meeting, which you and your colleague will use to share your reflections
and observations.
- At your post-observation meeting, we suggest that, before your colleague
offers his/her observations, you take a moment to reflect on your
experience of the classroom visit. Below, we have provided some suggestions
for giving and receiving feedback on the peer observation session.
An alternative method to peer
observation involves having your class videotaped and subsequently
reviewed. You might wish to review the videotape yourself as a method
of self-evaluation. If possible, however, it might be even more useful
to review the tape with a colleague. If you ask a colleague to review
the videotape, we suggest you follow a process similar to that outlined
above.
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Suggestions for giving
and receiving feedback
Effective feedback :
- is meaningful - that is, it focuses on the areas identified
by the observee
- is timely - that is, it comes when the observee can make the
most of it
- identifies and positvely reinforces what was done well
- constructively addresses areas for improvement.
When giving feedback as part of a peer observation activity:
- Avoid the temptation to discuss what you would have done in a similar
learning and teaching situation.
- Begin by remarking positively on one or two things that you really
liked about your colleague's teaching.
- Be specific - refer to examples rather than generalities.
- Prioritise your feedback - focus on the most important areas
of the teaching you have observed.
- Focus your comments on your colleague's behaviour rather than on
her/his personality - for example, instead of saying, "You're
unfocused", say, "You presented a class outline, but you
didn't stick to it and I found it difficult to know where you were
up to".
- Be realistic - focus on things that your colleague can change
or control.
When receiving feedback as part of a peer observation activity:
- Identify specific areas for feedback before the classroom visit
or videotape review.
- Suggest to your colleague that you begin the feedback session with
your own reflections. When reflecting, you might be tempted to focus
on what you feel went badly, but also try to identify a couple of
things with which you were pleased.
- Be open - remember that you asked your colleague to give feedback.
- Don't interrupt your colleague before he or she has finished speaking.
- Be aware of your own reactions to what your colleague is saying.
- Ask questions or ask for specific examples if you're not clear on
what your colleague is saying.
- Take time to reflect afterwards on what your colleague has said.
- Identify those areas of the feedback that you can act on, and commit
to a plan for following up.
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A suggested model for peer
obervation
We have included here a suggested model for you and your colleague
to use as the basis for your peer observation activity.
Download peer
observation model.
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Further information and support
If you would like additional advice or assistance with peer observation, please contact Learning & Teaching@UNSW by
phoning extension 55989 or e-mailing lt@unsw.edu.au.
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Online resources
University of Queensland Teaching
and Educational Development Institute, Peer
review of teaching and learning
University of South Australia Learning
Connection, Peer
Review of Teaching.
University of Sydney Institute for Teaching and Learning, Gathering Feedback from your Colleagues.
University of Texas at Austin
Center for Teaching Effectiveness, Preparing for Peer Observation: A Guidebook.
Oxford Brookes University Centre for Staff and Learning Development, Getting Feedback from Your Peers.
Bell, M. 2002, Peer Observation of Teaching in Australia, LTSN Generic Centre, York UK.
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