The nature of peer observation

Peer observation refers to a teacher or other observer closely watching and monitoring a language lesson or part of a lesson in order to gain an understanding of some aspect of teaching, learning, or classroom interaction. In Chapter 3 we examined how teachers can observe their own classrooms. In this chapter the focus is on observing another teacher's classroom and what two teachers can gain through observing each other's teaching. In our experience, many teachers have a negative reaction to the idea of someone observing their classes. For many, “observation” calls to mind a coordinator or visitor coming to a classroom to carry out a supervisory or evaluative observation as part of the process of performance appraisal. Observation tends to be identified with evaluation, and consequently it is often regarded as a threatening or negative experience.Williams (1989, p. 86) has summed up some of the problems of traditional classroom observations:

• The teachers did not like it. It was threatening, frightening, and regarded as an ordeal.

• It was prescriptive.

• The checklist focused on too much at once.

• The teachers had no responsibility for the assessment. It was trainercentered.

In this chapter we wish to separate evaluation from observation and explore how observation can be a part of the process of teacher development rather than focus on it as a component of appraisal.

Purpose and benefits of peer observation

Observation is a basic part of the learning of many occupations, particularly in vocational and technical fields, but learning through the observation of practitioners at work also plays a role in other fields, such as business, law, and medicine.