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A short guide on teaching observation

While reading this page by Liz Barnett (Teaching and Learning Development Officer London School of Economics and Political Science) bear in mind the material has been specifically written for her colleagues. However, it takes only a little effort to place the ideas in the context of peer assessment in any Australian registered training organisation.

Teaching Observation

This page by Dr Peter Coxhead of the University of Birmingham, School of Computer Science, divides the process of observing a peer’s teaching into four phases and provides a guide to what should be observed, discussed and reflected on.

Teaching Observation Form

This form was developed by the University of London and although it includes a list of criteria to consider, is not a standard ‘tick and flick' checklist.

Publications

CHISM, Nancy and Christine, Stanley 1998, Peer Review of Teaching: A Sourcebook, Anker Publishing Co, USA.

This book consists of two parts: Part One details a framework for designing and implementing peer review, and Part Two provides guidelines, protocols, and forms for each task involved in an effective system of peer review.

EWENS, David 2001, Observation of Teaching and Learning in Adult Education: How To Prepare for It, How To Do It and How To Manage It. Part of the Adult and Community Learning Quality Support Programme.

This booklet is the second in a series of publications written for the United Kingdom adult and community learning sector to assist it in improving quality. An introduction covers the rationale for observing teaching and learning in a self-assessment context. Chapter 1 concentrates on the practicalities and processes of observing teaching and learning (OTL), including how OTL information might be fed into a self-assessment report. It suggests activities for 'trainee observers' that can be followed or adapted to help carry out or revise processes for OTL. Chapter 2 examines how the introduction of a system of OTL might be managed with suggestions for implementing or adapting a system of observing teaching and learning. Chapter 3 applies theory to practice through a case study. It includes a checklist for change and a way of starting calculations to cost a new system and set targets. Appendixes include 21 references and example OTL forms and guidance, session plans, and pre-observation meeting form.

GIBBS G, Habeshaw, S & Habeshaw, T 1988, 53 Interesting Ways to Appraise your Teaching. Technical and Educational Services Ltd, Bristol.

This is aimed at trainers in further and higher education and provides practical ideas for appraising teaching either for individuals or those who team teach. There are many ideas for getting feedback from your learners.

GOLEBY, A & Clayton, B 1995, Evaluation Kit: Making a World of Difference to Training, Version 2, CIT Solutions Pty Ltd, Canberra.

This kit has some wonderful and non-threatening ways of evaluating modules and courses that also gives you feedback on how you are presenting the material.

PULTORAK, Edward & Stone, William 1999, Understanding the Realities of Reflective Teaching: What Are Best Practices for the 21st Century? Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association of Teacher Educators Chicago, IL.

This paper discusses reflective teaching and critical thinking skills in novice teachers and examines potential best practices for the 21st century. The paper shares findings of a three year qualitative study regarding the effect of four procedures on the developmental dynamics of reflective teaching and critical thinking skills in beginning teachers.

QUIRKE, Phil 1996, Using unseen observations for an in-service teacher development program. The Teacher Trainer, Vol 10, No 1 Spring.

Many in service teacher development programmes use observation by trainers of teachers' classes. All too often the traditional observation approach is viewed with hostility and even fear. An additional disadvantage of observations is that a visited class can never be a true representation of the teacher's usual practice because the classroom dynamics and interactions will always be affected by the presence of another person. The answer to these problems seems to be not to visit the class. The trainer does not go into the lesson but listens to the teachers' version of it after the event. S/he sees the class through the eyes of the teacher and relies on the teacher as a professional. This type of observation is known as 'unseen observation'.

SCHNEIDER, Rebecca & Blumenfeld, Phyllis 1992, Observing Teaching: A Reform-Based Framework for Looking into Classrooms, Center for Learning Technologies in Education.

Abstract: This study examines teachers' classroom practices in response to the support for teacher thinking in the materials and designs a systematic research method for observing classroom teaching consistent with reform recommendations and adaptable for use on a large scale. The development of a method to evaluate complex classroom observations that captures the salient features of reform-based teaching is described.

WAJNRYB, Ruth 1992, Classroom Observation Tasks: A Resource Book for Language Teachers and Trainers, Cambridge University Press, UK.

A book about observation from outside the realm of assessment. The focus is on discovery, learning, and teacher development. It is addressed to the teacher, but also may be used by teacher trainees, teacher trainers, and those involved in school-based teacher support. Over 35 structured tasks related to classrooms are provided and divided into seven focus areas.