Learning across disciplines in Higher Education through peer observation of teaching: the Observar e Aprender project

Author(s):

Ernesto López Gómez(presenting / submitting)Luis Tinoca(presenting)

Conference:

ECER 2017

Network:

22. Research in Higher Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

22 SES 07 D,

Paper Session

Time:

2017-08-23

17:15-18:45

Room:

K5.19

Chair:

Laura Hirsto

Contribution

The observation of teaching is an emergent commonplace in higher education that provides valuable knowledge for improving teaching and learning. Observation of teaching can include several goals, and be undertaken by a diverse set of observer profiles. However, in the last decades, there has been a focus on peer observation in Higher Education contexts (Gosling, 2002; Peel, 2005).

There are several peer observation of teaching (POT) models in the literature, with Gosling’s (2002) probably being the most used. This author distinguishes between three different observation models: evaluation model (observation by a senior peer focused on evaluation or performance appraisal), peer review model (observation by a colleague, and each participant is observed and observes) and development model (observation by an educational developer). Both the management model and the development model take on a unidirectional approach, even if they include a diverse set of goals. However, the peer review model assumes a bidirectional stance, allowing for the exploration of a wide set of advantages for both participants (Bell & Mladenovic, 2015; Tenenberg, 2016).

When this perspective is valued, POT is considered to be a powerful tool for providing feedback to individual teachers, disseminating disciplinary good practices and fostering a local evaluative enhancement culture (Yiend, Weller & Kinchin, 2014). According to Bell and Mladenovic (2015, 25) POT is a “collaborative partnership between two or more academics who observe each other teaching, offer each other constructive feedback on their teaching and reflect on their teaching based on both what was observed and their colleague´s feedback”. This way, it allows the participants to identify and discuss, characteristics of their professional practice that used to be neglected.

Peer observation can be a mutual gift, as a collegial process, between the observer and the observed where both gain in self awareness, perspective, an introduction to new techniques and fresh enthusiasm for their craft (Carroll & O´Loughlin, 2014). POT provides a space to reflect on teaching and also to help teachers to enhance professional teaching practice.

In fact, peer observation in Higher Education fosters the development of a learning environment, where giving and receiving feedback promotes critical reflection about pedagogical practices, supporting the participants’ professional development. This way, we are nurturing the identification and sharing “good” practices and further promoting a culture of institutional quality.

In this context, the present contribution intends to present and discuss the implementation of a POT program implemented at the University of Lisbon (UL) with the “Observar e Aprender” project (Observe & Learn). This project is inspired by a similar initiative from the University of Porto – the “de par em par” project (Mouraz et al., 2013).

The Observe & Learn project intends to promote the improvement of teaching practices in Higher Education, being established as a space for experimentation and support for the participants, within and interdisciplinary context. There have been 6 editions of the project since the 2013/14 academic year (one each semester) with the active participation of over 100 instructors from 14 different faculties from the University of Lisbon (participation is voluntary, anonymous and confidential). It should also be noticed that many participants have enrolled more than once, emphasizing the projects’ interest.

Method

The implemented POT model included the organization of teacher quartets, where each participant takes on the observer role twice and is also observed twice by his peers. The procedure introduces some actions. Before the observation, the participant whose class is observed explains to his peers the observation context. It is also suggested that each participant should read the “Observer Guide” made available by the project coordination. During the observation, the observing peers can register their observation in the provided “Observation rubric” or in any other form considered relevant. After the observation, the participants have the opportunity to meet and discuss their experiences related to the observation process. The observer is also requested to anonymously submit online the “observation rubric”. The “observation rubric” can be completed either during or after the observation and allows for the analysis of the observed professional practice, fuelling the discussion between the participants, and supporting their reflection about the observed practices and also about their own experiences. This rubric includes four sections adapted for the “de par em par” project (Mouraz, et al., 2012; Mouraz, Lopes & Ferreira, 2013; Mouraz, et al.; 2014; Torres et. al., 2015): 1) Characterization questions. 2) Teaching dimensions (organization, lecturing, student engagement, classroom environment, and content) to be assessed on a five point Likert scale ranging from “fully agree” to “fully disagree”, and also including a sixth option “not applicable”. 3) Questions prompting the participants’ reflection after the observation. It includes questions such as: what was particularly interesting for me in this class? What would I like to ask my colleague? What similarities or differences do I find when I compare this class with my own practice? Do I have any suggestions to make? 4) A space for a collaborative reflection and appreciation about the observation process. The data collected from the “observation rubric” are continuously being collected and analysed (since the project is still ongoing) both quantitatively and qualitatively. In this particular paper, we focus on data collected over the past six editions. We give special emphasis to the qualitative information gathered in the third section of the “observation rubric”. Data analysis allowed us: a) to identify both similarities and differences on the observation experiences from participants from a wide range of different faculties and b) to emphasize the main suggestions and recommendations for the observation process being presented by the participants.

Expected Outcomes

The presented results frame peer observation as part of a wider quality and institutional agenda supporting the professional development of the participating instructors, especially given that the interdisciplinary context of the project makes the participants focus mainly on the pedagogical issues and less on specific content issues (Mouraz, et al., 2014). It will also be important to add another dimension with participant interviews, allowing for the collection their participation on the project on their later classroom practices, in order to further understand the project’s impact. This will be a crucial step to better consolidate and improve the project at the institutional level and beyond. Good POT practices are dependent on the quality of the observation process, guiding the experiences of observing and being observed (Bell & Mladenovic, 2015). The used rubric allows for both the analysis of the observed practices, and also promotes the participants’ reflection about their own and the observed practices. Over the last decade, there has been a strong emergence in international literature emphasizing the need for Higher Education institutions to foster the quality of their instructional practices, supporting the development of reflexive, critical and conscious instructors, capable of analysing and improving their practices (Nevgi & Löfström, 2015; López-Gómez, 2016). If universities consider, and value, teaching and learning as important, they must promote policies and initiatives that support the development of their instructors’ collaborative and reflective teaching practices (Kennelly & McCormack, 2015). The clear tendency is to replace higher education traditional teaching attributes such as privacy, autonomy and isolation by new ones like community, collaboration, interaction and support (Van Waes et al., 2015).

References

Bell, A., & Mladenovic, R. (2015). Situated learning, reflective practice and conceptual expansion: effective peer observation for tutor development. Teaching in Higher Education, 20(1), 24-36. Carroll, C., & O’Loughlin, D. (2014). Peer observation of teaching: enhancing academic engagement for new participants. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 51(4), 446-456. Gosling, D. (2002). Models of Peer Observation of Teaching. LTSN Generic Centre Learning and Teaching Support Network, York. Kennelly, R., & McCormack, C. (2015). Creating more ‘elbow room’ for collaborative reflective practice in the competitive, performative culture of today's university. Higher Education Research & Development, 34 (5), 942-956. López Gómez, E. (2016). La formación docente del profesorado universitario: sentido, contenido y modalidades. Bordón. Revista de Pedagogía, 68 (4), 89-102. Mouraz, A., et al. (2012). De Par em Par na UP: o potencial formativo da observação de pares multidisciplinar. Revista Portuguesa de Investigação Educacional,12, 79-99. Mouraz, A., Lopes, A., & Ferreira, J. M. (2013).Higher education challenges to teaching practices: perspectives drawn from a multidisciplinary peer observation of teaching program. International Journal of Advanced Research, 1 (6), 6, 377-386 Mouraz, A. et al. (2014). Multidisciplinary Peer Observation as a strategy to promote a curriculum development awareness among lecturers in Higher Education (HE). Paper. European Conference on Educational Research, Porto. Nevgi, A., y Löfström, E. (2015). The development of academics’ teacher identity: Enhancing reflection and task perception through a university teacher development programme. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 46, 53-60. Peel, D. (2005). Peer observation as a transformatory tool? Teaching in Higher Education, 10(4), 489–504. Tenenberg, J. (2016). Learning through observing peers in practice. Studies in Higher Education, 41(4), 756-773. Torres, A. C., et. Al. (2015). What catches the eye in a class observation? - Lecturers' perspectives in a program of multidisciplinary peer observation of teaching. Paper. European Conference on Educational Research, Budapest. Van Waes, S., Van den Bossche, P., Moolenaar, N. M., De Maeyer, S., y Van Petegem, P. (2015). Knowwho? Linking faculty’s networks to stages of instructional development. Higher Education, 70 (5), 807-826. Yiend, J., Weller, S., & Kinchin, I. (2014). Peer observation of teaching: The interaction between peer review and developmental models of practice. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 38(4), 465-484.

Author Information

Ernesto López Gómez (presenting / submitting)

Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia

Madrid

Luis Tinoca (presenting)

Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal

Search the ECER Programme

Search for keywords and phrases in "Text Search"
Restrict in which part of the abstracts to search in "Where to search"
Search for authors and in the respective field.
For planning your conference attendance you may want to use the conference app, which will be issued some weeks before the conference
If you are a session chair, best look up your chairing duties in the conference system (Conftool) or the app.