Distributing leadership for sustainable peer feedback on tertiary teaching

Abstract

A growing evidence-based literature supports the value of peer feedback as a positive professional learning activity that enhances confidence, builds collegial relationships and supports reflective practice. Less clear is how best to embed such programs in university practices. This paper describes a leadership approach developed to support the scalable and sustainable implementation of peer-based professional development in a large Australian university. Drawing on distributed leadership approaches, we locate responsibility for ongoing implementation at the local level. This approach and its effectiveness are evaluated by analysing the experiences of 10 leaders. Based on the leaders’ evaluations and our reflections our approach has potential to support the leadership of sustainable and effective peer-based professional development of academic teaching staff in the tertiary sector. We identify critical success factors, challenges and future directions for the leadership and implementation of peer feedback on teaching in higher education.