Observation and feedback for improved instruction: Professional development by PLATO

Abstract

In recent years, increased attention has been devoted to the need for practice-based research in education. Together, teachers and researchers are expected to build new knowledge and arrive at evidence-based methods for improved quality and more efficient learning in schools. This article reports from a pilot study in the Swedish ULF project (Utbildning, Lärande, Forskning [Education, Learning, Research]), where researchers and teachers, on joint initiative and within the context of application, try out a model of collaboration for improved instructional quality. This research builds on previous large-scale studies where observation protocols have been used to identify critical aspects of instructional quality. The study aims to determine whether observations and video recordings of teaching followed by feedback to teachers, based on an observation protocol (PLATO), can be used to support the improvement of language arts instruction. Research interests concern both the effect caused by observation and feedback on teachers’ practice and their thinking about practice, and the potentials and pitfalls for a sustained collaboration. Findings indicate that the research-based quality criteria in PLATO pinpoint areas of development relevant for teachers’ planning and analysis of instruction. At the same time, the collaboration accentuates the need of more time for planning and reflection in teachers’ schedule as well as a local change agent to operate and authorize professional development at school level. Implications for an extended and large-scale collaboration are discussed.