Reciprocal peer observation: a mechanism to identify professional learning goals

Abstract

Reciprocal Peer Observation involves a pair of teachers with similar degrees of experience and status who mutually agree to observe each other’s practice. Both act as observer and observee. Individual reflection and mutual constructive feedback are provided, enabling the sharing of knowledge to identify goals for improving their teaching practice. In this study, 228 primary and secondary teachers followed a four-stage cycle of peer observation: pre-observation meeting; observation and brief report by observee; feedback meeting; and reflective writing by observee with a learning goal. Using different instruments (post-observation report, audio recording of the feedback meeting, final reflective synthesis; evaluation questionnaire and group interviews), the study has shown that most teachers identified the learning goal in the three stages of the cycle, which allowed them to refine it based on their own reflections and those of the observer; and to make better use of the feedback. Consequently, this process has led to higher quality learning goals. However, these same teachers also formulate–to a lesser extent–lower quality goals. The study provides criteria to further guide reciprocal peer observation towards the improvement of teacher learning.