Peer Observation: Observe and be Observed as Another Enrichment of Learner Autonomy
Sample chapter by José Luis Vera-Batista and Leslie Bobb Wolff
The observation document that we are presenting to the 14th Nordic Workshop on Learner Autonomy is the result of several years of practice in teacher observation and peer observation. From the beginning it was an open document that has been enriched from the practice and the suggestions made by the observers and the observed teachers. It was very important that the observation document be: negotiated, accepted by the participants, open to changes, decided on by the parties and ALWAYS with a constructive desire to seek alternatives to the improvable aspects of the observation made. The observer was NEVER the blind judge who rendered a verdict, but quite the contrary; s/he put her/himself in the position of giving suggestions, expressing doubts, instead of giving recipes (see “Some important aspects / features to take into account” at the beginning of the document). We hope that the document presented here will be as useful for the reader as it has been for us.
To observe and be observed can be a very interesting source of class information about how we and our colleagues put learner autonomy into practice in our classes. Why isn’t it a popular instrument? Why are we afraid of using it? Is it simply because it doesn’t belong to our professional culture, in other words, we are not used to listening to other colleagues’ feedback about what we try to implement. The observed teacher may think, “What is the observer going to say?”. The observer may think, “Will the teacher observed accept my opinions about the observation made?” These typical questions are part of our initial fears. In this presentation, using a questionnaire, we will share an experience with teachers who dealt with peer observation successfully.
In short, it is absolutely necessary to:
Feel free to use the document when conducting observations. For comments and questions, please contact the authors directly: jlvera.ull [at] gmail.com
Download PDF of complete chapter
To observe and be observed can be a very interesting source of class information about how we and our colleagues put learner autonomy into practice in our classes. Why isn’t it a popular instrument? Why are we afraid of using it? Is it simply because it doesn’t belong to our professional culture, in other words, we are not used to listening to other colleagues’ feedback about what we try to implement. The observed teacher may think, “What is the observer going to say?”. The observer may think, “Will the teacher observed accept my opinions about the observation made?” These typical questions are part of our initial fears. In this presentation, using a questionnaire, we will share an experience with teachers who dealt with peer observation successfully.
In short, it is absolutely necessary to:
- Demystify observation.
- Lower our initial barriers by creating a psychological net: face initial fears positively by choosing the right person to work with, establishing rules, using an effective and negotiated observation instrument, avoiding opinions without evidence, etc.
- Use assessment instruments: feedback after the observation and teacher’s self-assessment.
Feel free to use the document when conducting observations. For comments and questions, please contact the authors directly: jlvera.ull [at] gmail.com
Download PDF of complete chapter
Publication details
Please cite chapter as:
Vera-Batista, J. L., & Bobb Wolff, L. (2023). Peer observation: Observe and be observed as another enrichment of learner autonomy. In K. Schwienhorst & J. Ramos-Gonzalez (Eds.), Making space for autonomy in language learning (pp. 41-62). Candlin & Mynard.
Vera-Batista, J. L., & Bobb Wolff, L. (2023). Peer observation: Observe and be observed as another enrichment of learner autonomy. In K. Schwienhorst & J. Ramos-Gonzalez (Eds.), Making space for autonomy in language learning (pp. 41-62). Candlin & Mynard.