Peer Observation as a teacher professional development mechanism. The perception of participants in Xarxa de Competències Bàsiques

Abstract

Peer observation consists of pairs of teachers, with similar degrees of experience, who agree to observe each other focusing on one or different pedagogical aspects from their action in class. Evidence-gathering tools are used to offer constructive mutual feedback afterwards, which enables reflection to set goals for improvement. In Xarxa de Competències Bàsiques (Core Competences Network, in Catalan), promoted by the Catalan Department of Education, an intervention was developed. It consists of pairs of teachers who voluntarily plan the observation, carry it out with the help of an observation grid that they have previously adapted, and finally develop a feedback session for joint reflection based Nº 53 (3a. època) novembre 2020 p. 48-59 ISSN: 2339-7454 Creative Commons BY-NC-ND www.ambitsaaf.cat 49 on the evidence to find goals for teaching improvement. In this article, the perceptions from 44 teachers who participated in this practice are presented. Perceptions were gathered through an anonymous questionnaire. The teachers talk about overcoming worries and concerns related to peer observation; they point to the potentiality of the adopted procedure, as well as emerging difficulties, especially related to setting goals for improvement; more than half of the teachers set personal improvement goals, which address the observed topic as well as classroom management and methodological aspects; and, finally, they highlight the benefits of peer observation, both at personal and institutional level.