Researching Teaching And Learning Process Trough Peer Observations

Mutual lesson observations offer opportunities for formative feedback which is important for further improvement and development of a teacher’s work. This paper presents the key findings from peer observations as the way of common research of teaching and learning process that leads to professional development of teachers. Eight peer observations were carried out for students of 7th grade. The prerequisite for successful lesson observation is that both the teacher who observes the lesson and the teacher who carries out the lesson want to do deeper research and gain new knowledge and experiences. Before these observations took place, the headmistress introduced a certain protocol, and afterwards the involved teachers added their suggestions to it. The protocol involved a discussion before the observation, guidelines for lesson observation, analysis and evaluation of the lesson. In the discussion before the observation the teachers talked about the lesson to be observed. During this first step the teachers tried to foresee the possible problems and together planned the alternative ways and solutions. During lesson observation, the teacher observer made notes about students’ active involvement in the learning process, how much and in what way they were a source of learning and teaching to each other, how independent they were in their work and able to ask questions. The last stage was common discussion after the observation with the analysis and evaluation of the lesson. The teachers compared the lesson observed with three other lesson with the same class and made notes. After all peer lesson observation has been completed teachers had common professional discussion about research findings and experiences. From the above stated, collected students’ work and audio-visual recording we found out that most of the students were much more active, motivated and autonomous in the situation when they were a source of learning and teaching to each other, when they could decide in what way they would pass their knowledge to a single school-friend or a group. Involved teachers perceived peer observations as an opportunity for collaboration and research. They pointed out that they gain new knowledge and experiences and they identified some shortcomings.