Multilingual Academic Journal of Education and Social Sciences

search-icon

Designing a Set of Procedures for the Conduct of Peer Observation in the EFL Classroom: A Collaborative Training Model towards Teacher Development

Open access
Peer observation is a powerful tool by which foreign language teachers can become aware of a broad range of techniques and processes for conducting classes effectively. It constitutes a collaborative model of teacher training which facilitates the exchange of teaching methods and materials among teachers by fostering the development of teaching skills, by stimulating the rethinking of personal teaching methods and by raising awareness of the most supportive behaviours in professional relationships (Vacilotto & Cummings, 2007). Peer observation can yield its greatest benefits when it is not used as a tool for judging or evaluating others but when it stimulates a reflective review of one’s own beliefs on the basis of others’ practice (Cosh 1999; Farrell 2001). To facilitate and foster the training process, several procedures need to be followed encouraging teachers to report the valuable insights that peer observation prompted in them. The purpose of this paper is to design a set of procedures for the conduct of peer observation towards teacher development by engaging EFL teachers in an active collaborative model of training under the guidance of a trainer.
Bailey, K. M. (1990). ‘Diary studies in teacher education programs’. In Second language Teacher education, ed. J.C. Richards and D. Nunan. Second Language Teacher Education (pp. 215-226). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Bailey, K. M., & Ochsner, R. (1983). ‘A methodological review of the diary studies: Windmill tilting or social science?’. In K. M. Bailey, M. H. Long, & S. Peck (Eds.), Second language acquisition studies (pp. 188-198). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.
Bartlett, L. (1990). ‘Teacher Development through Reflective Teaching’. In Second Language Teacher Education. Eds. J. Richards and D. Nunan. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Beaumont, M. (2005). ‘Teacher Observation’. In Beaumont, M., Manolopoulou-Sergi, E. & Ayakli, Chr., Teacher Education in ELT- Designing Teacher Education Courses: From Teacher Training to Teacher Development. Vol.2 (pp. 64-130). Patras: Hellenic Open University.
Benedetti, T. (1997). ‘Enhancing teaching and teacher education with peer coaching’. TESOL Journal, 7/1: 41-2.
Borg, S. (1998). ‘Data-based teacher development’. ELT Journal, 52/4: 273-281.
Brandt, C. (2008). ‘Integrating feedback and reflection in teacher preparation’. ELT Journal, 62/1: 37-46.
Brinko, K. T. (1993). ‘The practice of giving feedback to improve teaching: what is effective?’ Journal of Higher Education, 64/5: 575–93.
Cameron, L. (1997). ‘The task as a unit for teacher development’. ELT Journal, 51/4: 345-351.
Cosh, J. (1999). ‘Peer-observation: a reflective model’. ELT Journal, 53/1: 22-27.
Cullen, R. (1991). ‘Video in teacher education: The use of local materials’. ELT Journal 45/1: 33–42.
Day, C. (1999). Developing teachers: The challenges of life-long learning. London: Falmer Press.
Dove, M., & Honigsfeld, A. (2010). ESL coteaching and collaboration: Opportunities to develop teacher leadership and enhance student learning. TESOL Journal, 1/1: 3-22.
Fanselow, J. F. (1990). ‘‘Let’s see’: contrasting conversations about teaching’ in J.C. Richards and D. Nunan. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Farrell, T. (1998). ‘Reflective Teaching’. English Teaching Forum, 36/4: 10-17.
Farrel, T. (2001). ‘Critical friendships. Colleagues helping each other develop’. ELT Journal, 55/4: 369–74.
Gebhard, J. G. (1990). ‘Models of supervision: choices’. In J.C. Richards and D. Nunan, Second Language Teacher Education (pp. 156-166). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Goodson, I., & Sikes, P. (2001). Life history research in educational settings: Learning from lives. London, UK: Oxford University Press.
Gottesman, B. (2000). Peer Coaching for Educators. Second Edition. London: Scarecrow Press.
James, L. (1973). The James Report’s Third Cycle. In In-Service Training: Structured Context, Watkins, (Eds.) London: Ward Lock Educational.
Johari, S. K. (2006). ‘Mirrors for an ESL Classroom: Using Reflective Teaching to Explore Classroom Practice and Enhance Professional Growth’. The English Teacher, 35: 99-116.
Malderez, A. (2003). ‘Observation’. ELT Journal, 57/2: 179-181.
Malderez, A., & Bodoczky, C. (1999). Mentor Courses: A Resource Book for Teacher Trainers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mann, St. (2005). ‘The language teacher’s development’. Lang. Teach, 38: 103-118.
Meng, J., Tajaroensuk, S., & Seepho, S. (2013). Recommendation for Sustaining the In-service Professional Development of Tertiary EFL Teachers. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 3/8: 1311-1321.
Numrich, C. (1996). ‘On becoming a language teacher: Insights from diary studies’. TESOL Quarterly, 30/1: 131-151.
Palmer, C. (1992). ‘Diaries for self-assessment and INSET programme evaluation’. European Journal of Teacher Education, 15/3: 227-238.
Poumellec, H. H., Parrish, B., & Garson, J. (1992). Peer Observation and Feedback in Teacher Training and Teacher Development. The Journal of TESOL France, 12/1: 129-140.
Reid, B. (1993). “But we’re doing it already”: Exploring a response to the concept of reflective practice in order to improve its facilitation. Nurse Education Today. 13: 305-309.
Richards, J. C. (2006). Theories of Teaching in Language Teaching. In Methodology in Language Teaching. Ed. Richards, J.C and Reandya, A.W. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Richards, J., and Lockhart, C. (1991). ‘Teacher development through peer observation’. TESOL Journal, 1/2: 7–10.
Richards, J. C., and Nunan, D. (1990). Second Language Teacher Education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Schön, D. A. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner. How professionals think in action. New York: Basic Books.
Schön, D. A. (1988). Educating the Reflective Practitioner. Toward a New Design for Teaching and Learning in the Professions. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Showers, B., and Joyce, B. (1996). ‘The evolution of peer coaching’. Educational Leadership, 53/6: 12–16.
Stillwell, Ch. (2008). ‘The collaborative development of teacher training skills’. ELT Journal, 63/4: 353-362.
Wajnryb, R. (1992). Classroom Observation Tasks. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Vacilotto, S., & Cummings, R. (2007). Peer coaching in TEFL/TESL Programmes. ELT Journal, 61/2: 153-160.
Wallace, M. (1991). Training Foreign Language Teachers: A Reflective Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wang, Q., & Seth, N. (1998). ‘Self-development through classroom observation: changing perceptions in China’. ELT Journal, 52/3: 205-213.
Widden, M. F., Mayer-Smith, J. A., & Moon, B. J. (1996). Knowledge, Teacher Development and Change. In Teachers’ Professional Lives, In I. F. Goodson & A. Hargreaves (Eds.). London: Falmer Press (187-205).
Widdowson, H. D. (1984). ‘The Incentive Value of Theory in Teacher Education’. ELT Journal, 38/2: 86-90.
In-Text Citation: (Tzotzou, 2014)
To Cite this Article: Tzotzou, M. D. (2014). Designing A Set of Procedures for The Conduct of Peer Observation in the Efl Classroom: A Collaborative Training Model Towards Teacher Development. Multilingual Academic Journal of Education and Social Sciences, 2(2), 16–29.