Peer Observation of Teaching as a Tool to Guide Individual Professional Development
Keywords:
teaching cycle, teaching, reflection, self-regulated learning, teacherAbstract
The quality of the teaching process is improved by professional development which meets the interests and needs of the students as individuals in a rapidly changing society. The comprehensive professional development is a process involving activities that result in changes in teachers’ knowledge and beliefs, and consequently lead to changes in teaching and student achievement. Observing changes in the teaching process creates opportunities for innovative activities that lead to changes in both teachers’ and students’ knowledge. The aim of this paper is to examine peer observation of teaching as a form of comprehensive professional development. The paper depicts peer observation as enabling self-reflection as grounds for planning and directing professional development. In practice, this can be complemented by assessment, which is inseparable from teaching and is a part of the teaching cycle. Peer observation could be seen as a foundation of establishing professional learning communities. It supports teachers’ autonomous planning of teaching and of individual professional development.
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