Teach Secondary 13.8

The limits OF LOOKING Are observations an effective tool for teacher development? That can depend who’s doing the observing and why, say Professor Geoff Baker and Craig Lomas ... O bservation has played a contested, but central role in teaching and learning for many years, with commentators alternately highlighting its promise as a tool for professional development, and the dangers it poses as a scheme for ranking and assessing practitioners. Recent years have seen some shifts in the use of classroom observation, influenced by wider organisational and political factors within education. Whilst the use of classroom observation is starting to evolve into what many would consider a more developmental use of the process, there are still inconsistencies. A crucial decision that must be made by school leaders before committing to specific methods is establishing the purpose of classroom observation. Are they to be isolated events for the purpose of policing and measuring performance, based on defined criteria? Or should classroomobservation form part of a larger process aimed at facilitating professional dialogue and development? Some recent work –most notably that by Professor Matt O’Leary – has argued that lesson observations can’t be both. Here, we want to look at the use and misuse of classroom observation, by offering five evidence-based recommendations for ensuring observations can be effective in promoting teacher development. 1. Divorce observations fromassessment Perhaps the most contested aspect of classroom observation surrounds graded lesson observations. Some argue that there’s value in providing graded judgements for isolated lessons, but the evidence and arguments against carry significantly more weight. Hierarchical ranking systems hold no real value, except to those wanting a measure of teacher performance. However, this approach is flawed for numerous reasons, which can be seen in Ofsted’s decision to move away from grading individual lessons during inspections. Judgements are a subjective measure, and as such, their reliability and validity can be questioned. Even with a specific framework with which to attribute these judgements, the consistency of use and application of these frameworks is, again, subjective. Graded observations can also impact upon a school’s culture, by generating competition. Whilst not inherently negative, the competition this brings about can produce a ‘survival of the fittest’ mentality that increasingly isolates teachers – something that’s hardly conducive to a learning organisation. Furthermore, observations with judgements attached tend to stifle creativity and risk-taking in the classroom, thus limiting the evolution of teacher practice. For these reasons, grading observations can act as a barrier to effective professional development. Removing judgements from classroom observations isn’t simply a case of removing graded lessons, but involves removing judgements throughout the entire process. It’s all too easy for observers to attribute a (misplaced) judgement to an action, which can then affect the dialogue that follows. It’s important to ensure that training is conducted on how to collect evidence during an observation in a non- judgemental manner. It might take time to unlearn years of habitual behaviour, but it’s an important step in ensuring the process is meaningful. “Observations with judgements attached tend to stifle creativity and risk-taking” 18 teachwire.net/secondary