1 OBSERVATION
2 Observation as a Learning ToolBeing an observer in the classroom Opens up a range of experiences and processes Helps teachers’ professional growth It is a multi-faceted tool for learning At preparation stage, selection of the focus, the purpose, the method of data collection and collaboration with others are considered At follow-up stage, analysis, discussion and interpretation of the data and experiences acquired in the classroom and reflection on the whole experience are considered.
3 Who Observes? There are a number of people who observe for different purposes Trainee teachers observe teachers, other trainees, and trainers as an important part of their initial training process Teacher trainers observe trainees Teacher developers observe teachers as part of a school-based support system Trainee trainers observe teachers and trainee teachers.
4 Why should we observe? When we are the observer in the classroom, not the teacher, we can see the lesson from different points of views. This is particularly important for the trainee teachers: similar to the ‘silent phase’ of a beginning language learner (no production!) Like in the silent phase, the trainee teacher has the freedom to observe, absorb and reflect (no teaching pressure!). Thus s/he gets familiar with the ‘classroom culture.’
5 helps teacher gain a better understanding of their own teaching The dual purpose of developing the skill of observing: helps teacher gain a better understanding of their own teaching refines their ability to observe, analyze and interpret.
6 What are observation tasks?A focused activity to work on while observing a lesson in progress Focus is on one or a small number of aspects of teaching or learning Observer (individually or with someone else) collects data from the actual lesson Or the observer(s) may watch different lessons for the same reason Can also be vidotaped or audiotaped.
7 Why tasks? There is a lot to observe so we need to focus on one thing:Teaching / learning behaviour, Patterns of interaction Different learning styles Concentration spans, Patterns of group dynamics, … What is happening can be overt (e.g. a student asks a question and teacher answers covert (reasons of making a mistake)
8 Using an observation task heps the observer in two ways:Allows the observer to focus on one or two particular aspects (e.g. Listening only to a certain type of question) Provides a convenient means of collecting data
9 A Theoretical FrameworkThe theoretical framework of the observation tasks can be expressed under five headings: I- A model of teacher development II- The nature of help III- The importance of the classroom IV- The trainability of observation skills V- The importance of task-based experience
10 I- A Model of Teacher DevelopmentReflective practitioner: discovering more about one’s own teaching by seeking to understand the processes of teaching and learning in their own and others’ classrooms. Taken from
11 Key features of the model:
12 a) teachers’ own skills and experiencesbuilt on an asset, not on a deficit premise; the process of learning is active, not passive (T reflecting and exploring, not being developed by someone else).
13 b) learning as the construction of personal meaning:T does not only acquire new knowledge about teaching but also thinks about new ideas by the help of his/her past experiences, fits new ideas into his/her teaching and reappraises old assumptions Thus new information is creative, dynamic and personal: means different to each person Learning cannot be pre-ordained by the trainer “In order to be effective, instruction has to offer the trainee the opportunity to engage with the material on an individual basis and assess (herself/himself) as a learner in the process” (Freeman, 1989).
14 c) Teachers are the primary initiators of their own developmentInquiry, wish to reflect or explore cannot be imposed from outside and measure by objective tools Teachers decide and define their end-points or expected outcomes Adult learning is voluntary: motivation comes from within the learner.
15 d) Teacher Autonomy Formulaic, top-down prescriptions should not be offered to teachers Such prescriptions do not lead to autonomy; they provide answers for low-inference (readily learnable) skills
16 Preparation of teachers involves (Richards, 1990)Low-inference skills Giving instructions Eliciting language Higher-level decision making Interpreting learner error as ‘local’ or ‘global’ Knowing when and how to correct Higher level skills are more abstract, more conceptual and more complex.
17 II- The Nature of Help Teacher: deficient, passive, subordinateRelationship between the teacher trainer and the teacher (teacher trainee) WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A TRADITIONAL TEACHER AND TEACHER TRAINER? Teacher: deficient, passive, subordinate Teacher trainer: all-knowing, active, interventionist i.e., one-way transfer from the trainer to the trainee RESULT: LEARNED HELPLESSNESS! (feeling that change is impossible).
18 ‘recipient’ is in an inferior position than the ‘helper’; To Fanselow, ‘helpful prescriptions’ stop exploration ‘recipient’ is in an inferior position than the ‘helper’; helper gives orders; thus recipient is not bothered to consider what is happening why.
19 co-investigator, co-explorer initiation comes from the teacher‘Help’ in this model: collaborative and consultative Role of the teacher in this model: co-investigator, co-explorer initiation comes from the teacher Role of the helper in this model: to facilitate and guide learning assist in identifying the priorities if asked respond rather than initiate respect the learning style of the teacher.
20 helpers might not want to leave their traditionally dominant role Collaborative relationship might be difficult to achieve because helpers might not want to leave their traditionally dominant role teachers might not be ready to take an independent role their previous educational experience might affect their belief about how learning should happen Thus, the key feature is the voluntary nature of the learning experience.
21 The discovery-oriented and inquiry-based notion of teacher development is set in the bottom-up approach. Fanselow (1990) Here I am with my lens to look at you and your actions. But as I look at you with my lens, I consider you a mirror. I hope to see myself in you and through my teaching. When I see myself, I find it hard to get distance from my teaching. I hear my voice, I see my face and clothes and fail to see my teaching. Seeing you allows me to see myself differently and to explore the variables we both use.
22 The aim of teacher development should be considered as long-term aims.It should encourage the growth of independent teacher who can make independent decisions It should foster high-inference skills to make decisions and to respond effectively to the needs and demands in the classroom.
23 ‘Equipping’ and ‘enabling’ (Prabhu, 1987)Equipping: providing teachers with the skills and knowledge needed for immediate use (low-inference teacher skills) Enabling: developing teacher’s ability to meet and respond to future professional demands (high-inference teacher skills).
24 III- The Importance of the ClassroomTeacher is the principal agent of change Natural habitat of the teacher is the classroom Language classroom is the primary source of information for teachers to develop their own philosophy Language classroom is the place where teacher find out about their professional roles and responsibilities.
25 IV- The Trainability of Observation SkillsObservation skills are not intuitive; they can be learned Observation can help teachers grow the skills of analysis, interpretation and self-evaluation (critical abilities) Teaching and teachers’ expectations are affected by their teaching and learning experiences; these experiences might form some hidden assumptions The important thing in developing the observation skills of a teacher is to confront these hidden assumptions and verbalizing their expectations.
26 ‘rituals’ vs ‘principled teaching behaviors’Rituals: teaching without awareness of the principles that lie behind it Principled teaching behaviors: being aware of the principles that the teacher is using Rituals are generally learned at pre-service: because of time pressure and other reasons, student teachers might learn a ritual without fully understanding its rationale.
27 Advantages of rituals They provide certain security when a teacher is looking for survival skills and strategies (if the principles behind the techniques are not understood, then there is the danger) They release the teacher to think about other aspects of the lesson. i.e., the teacher doesn’t have to deal with small decisions in the classroom, but can consider elements outside of immediate survival.
28 Some learned, principled behaviors can degenerate and turn into rituals over time by repetition and over-use Thus some ritual is inevitable. However, it is possible to prevent them from being fossilized, pre-fabricated patterns of teaching behaviors How? By the help of observing peers; reflecting on one’s own teaching; and evaluating one’s own teaching behaviors.
29 V- The importance of task-based experienceThe best way of learning is being actively engaged in the learning process: doing, thinking, reacting, absorbing, observing, reflecting, preparing, considering, applying, analyzing, listing, selecting, prioritizing, ranking, interpreting, completing, comparing, re-arranging, evaluation, etc.
30 Features of task-based learninga) They allow the observation process to become personalized: the observer himself/herself is engaged with the process on an individual basis; s/he reflects and explore his/her own teaching and the other being observed b) They allow learning to be generative: teachers get the chance to generate solutions beyond that specific context which then leads to autonomy.
31 c) The task is inquiry-based, discovery-oriented, inductive, problem-solving: teachers are not given ‘pre-packaged solutions’; instead they discuss possible solutions with other teachers d) Task allows teachers to build up experience and understanding that serves them as a resource base: teacher development is an ongoing process; teachers ask their own questions and seek solutions by their own experiences through observations; even student teachers can have this data base by observing others in practicum.