1. Understanding and improving teaching and learning through research-informed observation
Dr Matt O’Leary & Professor Mark O’Hara
Birmingham City University
EAIR Forum, 4th September 2017
University of Porto, Portugal

2. Global & national policy context
Global interest in improving education systems > market focus on measuring education performance in global league tables such as PISA in schools (OECD)
Growing importance of ‘quality’ of teaching, teacher evaluation & teacher effectiveness such as the recent Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) in HE in the UK
TEF Envy?

3. Thinking outside of the assessment box
Moving from the performative
Thinking outside of the assessment box
To the informative
Inquiry

4. Institutional context – a management perspective
Compelling reasons for change > National Student Survey results
Leadership = pre-/co-requisite for success & sustainability but ‘Make it so!’ leadership is the kiss of death > 5 new Policies
Either we hang together or we all hang separately. Institutional culture that promotes collaboration, trust, inclusion and respect on the ground against ‘a low trust backdrop’
Nothing succeeds like success. The affective and political dimensions really matter and the credibility of previous success can be powerful > putting forward the case for change

5. Key principles of our approach
Our approach is shaped and informed by current research and practice in the field of observation (e.g. O’Leary & Wood 2016; O’Leary 2013, 2014, 2016)
Observations are used formatively, focus = development
Observations are used as a catalyst for professional dialogue about practice (Charteris & Smardon 2014)
Teacher learning & collegial development underpin our approach. Both observer & observee learn (Tenenberg 2016)
Coaching & ethos of inquiry similar to Bokeno’s ‘learning relationships’ (2009); detached from domain of assessment

6. Stages of the ‘observation cycle’
Stage 1 - Observee self-reflection
Stage 2 – Pre-observation meeting (approx. 30mins)
Stage 3 - Observation (approx. 60 minutes)
Stage 4 - Post-observation individual reflection (approx. 30mins)
Stage 5 - Post-observation dialogue (approx. 30mins)
Stage 6 – Observee & observer post-observation reflective write up

8. our inquiry-based approach
opportunity to discuss practice
coaching
affirming
platform for professional dialogue
relaxed
constructive
increased confidence
Observee feedback on
our inquiry-based approach
powerful
non- threatening
catalyst for thinking
collegial
collaborative
friendly
supportive
positive
observing rather than judging
helpful
non-judgemental

9. Observee: ‘It feels like a genuinely democratic process that values individuals for the strengths they have, rather than an attempt to identify and criticise perceived weakness.’
Observee: ‘Previous, more judgmental, processes have tended to create 'instrumental'/tickbox responses from me, which are less relevant to my work.’
Observee: ‘I felt valued for my own professional expertise and philosophy of education – this was on my terms and against my own agenda.’
Observee: ‘This has been a great opportunity to talk about learning and teaching with colleagues. Sadly that’s something we rarely get the chance to do.’
Observer: ‘It was an extremely worthwhile experience- I learnt more from being an observer than from being an observee. It made me reflect upon my own practice with greater breadth and question some things I do that have become unquestioned habits.’

10. Result: Average score of 93

11. Rebelling in a corporate manner
Compulsion - NSS performativity v. enhancing teaching and learning.
Leadership - ‘The 5 Policies’, a demonstration of strength and stability or weakness and wobbliness?
Trust me/us - Developing the conditions to encourage enthusiastic co-creators of alternative ways of doing things; ‘Show, don’t tell’.
A little bit of politics - managing ‘a wounded beast’ whilst creating a safe space.
There has been early success undoubtedly. Deepening and sustaining the approach may bring us new challenges though and as always the context swirls around us.

12. Reconceptualising observation does not happen overnight
Need to allow time to discuss the ongoing anxieties & emotions associated with observation
Difficult for observers to remain non-judgemental when taking notes & posing questions during observations
The episodic nature of the observation can create barriers to a more holistic dialogue about teaching practice
Developing professional dialogue requires time investment – busy workloads & coordinating timetables can make this difficult
Senior management buy-in is vital to the success of this approach > ongoing challenge to ‘educate’ senior managers & leaders of the benefits, especially about timescale of impact

13. Next steps http://blogs.bcu.ac.uk/collaborativeobservation/
Additional training/development on: coaching skills, learning from each other & observing without judging
Focus groups of observers & observees to discuss and share experiences + impact on L & T practices
Refinement of observation cycle & data gathering
18-month project funded by HEFCE (Nov 2016-April 2018) collaboration between staff and students

14. References
Bokeno, R. (2009) “Genus of learning relationships: mentoring and coaching as communicative interaction,” Development and Learning in Organizations, 23(1) 5-8.
Charteris, J. and Smardon, D. (2014) “Dialogic peer coaching as teacher leadership for professional inquiry,” International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 3(2)
O’Leary, M. (2013) ”Surveillance, performativity and normalised practice: the use and impact of graded lesson observations in Further Education Colleges,” Journal of Further and Higher Education, 37(5)
O’Leary, M. (2014) Classroom Observation: A Guide to the Effective Observation of Teaching and Learning. Abingdon: Routledge.
O’Leary, M. (Ed) (2016) Reclaiming Lesson Observation: Supporting excellence in teacher learning. Abingdon: Routledge.
O’Leary, M. & Wood, P. (2016) ‘Performance over professional learning and the complexity puzzle: lesson observation in England’s further education sector’, Professional Development in Education.
Tenenberg, J. (2016) “Learning through observing peers in practice,” Studies in Higher Education, 41(4),

15. Any questions?