Interdisciplinary Class Observation in Higher Education: Lessons Learned from the Professional Development Experience of Four Teachers

Autor/inn/en	Miranda, Joana P.; Batista, Mariana; Duarte, Cristina; Sanches, Tatiana
Titel	Interdisciplinary Class Observation in Higher Education: Lessons Learned from the Professional Development Experience of Four Teachers
Quelle	In: Education Sciences, 11 (2021), Artikel 706 (14 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Miranda, Joana P.) ORCID (Sanches, Tatiana)
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2227-7102
Schlagwörter	Interdisciplinary Approach; Higher Education; Feedback (Response); Peer Evaluation; Veterinary Medicine; Social Work; Counselor Training; College Faculty; Teacher Attitudes; Teaching Methods; Learning Processes; Educational Quality; Best Practices; Pharmaceutical Education; Comparative Analysis; Teacher Educators; Peer Relationship; Sharing Behavior; Educational Improvement; Teaching Styles; Faculty Development; Foreign Countries; Portugal (Lisbon) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Fächerübergreifender Unterricht; Fächerverbindender Unterricht; Interdisziplinarität; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Tiermedizin; Soziale Arbeit; Fakultät; Lehrerverhalten; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Learning process; Lernprozess; Quality of education; Bildungsqualität; Teacher education; Education; Lehrerausbildung; Lehrerbildung; Peer-Beziehungen; Teaching improvement; Unterrichtsentwicklung; Lehrstil; Unterrichtsstil; Ausland
Abstract	Peer observation of teaching has been adopted as a method to improve the quality of teaching. It involves observers providing descriptive feedback to their peers on learning and teaching practices. However, although extensively described in the literature in the education field, its use as a tool for development beyond teaching skills has not been explored deeply, nor the best practices described. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare quantitative with qualitative peer observation, as well as to investigate the role of interdisciplinarity in the observation process. The present study results from experimental observation work carried out by four professors of higher education. Veterinary science, social work, pharmaceutical sciences, and education, the disciplinary areas of origin of the teachers, were the ecosystems in which the initial observation techniques were explored and applied, and the intention was to share good practices and pedagogical improvements through peer support. This study reports the experience of building an observation grid and its application, as well as the lessons learned during the observation experience. The aim was to evaluate whether the constructive criticism was focused on the pedagogical practices rather than on the content, which can be useful in understanding if the learning objectives are being attained, from the teacher's point of view. As such, we employed and assessed peer observation as a constructive, developmental process for higher education teachers from different fields of knowledge. The study concludes that feedback by peers is essential for the development of professional practice in higher education teaching, with the experience of qualitative observation being a fundamental path for teacher self-reflection in the search for their own authenticity. It further supports the notion that interdisciplinary differences, methodologies, styles, contexts, and practices can be used in a constructive way to improve course content and delivery, and, ultimately, to reinforce good teaching. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	MDPI AG. Klybeckstrasse 64, 4057 Basel, Switzerland. e-mail: education@mdpi.com; e-mail: indexing@mdpi.com; Web site: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/education
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01