A presentation on the perils and pitfalls of lesson observation for the National Teacher Enquiry Network Conference 7th February 2014

2. Why observe lessons?
• To check teachers are doing the ‘right’
things?
• To check that students are safe and
happy?
• To improve the quality of teaching &
learning?

3. Improving teaching & learning
• Is there a preferred teaching style?
• Progressive vs traditionalist
• What is ‘learning’?

4. Performance
Learning

5. Separating learning from
performance
Performance is measurable
but learning must be inferred
from performance: it cannot
be observed directly.
Robert A Bjork

6. ‘Poor proxies’ for learning
• Students are busy: lots of work is done
(especially written work)
• Students are engaged, interested, motivated
• Students are getting attention: feedback,
explanations
• Classroom is ordered, calm, under control
• Curriculum has been ‘covered’ (i.e. presented
to students in some form)
• (At least some) students have supplied correct
answers (whether or not they really understood
them or could reproduce them independently)
Robert Coe, Improving Education: a triumph of hope over
experience

7. The MET Project
• If a lesson is given a top grade, there’s
a 78% chance a second observer will
give a different grade
• If a lesson is given a bottom grade,
there’s a 90% chance a second
observer will give a different grade.
http://www.metproject.org/downloads/MET_Composite_Estimator_of_Effective_Tea
ching_Research_Paper.pdf

8. Do we know a successful
teacher when we see one?
• Fewer than 1% of lessons judged
inadequate are genuinely inadequate
• Only 4% of lessons judged outstanding
actually produce outstanding learning
gains
• Overall, 63% of judgements will be wrong
Strong, M., Gargani, J., & Hacifazlioglu, O. (2011). Do we know a successful teacher
when we see one? Experiments in the identification of effective teachers. Journal of
Teacher Education, 62(4), 367–382.

9. What about ‘formative’
observations?
• Personal preference & bias is hard to
avoid
• We focus on performance
• If you can do it you can spot it?
• Can observation really miss so much?
.

10. Improving observation
•
•
•
•
•
Don’t make assumptions
You’re there to learn
Make it reciprocal
Focus on instructional support
Watch the teacher or the pupils?
Lessons from Lemov

11. Quality Assurance
• What are your non negotiables?
– Pupils’ work
– Quality of marking
– Responses to feedback
– Punctuality & attendance
– Professionalism
• How would lesson observation be used
to ensure these things were
happening?

12. @LearningSpy
learningspy.co.uk
ddidau@gmail.com