2nd Edition
Classroom Observation A Guide to the Effective Observation of Teaching and Learning
Building on recent changes and debates surrounding the use of observation, this fully updated second edition of Classroom Observation explores the role of lesson observation in the preparation, assessment and professional learning of teachers, lecturers and educators at all levels and across all educational organisations. Offering practical guidance and detailed insights on an aspect of training that is a source of anxiety for many teachers, this thought-provoking book offers a critical analysis of the place, role and nature of lesson observation in the lives of education professionals.
Updated to incorporate the latest research, policy and practical developments on observation, this new edition also includes greater coverage of research and developments in the field of observation beyond the UK. Enabling readers to use observation as a lens for understanding, informing and improving teaching and learning, and equipping them with structured frameworks for applying observation, this book includes sections on:
- Teacher autonomy and professional identity
- Performance management, professional standards and accountability
- Peer observation, self-observation and critical reflection
- Educational assessment and evaluation
- Peer-based models of observation
- Using digital technology to inform learning.
Written for all student and practising teachers as well as teacher educators and those engaged in educational research, Classroom Observation is an essential introduction to how we observe, why we observe, and how it can be best used to improve teaching and learning.
Introduction to Second Edition. Introducing the book. Part I: Exploring the role of classroom observation in teaching and learning. Chapter 1: Classroom observation in context: understanding the background to its emergence and its role in the teaching profession. Chapter 2: A review of classroom observation in the English education system: understanding its role in schools, colleges and universities. Chapter 3: Typologies of classroom observation: contexts, models and purposes. Part II: Classroom observation as a means of studying and assessing the effectiveness of teaching and learning. Chapter 4: Classroom observation as a method for studying teaching and learning: ways of recording what you see. Chapter 5: What is learning? What is teaching? Can we really observe them? Chapter 6: Being an effective teacher: models of teacher effectiveness. Part III: Classroom observation as a means of improving teachers’ professional learning and development. Chapter 7: Classroom observation as a tool for expansive professional learning: observing practice and the role of critical reflection. Chapter 8: Peer-based models of observation: the benefits of collaborative learning. Chapter 9: Using digital video technology to observe, inform and improve teacher learning. Chapter 10: Lesson study. Conclusion.
Biography
Matt O’Leary is Professor of Education and Director of the education research centre CSPACE at Birmingham City University, UK. His research on classroom/lesson observation has had significant impact in the UK and internationally on education policy and the thinking and practice of education leaders, practitioners and researchers working in all education sectors.
