Lesson observation feedback: what constitutes good practice in the view of teacher educators and trainee teachers? Do

Anna Bartrum – MFL secondary PGCE course leader James Burch – PGCE Secondary Programme Leader Karen Lockney – English secondary PGCE course leader Do

Two surprises Do

Relatively little research into lesson observation feedback [Lock and Soares (2005), Stevens and Lowing (2008)]…yet it feels like such a significant part of our work with trainees Internal PGCE development day: similar yet different methods within overarching system; little sense of what trainees thought about what we do Do

Impact? Do

At University of Cumbria Minimum of 3 observations across 2 PGCE placements University tutor and school subject mentor observe, complete written notes, tripartite feedback Do

English and MFL approaches U of C lesson observation proforma used, filled out during lesson, forms basis for subsequent discussion, photocopied immediately after discussion. MFL Notes taken by university tutor during session, discussed afterwards, some notes photocopied then, written notes provided by email in next day or so with questions to which trainees have to respond and show they are incorporating into practice Do

What do trainees think? [impact?] ‘ I believe feedback from university tutors is more helpful and precise than from the school and there is more consistency’ Do

What do trainees think? [impact?] General awareness of a balance between description, analysis, advice, comment, question, also an awareness of different ways these are weighted ‘But I need those different things’ Do

What do trainees think? [impact?] ‘ I prefer questions to advice so I can think about it and analyse it myself’ ‘I am different to you, I like advice, I like to be told what could work better.’ Do

What do trainees think? [impact?] ‘ I find description quite useful, so I can see what I did if I have forgotten or am unsure, and I can think about whether it was effective or not’ Do

Extent of engagement in written feedback MFL ‘You reflect differently a little later than you do when the lesson is just over’ ‘We are stretched even further, beyond the lesson itself and the discussion’ Do

Extent of engagement in written feedback English Did not like the sound of having to engage in discussion afterwards ‘I email tutor later if I have any more questions’ Do

‘I use them as a record of standards’ Do you read them again? English ‘I use them as a record of standards’ ‘I look again after the next lesson so I can see if I responded to the feedback’ ‘No. I write down 4 or so bullet points during the discussion and I respond as well as I can to those things’ Do

Things they did NOT like ‘some observers try to be too nice’ ‘some observers are too critical’ ‘some are too descriptive…there is no evaluation’ ‘some see it just from their viewpoint..I would have done it differently’ ‘sometimes the school observers do not understand or agree with the methods we are using – the ones the university has encouraged us to use’ Do

What can we conclude from this? different methods appeal to different learning styles Tended to have faith in their own subject’s approach Saw variation in university and tutor approaches Varying degrees of engagement in the written feedback after the discussion had ended Do

Questions to be asked…… can we have more impact on the way trainees engage with the written feedback after the lesson – what are the benefits of this? Can we exercise more influence on the way subject mentors approach written feedback? What is the balance between description, analysis, question, comment? What is the balance between subject specific comment and more general pedagogical comment? Do