Enhancing the Quality of EFL Pre-Service Teacher Training Through Peer Observation

Abstract

Teachers’ regard for peer observation is often ambivalent and defensive due to the stereotypical views which associate it with stress, anxiety and the fear of being criticised during the feedback sessions. Peer observation is often linked with negative emotions, which often overshadow its initial goal– teaching quality improvement. An attempt to change this perspective was made by bringing forward and cascading a revised concept of peer observation, which is unbiased and constructively oriented, through an observation competence-building project aimed at training pre-service and inservice teachers. This research aims to analyse the integration of peer observation during the English Didactics course, in accordance with the principles of the REFLECT project, where pre-service teachers were trained to conduct peer observations of micro-teaching sessions and practicum classes objectively. The upsides and limitations of piloting peer observations will be revealed and discussed throughout the research, aiming to offer an objective view of the project implementation experience.