Powerful professional development:

Peer Observation & Lesson Study

David WestonIRIS Community Conference

John Madejski Academy

Some aspects of professional learning

Awareness of effective

ideas, techniques

and approaches

Ability to recognise/ diagnose

suitability of approaches, and when they are not working

Fluency - instinctive recall and

use of appropriate techniques

Systematic and sustained use of

approaches

Understanding of

underlying theory -

solid conceptual

understanding

Ability to adapt, vary, combine and

refine approaches

Ability to reflect on

(and assess) own learning

progress

Recognition of student

behaviours and patterns of likely future behaviour

Increasing emotional

self-regulation

Source: Robinson (2009)

Establishing goals and expectations

Resourcing strategically

Ensuring quality teaching

Leading teacher learning and development

Ensuring an orderly and safe environment

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9

Unleashing talent: the key to school success

Effect Size

Four types of PDNo pre-existing skill/knowledge, no preconceptions

Pre-existing skill, knowledge, attitudes. Possible misconceptions.

Surface-level learning, change in awareness

Informing: e.g. seminars, courses, printed material, social media.

Influencing: e.g. discussion/debate, ‘emotional’ seminars, inspirational talks

Deep learning, change in practice & attitudes

Embedding: e.g. modelling, spaced learning, role-play, repeated practice

Transforming: e.g. coaching, micro-enquiry, research, Lesson Study

Transformative PD is• Aspirational, focused on valued learning

outcomes• Collaborative• Grounded in proven principles of great pedagogy• Relevant, differentiated, just-in-time, practical• Sustained for 30-50 hours at least, over two terms• Underpinned by theoretical understanding• Evaluated: summatively and formatively• Challenging as well as informative• Lead by leaders who model great learning and

demonstrate trust and distributed leadership

PD in exceptional schools

• Extensive formal coaching and mentoring• Clearer, consistent, evidence-based & cross-

curricular pedagogical strategies• Collaborative professional learning• Higher buy-in, higher financial investment• More use of internal expertise and ASTs• Subject knowledge a higher priority• Two pronged: whole-school sustained foci &

personal student-focused.• Clearly evaluated

Source CUREE (2013)

The CPD Quality Audit

Sections

• Leadership and Culture• Focus on Learning and Pedagogy• Evaluation of Impact• Support and Challenge• Processes, Systems and Resourcing• Research, Innovation and Evidence

The NTEN Audit

1. SLT self-audit2. Anonymous staff survey3. Peer visit

Issues around PD leadership

Identified from some NTEN audits• Focused on chasing accountability, not pupil

outcomes• Too may foci, not systematic• Lack of buy-in/consultation, too centrally led• Lack of resource, poorly distributed opportunities• Undermined by observation gradings & trust issues• Forgetting support staff• Not evaluating impact on learners• Not differentiated for different staff members• Wrong balance of internal v external (too much or

too little of either)Find out more: http://TDTrust.org/NTEN

1. Plan• Plan a lesson together. • Address each activity to

your Learning Goal and predict how pupils will react and how you will assess this.

• Pick 3 case pupils.

3. Reflect & Plan• As soon after the lesson as

possible, reflect how each activity elicited the sought-after change. Were your predictions correct? Why?

2. Observe• Teach the lesson with your

colleagues observing.• Pay particular attention to

the case pupils• Conduct any assessments

and/or interviews during & after.

Implementation: Lesson Study

Why does Lesson Study work?

• Makes tacit/implicit/habitual knowledge explicit

• Powerful interplay between theory/expectation and reality

• Repeated practice, social learning

Lesson Study…

• “… is empowering staff, building confidence and improving the quality of learning and teaching.”

• “The pedagogical discussions we’re having around the staffroom simply wouldn’t have happened before”

NTENNational Teacher Enquiry Network

Lesson Study…

• “My colleagues understand this is nothing to do with observation grades. It's taken the pressure off everyone planning by themselves. It's a really supportive way to work together and develop our practice”

• “A girl who’d almost never existed for me in my PE lesson is now loving her lessons – she’s even started coming to athletics club after school”

NTENNational Teacher Enquiry Network

Lesson Observation – TALIS 2013

• Teachers in England – most performance managed and observed in the world

• Lots of poor feedback• Huge problem with job satisfaction

and ‘managerialism’• Biggest improvements in job

satisfaction: trust and collaborative professional development

Lesson observation for quality assurance?

Strong et al. (2011) [identified] ‘effective’ and ‘ineffective’ teachers, showed videos of them teaching to observers and asked them to say which teachers were in which group. In both the experiments where the observers were not trained in observation, the proportion correctly identified by experienced teachers and head teachers was below the 50% that would be expected by pure chance.

Lesson observation for quality assurance?

At this level of accuracy, fewer than 1% of those judged to be ‘Inadequate’ are genuinely inadequate; of those rated ‘Outstanding’, only 4% actually produce outstanding learning gains; overall, 63% of judgements will be wrong.

Lesson observation – what to do?

• Pre-agree focus, use as a coaching opportunity (not ‘judgementoring’)

• Focus on student learning not teacher ‘performance’, where possible

• Be very wary of how you judge progress – learning doesn’t happen in one lesson

• Build capacity of teachers to improve themselves.

• Build trust, build coherent models of pedagogy

NTEN and IRIS

“There is much less pressure on the teacher whose students are being observed and it’s all about the learning. They have welcomed the chance to talk about challenges in teaching and learning, alongside looking at recent research and development,”

Blatchington Mill School

NTEN and IRIS

“While some staff were initially nervous about using IRIS, the fact that it is completely voluntary has reassured them that it can be used in a developmental way, again underpinning our completely non-judgmental and bespoke approach to an individual’s own CPD.”

Blatchington Mill School

NTENNational Teacher Enquiry Network

http://TDTrust.org/NTEN

CPD Quality Peer AuditA peer-audit against our CPD Quality Framework with Bronze, Silver and Gold awards for excellent practice & policies.Peer-to-peer supportConnect with like-minded schools to observe and develop outstanding practice.

Rigorous evaluation & researchEngage in both small and large-scale research, access evidence, implement quality evaluations and interventions.

NTEN Lesson StudyComprehensive tools and support to implement a world-leading system of Joint Practice Development.Research accessGain full text access to over 1800 educational research journals to ensure you stay at the cutting edge.A powerful voiceHave your views around staff development represented at the highest levels.

Teacher Development Trust

The national charity for effective professional development in schools and colleges

Powerful professional development helps children succeed and teachers thrive

Get in touch

David.Weston@TDTrust.org@informed_edu@TeacherDevTrust@NTENetwork@GoodCPDGuidehttp://www.TDTrust.org/NTENhttp://www.GoodCPDGuide.com/020 7250 8276