Defining the views of teachers towards the practicability and effectiveness of peer observation

The aim of this study is to determine the views of teachers towards peer observation by introducing the peer observation as a new model to the teachers working at elementary and secondary state schools. In order to support the quantitative findings of the research, and to define the views of teachers towards weak and strong points of peer observation model as well as practicability and effectiveness of the model, a mix research model formed by quantitative, qualitative and pre-experimental research models, was used together in the research. In the quantitative level of the research, a sample survey was improved and applied to 357 teachers working at elementary and secondary state schools. In pre-expremental level of the research, 16 volunteer teachers (Turkish, Mat, Science, English and elementary school teachers) joined the peer observation process and observed their colleagues' lessons. In order to define whether teachers' views were changed or not after the application of peer observation, a single sample pretest-posttest model was applied to 16 volunteer teachers. In the qualitative level of the research, 16 teachers were interviewed individually about the effectiveness of peer observation model by using semi-structured interview model, and a group of 8 teachers were also interviewed by using focus group model. The findings of the study at the quantitative, qualitative and pre-experimental levels indicated that peer observation was viewed as a model that is likely to make contribution especially to professional development and instructional capabilities of the teachers as well as relatitions among the teachers; beside its benefits and positive contribution to professional development of teachers, peer observation model could also have some negative points such as teachers' being reluctant to be observed in their own classes and teachers' being delicate to receiving criticism about their teaching applications; the finding of the study also indicated that the male teachers had more positive attitudes towards peer observation than their female colleagues; and also, teachers who joined the pre-expremental study were more in favour of peer observation model rather than the traditional supervision models.