Peer Observation of Teaching: Exploring the experiences of academic staff at the University of Huddersfield

Peer observation of teaching (POT) is potentially an important part of identifying and sharing good practice in teaching and learning and a way to support the professional development of educational practitioners; a key element in enhancing the student experience and developing reflective practitioners.

At the University of Huddersfield all academic staff members are required to take part in an annual peer observation of teaching process, which is organised within the Schools rather then centrally. POT is meant to be a mutually beneficial activity for both the observer and the observed with the aims to enhance teaching quality and share good practice in teaching and learning.

The survey to explore staff perceptions, attitudes and experiences of the practice of peer observation of teaching (POT) was constructed in response to a request from the University teaching and learning committee (UTLC) to explore setting up a process for cross-school POT. In order to set up a new process, the Teaching and Learning Institute considered it was necessary to learn more about how POT was already organised in the Schools and try to evaluate staff interest in a cross-school scheme.