Transcript ppt

CRADLE
Centre for Research &
Development in Lifelong Education
Lesson observation: new approaches,
new possibilities
17th June 2015
University of Wolverhampton
Dr Matt O’Leary
Twitter: @drmattoleary
https://wlv.academia.edu/MattOLeary
CRADLE
Centre for Research &
Development in Lifelong Education
Teaching as an evidence-based profession
‘Evidence is the engine for change.
We can use it to create space for rethinking and to focus our attention
on overlooked possibilities for
moving practice forward’
(Ainscow 2015: 22)
CRADLE
Centre for Research &
Development in Lifelong Education
CRADLE
Centre for Research &
Development in Lifelong Education
A new dawn, a new beginning?
The end of graded observations in inspections
CRADLE
Centre for Research &
Development in Lifelong Education
The complexity of classrooms
‘…classroom teaching is
perhaps the most complex,
most challenging, and most
demanding, subtle,
nuanced, and frightening
activity that our species has
ever invented.’ (Shulman
2004: 258).
CRADLE
Centre for Research &
Development in Lifelong Education
Trivialising the complexity of
teaching and learning
‘Surveillance is permanent in its effects, even if it
is discontinuous in its action’ (Foucault 1977: 201)
CRADLE
Centre for Research &
Development in Lifelong Education
The assessment straitjacket
The need to break free
from the assessment
straitjacket that
conceptually
constrains our
understanding and
our engagement with
observation as a
mechanism
CRADLE
Centre for Research &
Development in Lifelong Education
Balancing the scales of performance
management & teacher growth
Support
Sort
CRADLE
Centre for Research &
Development in Lifelong Education
‘The education system still has
further potential to improve itself,
provided policy makers allow the space
for practitioners to make use of the
expertise and creativity that lies
trapped within individual classrooms.’
(Ainscow 2015: 169)