Peer Coaching Characteristics and

Challenges
Merits
According to Brennan and Shah (2000), peers offer a ‘moral authority’ and it should not be
surprising that ‘virtually all quality bodies make peer review a central part of their assessment
practices’. Peer review in higher education is one of a number of mechanisms to provide
feedback on learning and teaching activity and can be an effective strategy for academic
development. The centrality of scholarship of teaching in quality development and the inter-
relationship that exists between ‘excellent teaching’ and making teaching practices public and
open to critique and evaluation. The success of any peer partnership is dependent on the quality
of the processes in place and on the practices of those conducting observations and being
observed. (Barnard et al., 2011).
A teacher’s ‘performance’ is only one aspect of the teaching role; however, the ways in which
teachers facilitate the learning experience for students in the face-to-face environment are of
such significance to the student experience of learning that gathering peer feedback on observed
teaching. Bell and cooper
Baiocco and DeWaters (1995) pointed out that "futuristic" faculty development programs must
include education in the use of multimedia, technology, and the Internet. Administrators are
challenged to incorporate these innovations in interactive multimedia into their faculty
development programs. Success depends on the development of an institutional and departmental
strategic plan that reflects understanding of the technological options available and identifies
necessary support services and other needed resources. Boyder nurding
Peer observation is likely to improve the effectiveness of teaching application and develop co-
operation and support between teachers (Bowers, 1999; Hanna, 1988); improve teachers’ self-
awareness and self-esteem (Hanna, 1988) and gain professional experience (Bell & Mladenovic,
2008; Bowers, 1999). According to the results of research about peer observation, the peer
observation contributes to teachers’ professional development, self-esteem, self-respect and self-
awareness; to the effectiveness of teaching activities; to mutual trust, respect and cooperation
between teachers; to success of students and schools. BOZAK
The positive aspects of peer observation cited in the study include the opportunity it provides for
selfreflection and how this process can positively impact on teaching skills. These findings are
supported by Hammersley-Fletcher and Orsmond (2005) who claim that peer observation can be
used to promote reflection upon practice, which enhances self-awareness and meets the
individual’s developmental needs. There are also further benefits, not directly mentioned by
participants but evident in the literature. Driscoll and Teh (2001), for example, state that peer
observation of practice is significant in relation to personal and professional development
because it demonstrates to practitioners in all spheres that learning about their everyday practice
is ongoing. Similarly, observation can be an aid to the development of selfawareness and use of
critical thinking (Cotton, 2001). There are also practical benefits that may arise out of peer
observation of practice. Sweeney et al (2001a) found that the use of a peer observation scheme
supported the recruitment and retention of staff, among those who are more recently qualified.
Cosh (1999) states that staff working together in such a capacity may experience increased job
satisfaction and that the process will serve as a mechanism to avoid staff becoming isolated
within practice and guard against practice becoming routine. On a similar theme, Shortland
(2004) suggests that observation of practice can support the establishment of lifelong learning as
part of CPD and that as this process incorporates a collective learning strategy, the acquisition of
personal and professional competencies will be facilitated. Deborah Davys
As Yiend et al. (2013) discussed, “formative peer observation is considered by many to be a
powerful tool for providing feedback to individual teachers, disseminating disciplinary good
practice and fostering a local evaluative enhancement culture”. Deborah Davys
There are advantages and benefts for higher peer observation of teaching programs,
“…formative peer observation is considered by many to be a powerful tool for providing
feedback to individual teachers, disseminating disciplinary good practice and fostering a local
evaluative enhancement culture” (Yiend et al., 2014, p. 465). In fact, peer observation of
teaching is increasingly promoted as a developmental tool for stimulating critical reflection on
teaching practice (Bell, 2001; Hammersley, Fletcher & Orsmond, 2005). Further, many
educational developers and institutions promote teaching observation as a means for faculty to
develop their skills in their own and colleagues’ pedagogy. More, Shortland (2010) found that
“Despite the potentially evaluative and threatening nature of feedback, an unanticipated issue
emerges – professional relationships can be strengthened, leading to the development of
enhanced mutual trust and respect” (p. 295). Observers generally agree to downplay an
evaluative role, as evaluation can be both threatening and disempowering (MacKinnon, 2001).
University cultures are becoming more and more supportive of teaching and learning initiatives
(e.g. outcomes assessment and curriculum considerations) (Roberts, Anderson, Betts, & Oakley,
2002) and supported through written guidelines, explanation and training (Brown, 1993).
Additionally, the value of peer observation within instructor development is generally inherent
within instructor training programs, in theory, acting as a transformatory tool. Fletcher
When teachers learn to work together collaboratively, students' prospects for success are also
improved. Peer coaching has been shown to facilitate the collaboration necessary for positive
change by breaking down the isolation of teachers and instilling a climate of trust and
collegiality (Robbins, 1991). When collaboration is enhanced through peer coaching, teacher and
student performance may be improved. Hasbrouck, Jan E.
The peer coaching program launch was successful by several criteria. First, eight of the ten
faculty who participated in the reciprocal coaching and training experience wanted to continue as
one-way coaches the next year; and a ninth person asked to be reinstated as a coach following
sabbatical leave (for a retention rate of 80–90%) Second, almost all of the feedback about the
program from the senior faculty in Year 2 was positive. Participants unanimously said the
workshops were a good use of their time, they savored the opportunity to discuss the nuances of
teaching and institutional policies around teaching with colleagues from around the university,
and they learned a great deal about their own teaching from coaching and being coached. Third,
the one-way peer coaching in Year 3 successfully reached a wide variety of faculty members
across campus. A total of 18 faculty members sought the services of a peer coach in the first year
that coaching services were offered, and several departments that rarely (and in one case, had
never) used the services of the professional development office showed a strong interest in the
program and spoke highly of the support they received. Lastly, the program gave the director of
the professional development office an opportunity to become well-acquainted with several
outstanding teachers who had not previously participated in the office’s activities. Although
many highly competent experienced faculty members seek out the professional development
office on campus, some do not. A nomination by one’s dean or the opportunity to coach others
may successfully draw out these individuals where other invitations fail. Hutson, Therese.
Working in teams can be an effective method for professional development. West (1996) argued
that team members bring different experiences to the table, which can be beneficial for the
effectiveness of a team. West (1996) also stated that participating in a team creates commitment
and reduced resistance to organizational change. According to Garet, Porter, Desimone, Birman,
and Yoon (2001), professional development where teachers must collaborate with each other has
several advantages. First, working together opens up opportunities to discuss problems, skills,
and concepts. Second, teachers can share common materials. Third, teachers who share the same
students can discuss student needs across classes or grade levels. Finally, working in groups
creates a shared professional culture, and thereby helps sustain changes over time, for example,
should teachers leave and new teachers join the faculty. Inken Gast.
Educators have noted other aspects of peer coaching that instruction coordinators will want to
consider when promoting a development program for their staff. Peer coaching can provide a
non-threatening atmosphere in which librarians learn how to do their job better. The peer
coaching process must also have administrative support because it usually is a time consuming
process. Peer coaching allows those being coached to be more reflective, drawing their own
conclusions about their teaching. Levene & Frank
Peer coaching is not just mentoring. It is an approach to professional learning involving ongoing
systematic support (Ray, 2013). In peer coaching, the focus is on the teacher as a learner. It
involves mastering the technical practices, self-reflection, action research, and collaborative
learning (Robbins, 1991). Whereas for mentoring, it is a temporary collaborative relationship
between two teachers, a master teacher and a novice or new teacher. Mentoring means more
towards providing new teachers with a support system, a passive shadow learning process
compared to peer coaching. Peer coaching is also not part of the process of evaluating teachers.
Excerpted from Peer Coaching, National Staff Development Council (1991), peer coaching is a
trial and error approach for teacher’s success. It is a forward-looking, improvement-oriented and
formative process. However, evaluation is summative, in which a supervisor or administrator
reviews on progress and achievement. Feedback on peer coaching teachers must not be
evaluative. Liew Wai Yee.
The peer coaching model allows teachers of equal status to engage in a process of mutual
collaboration and interpersonal support, assisting one another in reflecting on their own practices
on a regular basis (Gottesman 2000; Showers and Joyce 1996). Additionally, peer coaching
facilitates the adjustment of beginning teachers, the improvement of underdeveloped teaching
skills, and the transfer of newly acquired skills to classroom practice. However, the effectiveness
of the peer coach interaction depends on a number of factors. These include how aware of their
actions teachers can become, how clearly they can describe those actions, and how willing they
are to discuss the. Vacilotto, Silvana
In the design of the initial training, Joyce and Showers (1982) stress the importance of
forecasting the need for transfer of the knowledge and skill being taught. Forecasting is
anticipating what will be needed to fully incorporate a newly learned skill into practice. “Even
with the strongest training, there is a period of discomfort when using any new skill” (p. 6), so
learners should be told to expect the discomfort and how peer coaching will help. Training
should include demonstrations of the new skill or application of the new knowledge. These
opportunities illustrate for the learner what nursing practice will look like after the new
knowledge and skill are incorporated into practice in a variety of situations. Training may also be
designed to allow for practice sessions: “The attainment of competence requires numerous
practice sessions” (Joyce & Showers, 1982, p. 6). However, practice will still be needed after the
nurse has returned to the nursing setting. This set ting is where peer coaching becomes a valuable
asset to the transfer of newly acquired knowledge and skill. Pairs of nurses who have engaged in
the same training can partner with each other to continue their practice until the “new” becomes
the “familiar.” Waddell
The understanding of learning through peer coaching in the online professional learning
community is based on the
theory of socio-constructivist approach of learning [42]. The members of an online professional
learning community can share ideas, stories, ICT tools, and ways to deal with typical problems in
education [41]. Teachers often seek out peers to help facilitate their professional development
through their lifelong teaching practices [35]. According to Rolando [33], the online professional
learning community can enable teachers to share knowledge, teaching methods, didactic
resources and provide opportunities to develop their ability of learning from their peers about
how to solve problems in everyday school life. Teachers identify the mediating role of peer
coaching in sustaining their participation [18]. Peer coaching is a feasible strategy for enabling
teachers to learn and to critically reflect. Ching et al. [4] drew on 3 years of data from an online
professional learning community and found that iterations among peers evolved from being a
loose association to a community of teachers involved in a common endeavor. Reviews on the
online learning community argue that many research studies in the past have highly relied on
quantitative data such as the number of postings or other kinds of frequency counts, rather than
deep analyses of the extent of collaboration and mutual engagement [4, 11]. Investigating
affective and social features of peer coaching is also important in an online professional learning
community, rather than focusing exclusively on dialogs and topic-focused exchanges.

Demerits
As Harris et al. (2008) note, implementing peer review of teaching within universities is not a
simple or straightforward undertaking, touching as it does on sensitive professional issues.
Various concerns have been reported, including the use of observation of teaching by
management as a tool for compliance (Shortland, 2004); and links to appraisal, damage to
confidence, lack of confidentiality and personal vulnerability (Hammersley-Fletcher & Orsmond,
2005). Byrne et al. (2010, p. 225) reported a program in which peer observation was experienced
as ‘overly introspective’; ‘mutual backslapping’; ‘lacking any meaningful function’; and
‘something to be “ticked off” the annual job list’. (Bell & Cooper, 2013)
Realistically, faculty development programs are limited by the institution's scope and mission,
the environment in which the faculty live and work, expectations for faculty performance, and
the existence of other programs that address faculty development concerns. Sorcinelli (1994)
identified many reasons for this downward trend, including time stress, lack of peer support, lack
of adequate feedback, unrealistic expectations, lack of resources, and lack of balance between
work and personal life. Boyders nursing and HE
The peer observation has also some restrictions such as not having enough and constructive
discussion (HammersleyFletcher & Orsmond, 2005), people’s being sensitive for criticism
(Straughter, 2001), and peer’s not having enough qualification for peer observation (Bowers,
1991). Although it’s having some restrictions, peer observation should be applied in higher
education system. Menges (1991) reveals widespread faculty dissatisfaction with peer review of
teaching on the grounds of its incompatibility with academic freedom. One of the central
difficulties with peer review of teaching concerns the status of the reviewer or review panel.
COSSER
Despite the supportive evidence base for the use of peer observation, the literature also reflects
upon the negative aspects of such schemes and mirrors similar concerns voiced by staff in this
study findings (Hammersley-Fletcher and Orsmond 2005; Hatzipanagos and Lygo-Baker, 2006).
As peer observation of practice is a form of evaluation, both observer and the observed are likely
to experience some degree of anxiety within the process (Sweeney et al, 2001b). Anxiety in this
context could lead to reluctance to participate, and according to Sweeney et al (2001b), therapists
commonly experience a vulnerable sense of professional competence that could further intensify
the anxiety of being observed. A number of other issues are subsequently raised, including the
fact that peer observation by its very nature, is a form of judgment or requires some element of
judgment from one individual in respect of another. One question raised in the findings was who
is able to make an accurate decision about what constitutes good practice and the basis upon
which they make that decision? Observation of one session alone can be disjointed and provide
an incomplete picture as the session observed may link to other sessions. A further consideration
is whether an observer can make meaningful comments if they are not a member of the same
discipline or work within the same specialty (Shortland, 2004). This leads on to a discussion of
the next key theme. Deborah Davys
Kohut, Burnap, & Yon (2007) conducted a survey on lecturers’ experiences from participation in
peer observation, and it revealed that while they felt comfortable giving constructive feedback,
this was not the case in making critical comments. In other words, though critical reflection is
integral in the observation of teaching process, and for enhancing individual and collegial
reflection on practice, just participating in peer observation of teaching may not be sufcient.
Hatzipanagos and Lygo-Baker (2006) also found that despite the potential benefts of peer
observation of teaching, doubt remains about the extent to which participation in formative
teaching observation could contribute to the development of critical reflection and legitimate
enhancement of pedagogy. Gosling (2009) also claims that without further training, many faculty
are ill equipped to evaluate and provide feedback on the effectiveness of others’ teaching.
Gosling’s argument presents the trivial cost/beneft aspects to peer teaching observation of
teaching programs. While there is increasing confdence that peer observation approaches are
effective for the development of teachers, there are concerns about instructors’ capacity to
evaluate the teaching of others and to comment critically and provide constructive feedback on
the teaching practice of their colleagues. Fletcher
When the RTO program was launched to colleagues in fall of 2009, it was received with interest
and enthusiasm. Yet despite several attempts to encourage colleagues to adopt the model in
practice, uptake was almost non-existent. While the RTO program was in theory a good idea,
reality indicated that a redesign of the concept was necessary. Several challenges were identified
as having likely contributed to the program’s lack of success, including: A significant time
commitment, particularly during the busy teaching season. Unease, conscious or unconscious,
with the observational focus and/or the traditional and hierarchical feel of the program.
Promotion of the initiative to only one division at Memorial University Libraries – a group that
worked closely together and already used less formal strategies for talking about instruction.
Goosney.
Unfortunately, collaboration between professional colleagues in schools is often impeded by
prevailing cultural expectations that teachers should handle all problems related to their own
students independently (Goodlad, 1984). One consequence of this culture of isolation is that
teachers begin to feel that they are somehow not measuring up to their colleagues (Lieberman
8k Miller, 1984) and that asking for assistance or even admitting to having a problem is a sign of
incompetence. Hasbrouck, Jan E.
Despite the fact that experienced faculty have a unique set of professional development needs,
faculty development programs typically target faculty members early in their careers and are not
designed to meet the needs of the mid-career or senior faculty group (Austin 2003; Sorcinelli et
al. 2006). Historically, the needs of mid-career and senior faculty members were not served, and
they were less likely to participate in faculty development programs (Centra 1985; Crawley
1995; Erickson 1986). It could be that experienced faculty members were not participating
because they did not have the time, but the fact that few programs were tailored to their interests
could be a significant deterrent to making the time. When programs are designed to bring
together experienced faculty to discuss their teaching priorities, participants report improvements
in their teaching knowledge, abilities, and confidence. Huston, Therese.
The pilot program of peer coaching did encounter several challenges. First, it was difficult to
find several dates and times when all ten of the coaches could gather for the workshops. This
problem was anticipated and averted in Year 2 by negotiating the dates for all meetings several
months in advance and by requiring workshop attendance. Participation became more
problematic in Year 3, when attendance at quarterly luncheons was not required and the
meetings were scheduled with less notice; attendance dropped considerably. Also in Year 3, a
considerable challenge for the professional development office was to develop an efficient and
effective system for connecting faculty with coaches. The institution where this program was
developed is on an 11-week quarter system, so when an instructor has a problem and a full week
or two goes by before the individual can talk with a coach, a significant portion of the course has
already elapsed. The instructor may no longer wish to discuss the issue, or the issue may have
seriously escalated. Huston, Therese
However, working in teams can also have some disadvantages, which need to be acknowledged.
Research of Karau and Williams (1993) and Meyer, Schermuly, and Kauffeld (2016), for
example, points to these disadvantages, such as social loafing (reduction in motivation and
effort) when working in a team. Another problem of working in teams has been demonstrated by
Kerr (1983), who researched the effect of free-riding on group efforts. Furthermore, LePine,
Piccolo, Jackson, Mathieu, and Saul (2008) showed that there are several team processes that
influence the effectiveness of a team, such as conflict management, monitoring the team’s
progress, and specifying goals. Team members have to be cautious of these processes in order to
perform well and reach their goals. Inken Gast.
There are many reasons why academic staff might be opposed to educational innovations or, at
best, be diffident about the prospect. A major stumbling block to peer review of teaching has
been the reluctance of academics to be involved or engage with the process. Keig and Waggoner
(1995) cited some of the reasons for academics’ lack of involvement or engagement; peer review
of teaching can be seen as challenging academic freedom, perceptions of the representativeness,
accuracy and generalisability of what is reviewed, concerns about the objectivity of those who
review, academics’ values relating to the institution’s rewards and incentives, incentives are
perceived as far greater for research than teaching. Laurie Lomas & Gill.
Working with, and learning from, others raises the issue of power. Observation is more useful
and acceptable when it is used formatively rather than summatively (Fullerton, 1999), yet the use
of observation for formative purposes raises issues of the power balance between the observer
and the observed, even within a voluntary peer relationship. As peer observation of teaching has
become more prevalent across the HE sector, a common practice has emerged. Colleagues
choose others to work with to observe each other’s teaching once or twice a year. Yet despite the
voluntary nature of such arrangements, staff may still feel concerned about being observed, as
the observer may be viewed as being in the more powerful role. MacKinnon (2001) warns of the
detrimental effects of evaluative observations and the use of expert power. The staff member to
be observed should have a choice of observer (NATFHE, 2001), as informal collegial
relationships are often the most fruitful (Rowland, 2000). Trust is critical for a successful
reflective experience and time is needed to build this (Farrell, 2001). As the practice becomes
more established, the less self-conscious staff will feel about being observed and therefore the
more benefit should be achieved by the parties involved in terms of dialogue, reflection and
enhanced practice. Shortland 2004.
Despite the potential benefits of teaching observation, there remain doubts about the extent to
which participation in formative teaching observation can contribute to the development of
critical reflection and legitimate enhancement of practice (Hatzipanagos and Lygo-Baker 2006b).
Previous research on the role of teaching observation has sought to provide evidence of the
impact of participation on observation by examining participants’ perceptions of the process of
both teaching observation and critical reflection: for example, by participant questionnaire
(Cosser 1998; Hatzipanagos and Lygo-Baker 2006b), semi-structured interview (Hammersley-
Fletcher and Orsmond 2005; Lomas and Kinchin 2006) and analysis of participants’ accounts of
their engagement in observation (Bell 2001). The outcomes of such research have suggested that
engagement in teaching observation is valuable for individual enhancement of teaching and
dissemination of good practice. Yet Gosling’s claim that ‘many staff are ill-equipped, without
further training, to evaluate and provide feedback on the effectiveness of others’ teaching’
(Gosling 2009, 7) raises a significant question about the value of peer teaching observation for
genuinely fostering critical insight into disciplinary pedagogy. One solution is to use a hybrid
teaching observation model that combines feedback from both an expert observer and
disciplinary peer observer, but whilst this may provide a mechanism for developing a culture of
reflection on teaching (Atkinson and Bolt 2010), there remains a lack of evidence about whether
participation in such a process can be a catalyst for change. Yiende 2014

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Bell, M., & Cooper, P. (2013). Peer observation of teaching in university departments: a framework for
implementation. International Journal for Academic Development, 18(1), 60-73. doi:
10.1080/1360144x.2011.633753