Through what perspective do we judge the teaching of peers?

This report outlines a study which examined certain approaches to- and practices of peer observation of teaching. Participants observed and free-form evaluated the effectiveness of two different teaching scenarios. These were evaluated both before and after identifying their own dominant perspective on teaching and attending a workshop which detailed five perspectives on teaching. Analysis of their effectiveness ratings as well as interview transcripts revealed that preconceived notions of what constitutes excellent teaching as well as the tendency to look for themselves (or their practices) in the teaching of others are both strong influences. Nonetheless, an increased awareness of their own teaching perspective and exposure to different perspectives allowed for a less judgmental approach to peer observation.