PEER OBSERVATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION AS AN AGENT OF CHANGE IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

Peer observation is an element of development towards the enhancement of quality of teaching and learning in higher education (HE). In the process of pedagogical observation teachers empower self-reflection on their pedagogical practice, identify good practices observed and establish communication about teaching with their colleagues. The inclusion of students in the observation practice increases the awareness of student experience in teaching and learning practice, which fosters the introduction of improvements in teaching and learning. In the 2014/15 academic year a pilot project of peer observation of teaching (POT) at the Faculty of Administration (FA), University of Ljubljana, investigated the perceptions of teachers and students about pedagogical process. The aim of the project was to find out how both parties experience the process and what they detect as strengths, weaknesses or opportunities for improvements in the teaching and learning process. The survey compared the observations in order to find what both groups recognize as important elements of teaching practice and possible similarities and differences in their observations. The results of the survey suggest that advantages of POT are multifold: it is not only the feedback on teaching from colleagues and students but also the process of planning strategies to address areas for improvements in teaching and learning. Students as partners in the process are empowered by the ability to recognize the academic excellence in teaching and learning and thus become responsible for the improvements in the pedagogical culture of an institution.