The Network for Collegial Observation of Teaching at the Faculty of Languages

During her time as Vice-Dean for Public Engagement and Education, Sofia initiated and led a faculty-wide network for collegial observation of teaching. One source of inspiration was her experience as a teacher at a university in Australia, where teachers on the same course regularly observed each other’s teaching. Linnéa has been part of the network from the very beginning and today she regards this kind of collegial development as a natural part of her everyday life as a teacher.

Sofia Ahlberg, Associate Professor at the Department of English and Vice-Dean at the Faculty of Languages

Linnéa Idling Vilmunen, Lecturer at the Department of Scandinavian Languages

Could you tell us about your network?

What distinguishes our current network from earlier initiatives at the departmental level is that it is open to all teachers at the faculty’s four departments. The overarching idea is to improve our educational programmes by identifying what we have in common in our teaching and by strengthening connections between teachers. The network helps us to see what we do and to find a shared language for it: What characterises studies at Uppsala University’s Faculty of Languages?

After four semesters of internal faculty peer review, we initiated a collaboration with Dalarna University to broaden our perspectives even further. Much of the teaching there takes place online, which made it easier for us to carry out observations.

The network was initiated in 2022, when Sofia sent out an invitation to participate in peer observations för professional development. Since then, between ten and fifteen teachers have visited each other´s teaching session every semester. Though the use of a shared page on Studium, all participating teachers are able to indicate which of their teaching activities are open for observation. As a rule, observations are carried out in pairs, with two teachers taking turns observing each other’s teaching. In addition to the observations themselves, two teacher meetings are organised each semester, often with invited guests who offer new perspectives and inspiration.

How have the peer observations been conducted, and how have you experienced them?

One of the best aspects is the exchange of experiences between colleagues – you simply avoid reinventing the wheel and instead gain inspiration from one another. Each observation begins with a preparatory meeting in which the teacher being observed explains what they would like the colleague to focus on in particular: on me as a teacher, on the students, or perhaps on the overall situation? It is important to agree on the purpose of the observation and to ensure that the needs of the teacher being observed are at the centre. After the teaching session, a follow-up conversation takes place about how it went, and of course new aspects may emerge that were not initially anticipated.

An unexpectedly positive experience for both of us has been observing colleagues who teach languages that we ourselves do not master. This has truly become one of the highlights! In these situations, one can focus entirely on what is shared in teaching and on what unites us as teachers, such as body language or how one moves around the room.

Receiving concrete tips for one’s own teaching is also extremely valuable. Certain things are almost impossible to notice when you are in the middle of a teaching situation, which is why suggestions for – sometimes small – adjustments that can make a big difference are so helpful. And even when you are the one observing, you learn a great deal and always see something you can “borrow” for your own teaching.

Peer review of teaching thus becomes a form of continuous collegial development that is closely connected to one’s own teaching practice, while also providing the opportunity to receive positive and developmental feedback from colleagues who also work with languages. In this way, peer review is both as a window and a mirror: you open your classroom to someone else and receive a fresh insight through a colleague’s presence and feedback, while at the same time as reviewer you reflect on your own approach via the colleague whose teaching you observe.

Normally, we talk about our teaching within circles of close colleagues, where discussions often concern something that has already happened, such as a challenging teaching situation one has experienced. In contrast, peer observations offer a concrete teaching occasion that is shared by the teacher and the observing colleague, which can create space for more fundamental “why-questions”. Moreover, when talking to a colleague from a different subject area, one needs to explain certain concepts or didactic choices in a new way, which is also instructive.

How could the peer observation network develop in the future?

Based on our positive experiences, we hope that peer review will become a natural part of the teaching culture at our faculty. The vision is to be able to say to new colleagues: “Hello and welcome! Here, we observe each other’s teaching – that’s how we do things.” Rather than attempting to appear faultless to each other as teachers and to our students, this is how we engage in lifelong learning in which we continuously develop with the help of colleagues.

What advice would you give for establishing collegial peer observations in a good way?

Naturally, it would be beneficial to have designated working time for peer observations, even if this is difficult in practice. It is also crucial to create a collegial and supportive environment to prevent potential worry and anxiety, by clearly emphasising that peer review of teaching is not about evaluation but about inspiration and development in a collegial and constructive spirit. Teaching is an intimate and vulnerable situation, and it can feel challenging to invite someone else in. Therefore, it is important to create a friendly introduction and a permissive, non-prestigious atmosphere. Through peer observations one gets to know colleagues from other departments and may stop to chat for a while when encountering one another in shared spaces. In many ways, peer observations can help enhance our well-being and strengthen the sense of community within the faculty.