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Razzle Dazzle. 8. Give em the old razzle dazzle, razzle dazzle em. Thompsoncroft Productions Present: Razzle Dazzle ‘em – Jumping through the hoops of lesson observations in Further Education. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. PICTURE START.
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8 Give em the old razzle dazzle, razzle dazzle em
Thompsoncroft ProductionsPresent:Razzle Dazzle ‘em –Jumping through the hoops of lesson observations in Further Education
PICTURE START
Carol Thompson (carol.thompson@beds.ac.uk)Peter Wolstencroft (peter.wolstencroft@beds.ac.uk)
Research Question What impact do formal lesson observations have on teaching and learning? (what is the real impact?)
Rise of managerialism ….. ‘cultural re-engineering’... move towards an ‘entrepreneurial-competitive model’ (Ball 1999). Increase in accountability for managers brought about need for surveillance of teacher activity (McTavish 2003). Primacy of OFSTED criteria. The Story so far…… Resulted in a rise in quality monitoring processes and drive to conformity and compliance.
Why bother? • Perceived need for measurement of performance ‘what gets measured gets done’ (Peters 1996). • Codification of knowledge and production of teaching standards. • Dismissal of tacit knowledge. • Introjection of initiatives by management … creating a form of reified knowledge.
For starters……. • ‘Put teaching and learning at the heart of what we do’ and stresses the right of every learner to expect and receive teaching of excellence (DfES 2002:15).
A few more ‘must haves’ • The Assessment for Learning campaign. • The measurement and accommodation of learning styles. • The need to demonstrate the development of functional skills. • The need to show equality and diversity. • The need to highlight your use of ICT. • The active learning campaign. • And ….. Many many many more……………
Who defines excellence? • When QMs were asked ‘How is guidance for grading produced?’ ‘One person in a room on her own. Presumably reading bits of the Ofsted Common Inspection Framework advice handbook. It was very much top down in terms of “I’m the Quality Manager, this is how we are doing it’”.
The rhetoric of graded lesson observations centred on improving the learner experience…… this was the case in all cases. • Similarly, the experience of lesson observations was consistent.
Selection of Sample Each group offered a different perspective: • Policy Makers • Implementers/developers • Recipients
General Findings • Lesson observation schemes sold on the basis of improving teaching and learning. • All schemes using grading were effectively used for performance monitoring (only one college moved to a non-graded scheme). • The OFSTED criteria were used by all colleges to grade lessons. • Prevailing cynicism amongst all participants. • No tangible evidence that the system improved T&L. • Quantitative evidence was produced to prove the success. • Teachers put on a show but do not want to be singled out as outstanding, indeed they actively discouraged it.
The InterludeWho said what? • The quotes provided have been taken from the interviews …. with one exception. • But…. who said what and which one is a work of fiction?
Who said what? • “I was happy to be observed as it really helped me reflect on my practice.” • Any surprises?
Tutor Responses – an overview All tutors were required to have a formal observation as part of their job. All (bar one) respondents reported that observations were graded. Verbal feedback was given within 24 hours in 75% of cases but written feedback was often delayed. The modal average was a 4 day wait but there were examples of a delay of several weeks. In two cases, tutors were still waiting for feedback.
Quality Managers and ITE Professionals - Overview A great deal of similarity between the answers of these two groups. All graded observations were based on the OFSTED criteria. ITE professionals often felt “caught in the middle” between tutors and senior managers.
Key Findings…. • Overall acceptance of the need to put on ‘a song and dance’. • Recognition by all parties that this was the case.
Lessons are all singing all dancing… I do loads of additional prep. I revamp my scheme of work, the group profile is always updated, I meticulously do a session plan …. Yeh, just make the lesson much much better than I would normally have it. Not that I have bad lessons but I try to make it super super good. Any special preparations? Oh yes, loads and loads… Yes, 100%, definitely, without a doubt. I plan to the absolute maximum….
A majority of tutors did something special for their observation lesson. Lessons were generally not representative of normal practice. Strategic compliance was evident (Gleeson and Shain 1999). All participants recognised that they were jumping through hoops. Quality managers recognised this but the need for quantitative data was prevalent. “Give ‘em an act with lots of flash in it…….and the reaction will be passionate”
Give ‘em an act…… I was told earlier by a colleague that the lady observing me is keen on equality and diversity so I made sure that the groups were very diverse. People do put up ‘smoke and mirrors’ in terms of putting up a lovely show, a lovely display…. Are observations typical of teaching ? No it isn’t and I don’t believe anybody’s is….. In the two hours you have to demonstrate a bit of everything
Composition of observation teams often appeared to relate to seniority or historical factors. Senior and Middle Managers used in many schemes. The majority did not teach. Concept of reified knowledge used – linked to the idea that there is a template for a good lesson. Suggestions were sometimes impossible to implement….. (Lollipops). “How can they spot you’ve got no talent?”
“How can they spot you’ve got no talent?” It is position, the position within the college that determines whether you are an observer or not. Well it wasn’t on the basis of any particular skill in the role…. How are observers selected ? (some) haven’t taught for years, so there are issues…and theoretically it’s conceivable that they weren’t all great teachers. The general perception I think is that they lack credibility because they don’t teach.
Rise of compliance culture and the primacy of quality procedures a key factor…. ‘kiss the badge’….. Conforming and performing. Success described by very narrow guidelines but it is unclear where these came from. Stick used rather than carrot in most instances. “How can they hear the truth above the roar?”
“How can they hear the truth above the roar?” Part of me wonders if it is a bit of a stick to make sure that you have all your paperwork 100% up to date… ..they have victims… they put extra pressure on them and I wonder if sometimes it is done to force people out? I agree with them completely… it’s not fair that really awful teachers are allowed to do the same job. What is the purpose….? Observation seems this big scary monster and nobody really knows.
Creators of the system believe that it is based around a meritocracy where the best teachers get the best grades and that tutors want to do their best… to be ‘outstanding’ “They’ll make you a star!”
“They’ll make you a star!” If you don’t meet the criteria, then you don’t get a pay rise. (grade 1) you are invited to lunch with the Principal…which I find objectionable What are the consequences (for each grade)? You follow a 3 to 1 programme…after that it’s capability. You are put on a list of people to come and peer observe….
A different reality…. • Rewards were often seen as onerous… the result was: ‘I have had people say to me “Please don’t give me a grade 1 because I don’t want to have to train my colleagues, just give me a two that’s fine.” Well that’s just silly’
Lessons were often tailored to the criteria, but also to meet the individual needs of the observer. Lecturers used ingenious means to find out who would be observing them. Quality managers talked of grading the lesson but contradicted themselves by labelling tutors… ‘grade one teachers’. Teachers thought they were being labelled and saw it as a punitive process. “Give ‘em the old three ring circus….Stun and stagger ‘em”
“Give ‘em the old 3 ring circus” If some good data comes out of it then the senior managers love to think that means the quality of teaching and learning in the college is good … It’s like.. You are a 3 so you are awful and you have to build up your skills… How do you feel about observations? The fear of God has been put into us… We know there are people who put on a show.
“They’ll let you get away with murder” • No real evidence that it has improved teaching other than a quantitative ‘grades have gone up’ argument used by managers. • Quality Managers generally agree with this. • Role of teacher educators is becoming increasingly complex. In some colleges they are integrated into the process, in others they work completely separately.
The majority of participants thought that a lesson observation process could be useful. Where do we go from here?
However…. • There seem to be significant problems with the implementation. • When asked for alternative suggestions …..
‘I don’t know what the alternative would be…’ • ‘I just think they are a bit artificial really and they should be taken with a pinch of salt but I am wondering how else can a lesson be observed….’ • ‘Each year we should look at everyone’s practice and recognising what needs to be improved and the observations should jus be part of that rather than the sole focus.’
