EFL teachers’ experiences of peer observation in Vietnamese academic institutions

Abstract

Peer observation is considered as a useful tool to enhance teachers’ professional development. Limited research on how peer observation is carried out in Vietnamese higher institutions and how teachers experience peer observation in their educational contexts. This study investigates the experiences of peer observation among Vietnamese teachers of English and their perceptions of the benefits and challenges of peer observation. The study employed a quantitative research method to collect data. Survey questionnaires were completed online via Google Forms by 22 teachers of English working in different universities and colleges in Ho Chi Minh City. The findings show that teachers’ perceptions and experiences of peer observation varied among academic institutions. The purposes of peer observation were different among different educational settings. Peer observation sessions tend to focus more on evaluation purposes than on professional development purposes which aim to improve the teaching performance of EFL teachers. Also, the procedures for implementing peer observation were not unanimous among academic institutions. The findings have several implications for stakeholders to reflect on the current practices of peer observation in their respective institutions with a view to improving the quality of this professional development tool to enhance English language teachers’ professional development.