Sections:
Purpose and Types of Teaching Observation
Stages of Teaching Observation
Additional Resources
“...to take advantage of the energy for change that's ‘out there’ today will require not just different methods in the classroom but the development of a campus culture in which faculty can be professional colleagues to each other in teaching as they are in research -- sharing what they know, critiquing each other's work, assisting each other to improve, and creating the conditions for appropriate recognition and reward of teaching”
'Breaking the Solitude of Teaching', Pat Hutchings
Process, Practices, and Resources for Effective Peer Observation
Observing and being observed by our colleagues offers tremendous opportunity for pedagogical development, especially when we engage the process as a pathway for reciprocal, collegial mentorship. Peer observations of teaching provide a measure of teaching effectiveness which affords observers and instructors being observed to learn new teaching strategies and consider new ideas.
Constructive peer feedback on teaching, within and across departments and instructor rank, supports pedagogical growth aligned with a faculty member’s own goals for their teaching as well as with department-level and institutional expectations. Building on Lee Shulman’s influential article, “Teaching as Community Property: Putting an End to Pedagogical Solitude,” (Change, 1993) as well as other educational theorists/practitioners, such as Parker Palmer, Hutchings emphasizes the need for clear, consistent criteria and transparent communication to foster meaningful sense-making of the evidence gathered to assess the effective teaching of a colleague.
Understanding one’s own teaching choices and their impacts on student learning is critical for pedagogical growth. Peer observation can help illuminate strengths and targeted areas for supporting meaningful growth. As Shulman, Hutchings, and many others argue, the development of effective teaching practices requires time and space for reflection.
SCU’s institutional values center on evidence-based, social justice-focused reflection and discernment, which align well with practices for constructive peer observation. Meaningful engagement with peer observation recognizes and values that we are a community of teaching practitioners who must necessarily engage in robust, inclusive conversations about teaching and learning.
Types of Peer Observation
Peer observation can be either formative in nature, which means the primary focus is to provide developmental feedback to promote instructor growth, or evaluative, which means that the observation aims to evaluate the session with a clear deliverable, such as a summative letter from the observer. At Santa Clara University, faculty have adopted peer observation, along with other measures, as a critical tool for understanding pedagogical effectiveness.
All faculty are subject to departmental Teaching Effectiveness Standards and Evaluation (TESE) guidelines. For most faculty, peer teaching evaluations are part of the TESE assessment. Peer observation of teaching is also expected in order to meet the collective bargaining agreement for non-tenure track faculty.
The guidelines and resources below support an effective evaluative teaching observation process, while also supporting broader formative engagement with teaching observation across schools and departments. The observation process, whether formative or evaluative, should include pre and post observation conversations, and careful selection or development of criteria for observation as well as observation practices.
Regardless of the nature of the class session, classroom observation of teaching provides an opportunity for ongoing conversation and formative feedback about pedagogical choices and supporting student learning. We encourage you to reach out to Center Teaching Excellence or Faculty Development Faculty Associates with any additional questions you may have about maximizing the benefits of this practice for yourself and/or your departmental colleagues.
Stages of Observation
The guidelines and resources below support an effective evaluative teaching observation process, while also supporting broader formative engagement with teaching observation across schools and departments. The observation process, whether formative or evaluative, should include pre and post observation conversations, and careful selection or development of criteria for observation as well as observation practices.
“Our evaluations should also have positive consequences for the processes and persons being evaluated” (Shulman, 1993, p. 2).
Preparing for a peer observation of teaching is critical for supporting your colleague’s pedagogical growth and confidence. Departmental guidance and individual conversations should support an observer developing a strong understanding of a faculty member’s goals for their teaching, specific goals for student learning in a course, and in the specific class being observed.
During the observation, the observer uses an agreed upon instrument or protocol to systematically document aspects of teaching and learning aligned with departmental expectations for teaching effectiveness and the instructor’s goals. Observations at this stage should focus on evidence and description rather than evaluation in order to to support generative post-observation reflection.
Post-observation reflection focuses on engaging in a structured, collegial conversation designed to make sense of what was observed and support pedagogical growth and produce a summary letter, as required for evaluation or requested by the observed colleague. By sharing notes in advance, listening for context, and focusing on strengths, areas for improvement, and concrete next steps, the observer and colleague work together to generate actionable feedback aligned with course goals and departmental expectations.
Learn how to use peer observation, syllabus review, self-assessment, and other sources to evaluate teaching effectiveness
Learn about peer observation protocols and why these are important.
Additional Resources
- Hutchings, P. (1994). Breaking the Solitude of Teaching. Faculty Roles & Rewards, 5(1), 19-25. https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/muj/article/view/19386
- “Beyond Evaluation: Using Peer Observation to Strengthen Teaching Practices.” Faculty Focus. April 2, 2025.
- Peer Observation of Teaching (Elon University)
- Peer Review Guide for Online Teaching from Penn State
- Santa Clara University Assessment of Teaching Effectiveness
- TESE Guidelines
- Collective Bargaining Agreement (Performance Evaluations, Peer Observations, & Mentorship)
This resource was created by Riley Caldwell-O'Keefe for the Center for Teaching Excellence and Faculty Development. Last updated 01/13/2026.