Peer review of teaching: using the nominal group technique to improve a program in a university setting with no previous experience

ABSTRACT

In a peer-review of teaching (PRT) program, we aimed to i) use pre and post-observation questionnaires to enhance self-reflection, and ii) perform a nominal group technique (NGT) to agree on improvements. The questionnaires showed that PRT helped discovering new weaknesses but not new strengths, and that preconceived negative feelings vanished during the teaching observation. The NGT highlighted that ensuring the pairs of teachers belong to different knowledge areas and offering information to future participants may improve the PRT program and increase faculty participation. In conclusion, questionnaires along the PRT program promoted self-reflection and important improvements were made by the NGT.

KEYWORDS:

• Higher education
• nominal group technique
• peer review of teaching
• teaching feedback
• teaching self-reflection

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Mª Eva Ruiz Puertas for project management assistance and the creation and assignation of blind codes for the questionnaires.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available upon request to authors.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1080/1360144X.2022.2032718

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Granada under the Plan FIDO UGR 2018–2020 (reference 19–27); by Spanish Ministry of Education through Formación del Profesorado Universitario grant (FPU15/05053) grant to MLL; by Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through Ramon y Cajal grant (RYC–2016–20155) to JPA, and through the Juan de la Cierva-Incorporación grant (IJCI–2015–26091) to RAR.

Notes on contributors

Rocío Barrios-Rodríguez

Rocío Barrios-Rodríguez is a Permanent Lecturer in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at University of Granada.

Inmaculada Salcedo-Bellido

Inmaculada Salcedo-Bellido is a Junior Lecturer in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at University of Granada.

José Juan Jiménez-Moleón

José Juan Jiménez-Moleón is a Professor in Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at University of Granada.

Macarena Lozano-Lorca

Macarena Lozano-Lorca is a Substitute Teaching Tutor in Department of Nursing at University of Granada

Noelia Galiano-Castillo

Noelia Galiano-Castillo is a Permanent Lecturer in Department of Physiotherapy at University of Granada

Enrique José Cobos

Enrique José Cobos is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Granada.

José Dámaso Vílchez Rienda

José Dámaso Vílchez Rienda is a Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II at University of Granada

Rocío Olmedo-Requena

Rocío Olmedo-Requena is a Permanent Lecturer in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at University of Granada.

Carmen Amezcua-Prieto

Carmen Amezcua-Prieto is a Permanent Lecturer in Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at University of Granada

Sandra Martín-Peláez

Sandra Martín-Peláez is a Junior Lecturer in Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at University of Granada

Carmen María González Domenech

Carmen María González Domenech is a Substitute Teaching Tutor in Department of Microbiology at University of Granada

Juan Pedro Arrebola Moreno

Juan Pedro Arrebola Moreno is a Permanent Lecturer in Department of Applied Physics at University of Granada

Raúl A. Rica

Raúl A. Rica is a Permanent Lecturer in Department of Applied Physics at University of Granada

María Eugenia García-Rubiño

María Eugenia García Rubiño is a Permanent Lecturer in Department of Physicochemistry at University of Granada

Pilar Requena

Pilar Requena is a Junior Lecturer in Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at University of Granada