Academics’ perceptions of challenges of a peer observation of teaching pilot in a Confucian nation: the Vietnamese experience

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses academics’ perceptions of challenges during the implementation of peer observation of teaching (POT) for promoting teachers’ reflection and teaching improvement. This qualitative case study involved 11 academics teaching English at a university in Vietnam. Data were analysed inductively and thematically. Several challenges were identified: limited learning from observing junior peer teaching and junior peers’ feedback, uncritical feedback from peers without closeness, lack of sensitivity in giving feedback, and limited time for POT. These findings suggest that a strong peer relationship in a Confucian culture appears to be key for successful POT.

KEYWORDS:

• Challenges
• Confucian values
• peer observation of teaching
• peer relationship
• reflection

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their very useful feedback and suggestions, which helped us considerably in improving this article. We are also grateful to University of Economics and Law, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for support to conduct the study. The authors acknowledge the academics’ contribution to this study through sharing their experiences.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Phuong Vu Nguyen

Phuong Vu Nguyen (PhD) is Director of the Office for Educational Testing and Quality Assurance, University of Economics and Law, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City. His research background spans the fields of teachers’ professional learning and development through an evidence-based approach (teachers’ reflection and reflective practice, beliefs, knowledge and pedagogy), student evaluation of teaching, and quality assurance in higher education.

Huong Thi Pham

Huong Thi Pham is Director of the Research Centre for Educational Evaluation and Accreditation and International Relations, Institute for Education Research, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Vietnam. Her areas of research interest include internal and external quality assurance, quality culture in higher education, programme development and evaluation, internationalisation in education, higher education management and governance and competence-based assessment.