"Let Me Tell You about Your Lesson": Reflection in Feedback Following Classroom Observations in Cambodia

Abstract

Observations are an accepted part of teachers’ lives, serving both administrative and professional development purposes. From an administrative perspective, observations serve the purpose of evaluating teachers with a view to quality control. For professional development, observations provide opportunities for reflective enquiry into the teaching and learning process. However, in private schools with limited oversight or links to current academic practice, the actual implementation and utilization of observations and feedback are self-determined and therefore worthy of investigation. This study aimed to fnd out how private schools in Cambodia utilize observation and subsequent feedback, and specifcally the purpose ascribed to them by both the school administration and the teachers. Forty English language teachers in Cambodia were surveyed for their experience of, and response to, classroom observations. Further, academic managers at two schools were interviewed about their goals for classroom observations. Findings indicate that both teachers and school managers approach observations as primarily evaluative. Further, the goal of reflection as an outcome in feedback was rejected by managers and ignored by teachers. Possible reasons for the failure of reflection
in feedback are proposed.