Theoretical and methodological issues of lesson observation as a tool for research and teacher evaluation

This chapter discusses the theoretical and methodological issues of various classroom observation approaches, including Lesson Study, teacher effectiveness, learning science, and teacher evaluation. These classroom observation approaches share two common theoretical assumptions. First, some observed classroom practices or processes affect student learning outcomes more positively than others. Second, instructional quality can be improved by refining these practices and processes. These approaches often allow ready comparisons across grades and subjects in naturally occurring settings without relying on reliable, standardised tests that cannot adjust for classroom composition. A classroom observation approach looks at the teacher effect differently by allowing the observers or evaluators to associate the observed behaviours to various aspects of the student learning process, such as student engagement in class and students’ self-reported behaviours or learning characteristics. How the methodologies of these approaches differ with their purposes is compared. The limitations and implications of these approaches for teacher education and lifelong professional development are discussed.