**3. Overview of teaching and learning within the context of UAE HEI**

### **3.1 Peer observation teaching**

The academic knowledge that students receive as a result of their college experience is invaluable when it is enhanced by authentic experience. Therefore, the evaluation or using peer observation of teaching is crucial for a clear understanding of teaching practices that substantiate academic and program's performance. Martin and Double identify six goals of peer observation: improving an understanding of personal approaches to curriculum delivery; enhancing teaching strategies; exchanging insights; expanding personal skills of self-reflection and evaluation; developing curriculum planning skills and collaboration; and identifying areas in teaching practice with particular benefit for next steps [19]. Recent studies highlight the importance of POT as a way of foregrounding the process of teaching and learning, improving the quality of classroom practices and making teaching visible to everyone [20, 21]. Ref. [21] suggest that POT provides firs-hand collegial support and the growth of teaching-related collaboration. To and Carless [22] highlight the value of peer evaluation in the transfer of knowledge into practice. Students' POT in teacher education programs forms part of a process in which student teachers observe other educators or colleagues teaching, using available resources. It is one of the main methods used for the evaluation of teaching. A previous study explains that POT assists in the development of reflective process and provides qualitative evidence and formative feedback to substantiate students' evaluation [5, 20]. Several benefits exist with respect to POT and its perspective. For instance, Van den Bergh et al. [23] reported that peers provide constructive feedback that has a crucial influence on professional development and critical reflections by the student and mentor teachers. In an earlier study, Bell and Mladenovic [24] found that POT enhances teaching quality and competencies as teachers gain confidence in their teaching methods, acquire new ideas, and share teaching methods and practices.

As discussed, the main purpose of POT is to improve practice and provide formative feedback for future improvement. In teacher education, peer observation can take three forms; (1) a management model, where the main goal of the observation is to evaluate the performance for quality assurance purposes; (2) a development model where the goal is to improve teaching and learning and overall classroom practices; and (3) the peer review model, where self-reflection is emphasized as a result of formative feedback. According to Gosling, the development model is for educational developers to observe practitioners to check the demonstration of competency, track teaching and assessment improvement [25]. Generally, the final purpose is to plan for action steps, which student teachers need to take, and to either pass or fail the performance. There is a level of confidentiality between the observer and the observed student that include detailed reports on the observed teaching performance, lesson plans, learning materials, etc. On the other hand, the peer review model includes teachers observing each other and students observing each other with a high level of engagement in discussion about teaching; self and mutual reflection. The goal is

to provide analysis, discussion, and elaboration on a wider experience of teaching methodologies. The evidence is what is shared among peers as it is a non-judgmental with highly constructive feedback. Similarly, teaching performance, lesson plans, and learning materials are observed; however, the goal is to inform the practice.

#### **3.2 POT in the UAE HEI program**

Online teaching and learning are essential components of the hybrid mode of delivery for higher education institutions. It is critical for faculty that standards are upheld throughout online and face to face teaching and learning. Therefore, POT is often conducted during the TP placement of preservice teachers who are enrolled in the HCT Early Childhood Education (ECE) program. Student teachers are always assigned to a MCT and an MST in their practicum courses, and peer observation is assigned as a formative task during the student teachers' experience in the schools. The observations by the MST and MCT are expected to form the performance assessment part of the practicum course. A similar approach is used in peer observation as an assignment, although there is no fixed number of POT observers [26, 27]. Thus, for example, an MST and a peer can both observe the student teacher's teaching.

During face-to-face classes and in online POT, students, mentor teachers, and their peers agree on a format for the peer observation. At the beginning of the practicum course, the instructor shares the course's TP booklet with the students and discusses all of the relevant expectations and tasks in detail. In addition, the instructor discusses the observation sheet and the feedback process that is to be expected in detail. Throughout the semester, student teachers shadow the MSTs and teach under their supervision to enable them to receive constructive feedback. Ideally, the MST meets with the student before and after the given lesson, and the MCTs receive the lesson plan a day before the observation, so that she can discuss the lesson with the student and send feedback before the observation. A feedback meeting should be implemented immediately after the lesson observation. No requirements are imposed for the pre-observation meeting. However, post-observation is mandatory in order to provide constructive feedback and to identify focal points and next steps in the student teachers' development. During the transition to the new normal and during the COVID pandemic and faculty shortage, the MCT assigned strong peers to complete two out of four lesson observations on their behalf. However, the MCT needed to ensure rigor in the observation practice, as will be discussed in the following sections.

Cosling's second and third model can be combined to ensure the validity and reliability of formative assessment practices in preservice POT and, additionally, can provide valuable qualitative evidence to support quantitative data and complete final summative evaluation. For this reason, we find it crucial to combine multiple models in our program.

#### **3.3 Model of peer observation of practice in Phygital spaces**

#### *3.3.1 Theoretical framework: Community of Inquiry*

The CoI model forms a three-dimensional pedagogical framework that is grounded in theories of teaching and learning in higher education [17]. After it was created, this framework evolved to incorporate broader perspectives of distance learning [13, 28]. The three constructs, namely, cognitive presence, social presence, and teaching presence, have remained stable and form contributions to maintaining a *Perspective Chapter: Peer Observation of Teaching in Phygital Communities of Inquiry DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109380*

strong virtual learning environment within the CoI model [2, 17]. They are described as follows:

