Disclaimer

This Program was funded, in part, through a grant awarded by the Romanian-American
Foundation. The opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed herein
are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Romanian-American
Foundation.

1
What’s happening?
Developing monitoring and evaluation skills: the baseline study

Contents
1. The aims of this course ..................................................................................................... 3
2. A warmer: getting to know you .......................................................................................... 4
3. How to plan a project: some key questions ....................................................................... 5
4. English for the Community ................................................................................................ 6
5. Who are the project stakeholders? .................................................................................... 7
6. Accessing stakeholders’ views .......................................................................................... 8
7. What really makes an effective teacher? ........................................................................... 9
8. Teachers’ beliefs ............................................................................................................. 11
9. Observing teachers ......................................................................................................... 12
10. Observation practice ..................................................................................................... 14
11. The post-observation process: teacher reflection .......................................................... 16
12. The post-observation process: giving effective feedback............................................... 17
13. The post-observation process: practice ......................................................................... 20
14. Continuous professional development........................................................................... 21
15. Some final thoughts ...................................................................................................... 22
Appendix 1: How to plan a project: some key questions ...................................................... 23
Appendix 2: Who are the stakeholders? ............................................................................. 24
Appendix 3: What’s happening? .......................................................................................... 25
Appendix 4: Teaching for Success and the British Council CPD framework ....................... 26
Appendix 5: How confident are teachers? Questionnaire results 2016 ............................... 28
Appendix 6: Conducting the observation ............................................................................ 29
Appendix 7: Post-observation discussions .......................................................................... 31
Appendix 8: Advice for giving feedback ............................................................................... 32
Appendix 9: Self-assessment .............................................................................................. 34
Appendix 10: Further reading and sources.......................................................................... 35

2
What’s happening?
Developing monitoring and evaluation skills: the baseline study

1. The aims of this course

This course has been produced by British Council Romania on behalf of the British
Council/Romanian-American Foundation (RAF) English for the Community project to help
you develop your monitoring and evaluation skills and to assess what’s happening in sample
secondary school classrooms in different locations in Romania.

Specifically, the course aims:

 to enable you to think about planning educational projects and the importance of
identifying what is really happening in the classroom before the project begins
 to introduce you to the English for the Community project and the role you will play in
the project
 to enable you to collect the views of Head Teachers, learners and parents about
English language teaching and learning
 to introduce you to a set of criteria which can be used to assess teacher quality (the
British Council Continuing Professional Development Framework for teachers)
 to introduce you to a set of criteria which can be used to support classroom
observations
 to enable you to be aware of which aspects of effective teaching which are
observable and which are more difficult to observe
 to enable you to undertake an effective lesson observation
 to enable you to encourage teachers to reflect at the post-observation stage
 to enable you to assess how effectively teachers can reflect
 to enable you to provide effective feedback at the post-observation stage
 to enable you to identify teacher attitudes to continuing professional development.

We hope you enjoy the course and find it useful for your own professional
development!

Key contacts:

Andy Keedwell, Academic Advisor, British Council Romania

Alina Constantinescu, Project Manager, British Council Romania

3
2. A warmer: getting to know you

Your facilitator will ask you to take part in a ‘getting to know you’ warmer.

Take part in the warmer.

 Did you enjoy this activity?

 Did it help to ‘break the ice’ in the training room?

 Would this activity be useful for learners at the beginning of a new school year or for
participants at the beginning of a new training course?

4
3. How to plan a project: some key questions

Imagine you work for a large international organisation such as the British Council.

Your organisation has the academic and organisational expertise to manage an effective
project to support English language teachers in improving the quality of their teaching.
The role of your organisation is to look for funding from other organisations that can support
the project financially.

You are delighted. You have just had a phone call from an organisation which is keen to
support teacher development in a region of your country. They are prepared to partly fund
the programme. They want to partner with your organisation so they can make use of your
expertise. You agree with the partner organisation that you will work together.

The project you are working on will bring about change. Any project is a managed changed
process which takes place in a specific context and which is designed to bring about a
positive change. In this case, the change is in the quality of teaching that happens in
schools.

You are planning the project and have lots of questions in your mind which you need
to answer to help you plan. For example:

 Where will the project take place?

 How long will it last for?

Work in a group and write down more questions you will need to answer to plan
effectively.

Compare them with the questions in Appendix 1.

5
4. English for the Community

Here are some of the answers to questions about the English for Community project you will
be involved with.

Which questions are not answered?

The British Council and the Romanian-American Foundation will be working together for the
next three years on a project which is called English for the Community. The project will
develop the teaching capabilities of 155 English teachers teaching in nine locations in
Romania. Most of these locations are rural and are near seven natural parks which have
great potential for the development of ecotourism/agrotourism.

English is a key skill for ecotourism: it helps communities reach international audiences and
share ideas with other agencies abroad. If young people still at school in the locations are
helped to develop their English skills, they will be able to find employment in ecotourism in
the future and not be faced by a need to find work in the cities of abroad. The best people to
help these young people improve their skills are their teachers.

Traditionally, projects aimed to improve the quality of classroom teaching by training

teachers in using new techniques and activities. English in the Community includes a five
day training course. But face-to-face training is not the only way to help teachers develop.
The project includes other ways of supporting teachers’ continuing professional
development. The project will encourage teachers to make use of online and digital
resources. It will also help teachers to set up what are called Teacher Activity Groups
(TAGs) which will meet once a month during the project’s lifetime and, we hope, after the
project has been completed.

English in the Community will be led by a Project Manager and an Academic Advisor. The
project will recruit nine Country Trainers who will deliver training and carry out monitoring
and evaluation activities. The Country Trainers who will select eighteen Local Facilitators
(teachers from the locations) who will lead the TAGs each month. We also hope to involve
other stakeholders during the project such as school inspectors.

6
5. Who are the project stakeholders?

Anyone who has an interest in a project and can influence its success is a stakeholder.

Work in a group and decide who the stakeholders are for the English in the Community
project.

Whose views are important? Why?

How can we collect these views? How can we find out what currently happens in schools?

Stakeholder Are their views important? How can we find out their views?

You can find a list of possible stakeholders for a project in Appendix 2 and how we
will access and observe stakeholders in Appendix 3a.

Finding out the views of stakeholders and carrying out observations forms part of the needs
analysis and baseline study for the English in the Community project.

Work in a group. What do you think are the benefits of this type of needs
analysis/baseline study?

Compare your ideas with the benefits of a needs analysis/baseline study presented in
Appendix 3b.

7
6. Accessing stakeholders’ views

6a: Head Teachers

For each school visit you make, we would like you to interview the Head Teacher using the
Head Teacher interview tool. If possible, use this form to interview the Head Teacher and
make a note of any additional information you obtain.

Make sure that each item in the interview tool has been completed and return your notes to
the British Council.

Read the Head Teacher interview form. Do you have any questions?

6b: Learners

We would like you to conduct a learner focus group in one of the schools you visit. Ask
permission from the teacher and follow the guidelines in the learner focus group document.
You may conduct the learner focus group in English or in the learners’ first language.

After the learner focus group, complete the learner focus group tool and return the form to
the British Council.

Read the learner focus group tool. Do you have any questions?

6c: Parents

We would like you to conduct a parents’ focus group in one of the schools you visit. Follow
the guidelines in the parents’ focus group document. You may conduct the parents’ focus
group in English or in the learners’ first language.

After the parents’ focus group, complete the parents’ focus group tool and return the form
to the British Council.

Read the parents’ focus group tool. Do you have any questions?

8
7. What really makes an effective teacher?

7a: Ghosts behind the blackboard

A ghost behind the blackboard is someone who taught you in the past and who influenced
the way you teach or train (positively or negatively).

Think of someone who taught you in the past (not necessarily a teacher and certainly not
necessarily an English teacher) who really motivated you and helped you to learn effectively.

Think of someone who taught you in the past (not necessarily a teacher and certainly not
necessarily an English teacher) who did not motivate you and who did not help you to learn
effectively.

What qualities did these ‘ghosts’ have? What does this tell us about teaching and learning?

7b: Skills, knowledge and attitudes

One way of describing an effective teacher is to think about skills, knowledge and
attitudes.

What types of skills, knowledge and attitudes do you think an effective teacher requires?

Work in a group and complete the table.

Skills Knowledge Attitudes

Compare your ideas with another group.

9
7c: The British Council Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework for
teachers

To support teachers’ professional development, the British Council has developed the
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework for teachers

The CPD framework specifies professional practices for teachers. These are the types of
activities teacher educators engage in and the areas of competence which describe the
broad areas of their work.

 Planning lessons and courses

 Understanding learners
 Managing the lesson
 Knowing the subject
 Managing resources
 Assessing learning
 Integrating ICT
 Taking responsibility for professional development
 Using inclusive practices
 Using multilingual approaches
 Promoting 21st-century skills
 Understanding educational policies and practice

The framework also includes four stages of teacher development: What do you think these
stages mean?

Stage of Description in your own words

development
Awareness

Understanding

Engagement

Integration

You can find out more about the framework in Appendix 4 and at:

www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teacher-development/continuing-professional-development

10
8. Teachers’ beliefs

In 2016, we asked teachers in the locations the project will work to tell us how confident they
felt about different skills.
Work with a partner. For each skill in the table, do you think teachers felt a high level of
confidence, a medium level of confidence or a low level of confidence?

Skill Degree of
confidence
I can use a range of techniques to introduce new grammar

I can use a range of techniques to teach vocabulary

I treat all my learners equally and with respect

I can motivate my students

I can use a range of techniques to teach reading skills

I can give learners feedback on errors that helps them improve

I can write lesson aims which describe the intended learning outcomes for
a class

I can use a range of techniques to teach my learners to speak English

I can give instructions effectively

I can create a positive learning environment

I can anticipate problems that may arise and decide how to respond

I can use a range of techniques to teach pronunciation.

I can monitor learner engagement

I can use a range of techniques to teach listening skills

I can assess learners effectively

I can select activities which help meet the aims of the lesson

I can reflect on my lessons effectively

I can give explanations that the learners are able to understand

I can develop materials to supplement the coursebook I use

11
9. Observing teachers

9a: Why is observation important?

‘What we say we do is not necessarily what we do’

‘What we say we can do is not necessarily what we can do’
‘What we say we believe is not necessarily what we believe’

Observation gives us the opportunity to compare what people say with what we actually
observe them do.

9b: What can we observe?

We can observe aspects of the lesson such as how much English is used. It’s very difficult or
impossible to observe other aspects – how the teacher feels about the subject for example.
It’s important that we only observe the observable!

Your facilitator will give you a picture. How easy or difficult is it to interpret?

Which of the features of a lesson in the table do you think a skilled observer can easily
effectively observe? Which may be more difficult (or even impossible) to observe?

The extent to which………………… Easy or

difficult?
the teacher has a good relationship with the learners
the learners regard English as important
the teacher uses English during the lesson
the teacher has planned the lesson
the learners are reluctant to engage in an activity
the teacher manages a sudden change in a lesson or an unexpected event
the lesson represents the teacher’s usual practice
the teacher gives clear and appropriate instructions
the teacher can respond to unexpected questions
the learners are involved in the lesson
the teacher takes the learners’ backgrounds into account
the teacher takes the learners’ gender into account
the teacher praises the learners
the lesson makes appropriate demands on the learners
the learners take part in pair or group work
the teacher has the freedom to deviate from the textbook or syllabus
the teacher builds on learners’ previous learning

For those features which you think are more difficult (or impossible) to observer, how
can we find out more information?
9c: The observation tool

12
Your facilitator will share with you the observation tool that you will use as part of the
baseline study.

Look through the observation tool and discuss any questions you may have in your
group and with your facilitator.

9d: Advice to observers

Work in a group. What advice would you give to observers to help them a) use the
observation tool effectively b) carry out the observation effectively in the classroom?

Compare your ideas with the guidelines in Appendix 6.

13
10. Observation practice

Work with a partner. Read the background and observation notes for Monica’s lesson. How
would you grade the lesson using the observation tool? Note: you may not have enough
evidence to grade each item.

Background
You are observing a teacher called Monica. You have had the opportunity to talk to Monica
before the lesson and you have discovered that she wants to make her lessons more
learner-centred. You have also found out that the observation will be taking place during the
second of two lessons on writing. The theme of this lesson is poetry. Prior to the part of the
lesson you will be observing, learners have compared poetry in their own culture with those
of other cultures, read and analysed poems, discussed themes for poems and explored
poem structures and vocabulary. There are two activities for observation: learners work in
groups to write a poem; they then read their poems aloud and comment on each others’
poems.

Your observation notes

In English, Monica asks the class to continue working in their groups: groups are mixed
between boys and girls.
She explains the next task – each group will write a poem. She asks them to decide on a
topic for a poem.
She reminds them of previous work they have done on drafting and editing and asks them to
follow the procedures for drafting their poem.
Using learners’ names, she elicits what the starting point should be.
Learners suggest ‘brainstorming ideas’.
She confirms this and asks if they understand what they have to do. Learners say yes. She
asks them to begin.

Learners talk amongst themselves using their first language.

Monica says: ‘Remember to use English’.
One of the learners asks: ‘Do we have to write a complete poem?’
Monica says: ‘Yes, a complete poem.’
Another learner asks: ‘How many drafts do we have to make?’
Someone else asks: ‘How long does it have to be?’
Monica stops the activity and goes over the steps: ‘Decide on a theme, brainstorm ideas for
the poem, think about the structure and put your ideas into a draft. Discuss your draft. Read
it aloud – how does it sound? Is there something you could improve? Could you make the
vocabulary better? Edit your draft and go over it again. When you are happy with it, all
members of your group should make a copy.’

Learners talk and make notes. The majority of learners are involved in each group.
Sometimes they break into their first language but in general they are communicating in

14
English. In one of the groups — the one near the door — there is some disagreement going
on. They aren’t sure about the theme of the poem and two of the learners want to change it.
Monica approaches and asks them about their difficulty. ‘We have chosen ‘A Photograph’ for
our title, but we all have different ideas.’ Monica responds: ‘Could you narrow it down, for
example, a person, a place, an object? Do you think that would help you to focus your
ideas?’ One learner says: ‘Ok, let’s try that.’ Around two thirds of the interaction is in English
with the use of some first language for more difficult expressions.

Monica returns to this group a few minutes later: ‘Have you made a decision?’ One of the
learners: ‘Yes, we are going to do a poem about a view which has meaning for us.’ Another
learner says: ‘And the feelings can be transferred to other views.’ Monica responds, ‘That
sounds good, I’m looking forward to hearing it. Let me know if you need any help.’

Another group asks Monica about intonation in a phrase at the beginning of their poem
which they would like to sound scary: ‘It was on a dark, dark night, in a deep, dark forest.’
Monica responds by saying the phrase with three different intonation patterns and asks
them: ‘Which one sounds scary to you?' ‘They laugh and make their choice.

Monica stops to speak to each group: ‘Is everything ok?’ She asks questions about their
poems: ‘What do you hope people will feel when they listen to the poem?’ ‘How could you
make the theme of … stronger?’ ‘Would a different phrase help to illustrate it better?’ ‘How
would it affect your poem if you had fewer lines?’

Learners discuss drafts of their poems and make final edits. Once the first draft is done, they
read aloud and suggest changes. At this stage all learners in each group are very engaged
in the activity and all are keen to contribute.

Monica asks each group in turn to read out their poems. She elicits previously established
rules for how they should behave when someone is speaking to the class. Learners shout
out: – Don’t talk! – Don’t interrupt! – Listen respectfully! – Give your opinion or ask a
question constructively – think about their feelings! After each poem is read, Monica asks the
other groups to comment. Comments were: ‘Your poem is great’.
‘I like your poem.’ Monica then comments on each group in turn. She praises their poems
and mentions how well they performed in groups. For each poem she says: ‘What I liked
about your poem was ...’ At the end of the lesson learners ask: ‘Can we put our poems up on
the walls?’ Monica says: ‘That’s a good idea. Other classes will be able to enjoy them too.’

15
11. The post-observation process: teacher reflection

11a: Encouraging the teacher to reflect

An essential part of the observation (and the most useful part for the teacher being
observed) is the post-observation interview.

 Begin by asking the teacher to complete the post-observation reflection document.

The teacher should make notes of what they feel they did well and what they can
improve.

 The teacher can choose whether to make notes in English or in their first language.

 Read what the teacher has written and, before you make any comments, give the
teacher the opportunity to talk about what they feel they have done well and what
they can improve. Listen carefully.

 Use what the teacher has said to guide you in completing Questions 31 to 35 in the
observation tool.

 Keep a copy of what the teacher has written. Return the form to the British Council.
We analyse what the teacher has said and their comments are invaluable to help us
understand the stage of development the teacher has reached.

11b: Reflection: an example

Read questions 31 to 33 in the observation tool again.

Here are Monica’s reflection notes for the lesson you observed earlier.

What did you do well? How could you improve?

Teacher comments Learners were motivated My instructions were not

They cooperated well in
groups
They listened well to each
others’ poems
clear – they asked me lots
of questions after we
started and I had to stop
the activity
I talked a lot – maybe TTT
was too high – I’m not sure

How well do you think Monica is able to reflect?

11c: How well can they reflect?

16
Using the criteria in Questions 31 to 33, how would you grade these teachers’ ability to
reflect?

How reflective are these comments?

I will work harder to help my students learn more effectively and will make my
lesson more interesting

I need to ask different questions: at the moment I just ask questions where
students answer yes or no or give one word

I need to use more pair work and group work in the class to encourage my
learners to speak English

I noticed that at the end of the lesson, the learners could use the new grammar
even though they made mistakes sometimes

I organised the students in groups and they were able to complete the task
together

If I had a computer, some audio-visual aids and a smaller class, I would be

able to give better lessons.

I will use interesting new methods to help my students

I tried to make the students understand and taught them everything I had to

My instructions need to be clearer and simpler and I need to check they’ve

understood

I taught some new words and presented the spelling on the board

I want to avoid mistakes in my English and not hesitate and speak like a native
speaker

The reading activity I had planned had pre-, -while and –post reading stages

I covered the chapter effectively and asked the students to do all the exercises

You can find further procedures for the post-observation reflection session in
Appendix 7.

12. The post-observation process: giving effective feedback

12a: Your feedback experience

17
Think of a time when you were given feedback about your professional performance,
following an observation for example.

1. Who observed you?

2. What areas were observed? Did the observer use an observation tool?
3. How was the feedback given?
4. What qualities did you like about the way the feedback was given?
5. Were there any qualities you did not like about the feedback was given?
6. In what ways was the feedback helpful? Did it result in learning?

Share your experiences with a partner. What do your experiences tell you about how
to share feedback effectively?

12b: Different types of feedback

Read the four feedback excerpts which show different ways of giving feedback.

What the differences between these ways of giving feedback?

Which way of giving feedback do you think is the most effective?

Example A:

Teacher: There were so many new words in the lesson! I just didn’t know how to teach them
all!
Observer: Well, maybe you could try pictures and realia? Some people might feel
translating would be useful although not everybody would agree. You could also get
students to underline new words in their books and ask them to guess the meaning from the
context.
Teacher: That’s right! Which is the best method do you think?
Observer: I don’t think there is a best method: it depends from class to class. What do you
think will work best in your class?
Teacher: The lesson talks about animals. I can take some pictures to show them. I could
also use them as flash cards.
Observer: Very good! Why don’t you try it out and we can talk about it next time?

18
Example B:

Teacher: There were so many new words in the lesson! I just didn’t know how to teach them
all!
Observer: Can you think of any ways you could use?
Teacher: Errm…………maybe I could use some kind of pictures?
Observer: Yes, you could
Teacher: Pictures of animals?
Observer: Why not
Teacher: OK I’ll try that then.

Example C

Teacher: There were so many new words in the lesson! I just didn’t know how to teach them
all!
Observer: You should use pictures or realia. You could also get students to highlight or
underline words in their books and ask them to guess the meaning from the context. These
are ways that have always worked for me. If you remember the training course you attended,
you were informed about a range of ways to teach vocabulary and you should use these.
Teacher: Maybe even translating?
Observer: No, that wouldn’t be effective. OK, let’s move on to the next item on my list

12c: Advice on giving feedback

Work in a group. What would be your advice to someone who is aiming to give feedback
effectively?

Share your ideas with other groups.

Compare your ideas with the guidelines your facilitator will give you. Do you agree with these
guidelines?

You can read the advice in Appendix 8.

19
13. The post-observation process: practice

Read the observation notes that you made on Monica’s lesson earlier.

Work in pairs:

Partner A: You have observed Monica’s lesson and are providing her with some
constructive feedback

Partner B: You are Monica.

Practise your feedback session.

Strengths Areas for development

Effective monitoring – dealt with group Instructions need to be more effective:

who were having difficulties with their learners had clearly not understood what
title, was able to help them to re-focus by to do although they were keen to get
suggesting narrowing it down started. Perhaps some checking questions
would help. Instructions could be given
Relevant questions – although many
more step by step or even written on the
questions asked, they were designed to
board.
help them think rather than imposing her
own views – learner centred It’s not helpful to ask: ‘Do you
understand?’ Participants might well say
Learners all engaged and worked well
yes, even if they mean no. Checking
together towards a common goal
student understanding needs to be
Having ground rules for how to behave is a improved.
good idea. It also hands over responsibility
Learner opinions could be highlighted in
to learners without the need for the
the feedback stage. Although it was a
teacher to intervene. It is learner-
good idea to tell participants what she
centred and supportive.
liked and they certainly appreciated this,
she could have involved the learners who
were listening to the poem by asking them
to say specifically what they liked.
Learners could have been encouraged to
say what they liked about the poems, why
were they great? How did they make them
feel? This would have engaged them more.

20
14. Continuous professional development

Question 35 in the observation form asks teachers to talk about their own continuing
professional development (CPD). It asks the observer to assess how much they know about
the idea of CPD and what CPD ambitions they have.

Useful questions to ask (you do not need to ask all of these questions)

 What do you understand by the term ‘continuing professional development’?

 How would you like to develop as a teacher?

 What would you like to be doing in five years’ time?

 Have you ever participated in a training course since you qualified as a teacher?

 If so, how effective did you find this training?

 What types of training would you like to have in the future?

 Are there any ways you use to help yourself to develop as a teacher? How do you
keep yourself up to date?

 Do you ever use the Internet to help you find out more about teaching? If so, which
sites do you find most helpful?

Make a note of any useful information you obtain about the teachers’ attitudes to CPD
and share these notes with the British Council.

21
15. Some final thoughts

Here are some teachers’ view on their experience of being observed.

When I was observed I received many ideas. One of them was giving concise instructions
which helped me to make my instructions short, specific and meaningful.

I had totally forgotten that even beginner level students need some English during
instructions. The observer brought it up and I started to speak some easy-to-understand
English in my Beginner class and it helped them to improve their listening.

While running a freer speaking activity, I did not know how to help students with their errors.
In the feedback stage, the observer suggested Delayed Correction which was very new idea
for me and worked.

We hope teachers you observe also find this experience a positive one!

Please complete the self-assessment and feedback form and return it to your facilitator.

Good luck with your monitoring and evaluation!

22
Appendix 1: How to plan a project: some key questions

Where will the project take place?

How long will it last for?

Who will be involved with the project? Who are the stakeholders?

Who will the project help?

What type of activities will the project involve?

What is the situation at the moment? What is the problem that needs addressing?

What current challenges/problems face people who will be involved in the project at the
moment?

How can we help people to solve these problems? How can we meet their needs?

What is working well at the moment and does not need to be changed?

What is the project trying to change? Why?

What will be the results of the project?

What are the aims and objectives of the project?

How can you decide if the project is going well during the project’s lifetime?

How will you decide if the project has been successful at the end of the project’s lifetime?

Are there any lessons learnt from the project? Have you learnt anything that might be useful
for projects in the future?

23
Appendix 2: Who are the stakeholders?

Anyone that has an interest in a project and can influence its success is a stakeholder. For
example:
Policy makers

Academic Civil society

Stakeholders
for an in-
Practitioners service Community
teacher
education
project in your
context

Administrators

Media
Key stakeholders for the ‘English in the Community’ project include project management,
project funders, trainers and facilitators, teachers, Head Teachers, learners and parents.

Before we can begin designing the project, we need to make sure we have collected the
view of all stakeholders who are involved with the project at the moment.

24
Appendix 3: What’s happening?

Appendix 3a: Accessing stakeholders

In the baseline study you will be involved in, you will be finding out the views of the following
stakeholders:

Who? How? Where/how many?

Head Teachers Interview Three – one in each school visited

Teachers Interview Three – each teacher you observe

Learners Focus group One in one of the three schools you

observe

Parents Focus group One in one of the three schools you

visit

Observations

Who? How? Where/how many?

Teachers Classroom observation Each teacher in each of three schools

visited

Appendix 3b: Benefits of a needs analysis/baseline study

A needs analysis/baseline study:

 provides an idea of what is happening on the ground and a snapshot of the current
reality
 helps to investigate what people think and believe
 identifies areas of good practice and areas for development the project needs to
address
 identifies stakeholders’ real needs, lacks and wants
 helps project design to be relevant, useful and practical
 gives all stakeholders a chance to express themselves and this helps them to feel a
sense of commitment to and ownership of the project later
 helps to builds trust and relationships between the stakeholders and project
organisations
 provides a ‘benchmark’ so progress can be measured throughout the project
 gives the project credibility.

25
Appendix 4: Teaching for Success and the British Council CPD framework

This approach is based on the following beliefs:

1 English is best acquired through communication and learners should be given as
much opportunity to use it in the classroom as possible.
2 Collaboration through task-based group and pair work has a positive effect on
learning.
3 Teachers and learners become motivated and develop a positive attitude to learning
when it is engaging and fun and relates directly to their needs and context.
4 Change can only be achieved if teachers are encouraged to reflect on current
teaching practice and their personal beliefs about teaching and learning.
5 Learning is a lifelong process and teachers need to be encouraged and supported to
take responsibility for their continuing professional development
6 Through experiential activities such as peer teaching and lesson planning,
teachers can practise and develop their teaching skills and knowledge more
effectively.
7 Teacher education and development programmes should provide a mix of teaching
and training skills, English language proficiency and subject matter
knowledge.
8 The relationship between the teacher and learner or the teacher and trainer is
fundamentally important and should be based on mutual respect and
understanding.

26
27
Appendix 5: How confident are teachers? Questionnaire results 2016

Skill Degree of
confidence
I can use a range of techniques to teach my learners to speak English low

I can create a positive learning environment low

I can motivate my students low

I can use a range of techniques to introduce new grammar low

I can use a range of techniques to teach pronunciation. low

I can use a range of techniques to teach listening skills low

I can select activities which help meet the aims of the lesson low

I can use a range of techniques to teach vocabulary mid

I can anticipate problems that may arise and decide how to respond mid

I can use a range of techniques to teach reading skills mid

I can give explanations that the learners are able to understand mid

I can give learners feedback on errors that helps them improve mid

I can monitor learner engagement mid

I can develop materials to supplement the coursebook I use mid

I treat all my learners equally and with respect high

I can write lesson aims which describe the intended learning outcomes for high
a class

I can give instructions effectively high

I can assess learners effectively high

I can reflect on my lessons effectively high

28
Appendix 6: Conducting the observation

6a: Guidelines for observers

 Make sure you are fully familiar with all the criteria in the observation tool before you
begin the observation.
 Begin by observing the teacher and learners and getting a general impression of the
class.
 From the beginning of the class, use the Notes section to keep a record of the
lesson. What is the teacher doing? What are the learners doing? Make a note of the
approximate time it takes the teacher to cover each stage of the lesson. Make a note
of how the learners respond. Record as much detail as you can about the lesson.
Please note that it is likely that we may use some of your notes as qualitative data in
our reporting, so please make sure they are legible and as thorough as possible.
 Do not begin completing items in the observation tool until the lesson is well in
progress – avoid jumping to conclusions. Allow yourself time to form an impression of
the overall quality of the teaching you are observing.
 Remember you can assess each item as Not met/Partially met/Met or Exceeds.
Think carefully about which level is most appropriate.
 Please make sure you complete every item in the observation tool. Do not leave any
of the items blank.
 As much as possible, try to avoid completing any item with NA: ‘non-applicable’. If
you do use the NA column, make a careful note of why you think this item is non-
applicable.
 Please add any further information you think will be useful in Section F.
 In Section G, you are asked to make an estimate of the teachers’ language level
(A1=Elementary/beginner, C2=Upper advanced/near-native speaker level). Try and
estimate the overall language level of the learners even though there may be
individual variation.

29
6b: Observer protocol

 Please arrive a few minutes before the lesson starts

 Choose an unobtrusive place at the back of the class where you can see what is
taking place without disturbing anybody
 Briefly introduce yourself at the beginning of the class to the teacher and the learners
 Aim to look attentive, interested and non-judgemental throughout the observation
 If students ask you questions, refer them to the teacher.
 Do not interrupt the proceedings or interact with the teacher or the learners while you
are observing the lesson. We are trying to capture as normal a lesson as possible.
Your role is to observe, not interact or intervene in the lesson, even if you have some
good suggestions of how things might be done differently!
 You can only see and hear what is happening; you cannot see or hear feelings! ‘The
students were interested/bored’ is a subjective comment. ‘Ninety per cent of the
students were involved’ is an objective comment – you can count them!
 Thank the teacher and the learners at the end of the lesson.
 Observations should be followed up with a post-observation discussion with the
teacher and observer, as far as possible, to provide more detailed information on
elements of the professional practices that were not (directly) observable during the
lesson. These should be held as soon as possible after the lesson. Arrange for
somewhere quiet to sit where you will not be interrupted.

30
Appendix 7: Post-observation discussions

 Arrange a time and place to hold the discussion – somewhere quiet where you will
not be interrupted.
 Give the post-observation self-reflection form to the teacher you have observed. You
may need to help the teacher to understand some of the questions if his/her English
language levels are low. It is OK to translate these but please try not to give
examples of what the teacher might write as this may influence his/her answers.
 When the teacher has completed the form, talk through his/her answers.
 Remember to ask open questions to try to get some more information if the teacher
has not written very much on the self-reflection sheet. This provides the opportunity
for more in-depth discussion to explore teacher decisions, thoughts, opinions, needs,
etc.
 Take a copy of the self-reflection form. If this is not possible take a photo of the
reflection form with your phone. Remember the completed reflection form will be of
use to the British Council project team.
 Provide general feedback on strengths and areas for development to help the
teacher.
 Complete Questions 31 to 35 in the observation tool for each teacher observed.
 Return the completed observation tools and all other documents/photos to the project
team as soon as possible.

You can find out more about teacher reflection at:

www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/andy-keedwell-ruchi-jain-supporting-developing-teacher-
reflection

31
Appendix 8: Advice for giving feedback

1. Be prepared. Shape what you want to say in your mind before you begin giving feedback.
Begin by giving the teacher you have observed the opportunity to identify the positive and
negative features of the lesson before moving on to your comments. Begin by asking the
teacher to describe what he/she did in the lesson and helping by describing what you saw
(without any positive or negative comments) and making sure that you both agree on what
actually happened in the lesson – for example, how many learners were involved, how long
an activity lasted for etc.

2. Be an active listener. Focus fully on what the teacher you have observed is saying and
show by using good eye contact and appropriate body language that you are really listening.
Don’t impose your ideas but give the teacher the opportunity to express his or her own ideas
first.

3. Empathise Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Look at the problem from the other
person's perspective and actively try to see his/her point of view - don’t think that you have
all the answers! Think carefully about the context the teacher you have observed works in
and the constraints on what they can do and make sure that any suggestions you make are
practical and relevant to that context.

4. Use questions to open up the discussion and help the teacher you have observed
to build on their own experience. Don’t limit yourself to closed yes/no questions but ask
open questions (what’s your opinion about……….., are there any ways you
could……………..). Find out why the teacher identified particular features as strengths and
areas for development – what is the rationale behind their comments? Alternative questions
(‘Do you think it would be more effective to ……….or……..’ are also useful).

5. Be constructive – don’t just focus on deficiencies in the lesson. Many people recommend
a ‘feedback sandwich’; - begin by concentrating on strengths, then move on to dealing with
more negative areas before returning to a summary of the overall quality of the teaching.
Avoid the term ‘weaknesses’ – identify ‘areas for development’ and elicit from the teacher
or make practical suggestions yourself on how these areas for development can be
addressed.

6. Don’t make assumptions. Ask questions which help the teacher you have observed to
reflect and provide as much opportunity as you can for the teacher to evaluate their own
performance. You will often find that the teacher you have observed can identify many of the
strengths and areas for development that you have already highlighted for the discussion:
encourage the teacher to do so before commenting yourself. It is likely the teacher will
expect you to provide advice and direction and this should be given where appropriate, but
make room for the teacher to present and explore their own ideas.

7. Don’t interrupt – shut up. You have two ears and only one mouth – use your ears! Test

32
yourself by making a note of how many times you interrupt in your next conversation and try
to reduce this. It’s often surprising how much the person giving feedback talks - try to limit
this and makes that the teacher you have observed has chance to speak. Avoid the
temptation to talk too much about your own experiences: a little of your past can be useful
but too much will dominate the conversation.

8. Clarify carefully what the teacher is trying to say. It can often be helpful to paraphrase
what the teacher is saying – thoughtful paraphrasing and summarising can often help a
teacher to articulate what they are trying to say (‘so perhaps what you are saying
is………….’). Expand on ideas the teacher has provided to help the teacher to see that their
ideas are relevant and important.

9. End the feedback by asking the teacher you have observed to make some suggestions
on how they can apply and incorporate learning from the feedback. If possible, do a little
planning for the next lesson with the teacher to make sure this happens. Leave the teacher
with the feeling that the feedback session has been positive but also with a realistic action
plan they can implement.

33
Appendix 9: Self-assessment

Not confident Not very Fairly Very

at all confident confident confident
I understand the main aims and
objectives of the English for the
Community project and my role in
the project.

I understand the importance of a

baseline study/needs analysis.

I know how to identify the views of

the Head Teacher.

I know how to conduct a learner

focus group.

I am aware of the British Council

Continuing Professional
Development (CPD) Framework
for teachers.

I am familiar with the criteria for

conducting an effective
observation.

I am aware of the qualities of an

objective observation – what I can
and cannot do during the
observation.

I am aware of ways to help the

teacher reflect.

I am familiar with ways to assess

the extent to which the teacher can
reflect.

I can provide feedback effectively

after the observation.

I can assess the teacher’s

awareness of continuing
professional development.

34
Appendix 10: Further reading and sources

Further reading

Silvana Richardson: Evidence-based observation – tips and tools

https://britishcouncil.adobeconnect.com/_a917587435/p8slnclkd8e/?launcher=false&fcsCont
ent=true&pbMode=normal

Observations: why bother?

www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/observations-why-bother

A Guide to Continuing Professional Development – Formal observations

https://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/filefield_paths/c226_cpd_formal_ob
servations_report_v4_1.pdf

Observation Jitters
www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/ehsan-taebi/observation-jitters

Lesson Observation for Developing Teachers - The Feedback

www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9YHAnHCHLg

Classroom Observation with Bayley - Group Dynamics (Being honest about lesson
feedback
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtRuS6JcKzA

How did I do? Feedback as a tool for observers and teachers

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bdRwGMLdao

How to observe a lesson

www.learningspy.co.uk/featured/how-to-observe-a-lesson/

10 tips, tools and techniques for observing lessons

www.myetpedia.com/10-tips-tools-and-techniques-for-observing-lessons/

Classroom observation: it’s harder than you think

www.cem.org/blog/414/

How to improve your lesson observations

http://discover.irisconnect.com/lesson-observation-professional-learning

Lesson observations are flawed - here's how to fix them

www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/lesson-observations-are-barely-more-
accurate-a-lucky-guess

35
Sources

Module
3 British
Council Teacher Education Planning Handbook
Available at:
www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/teacher-education-planning-handbook
4 English for the Community: project documents
5 British Council Teacher Education Planning Handbook
Available at:
www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/teacher-education-planning-handbook
6 British Council Teaching for Success: needs analysis documents
7 British Council Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework for
teachers
Available at:
www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/british-council-cpd-framework
8 British Council Teaching for Success: needs analysis documents: project needs
analysis
9 British Council: Teaching for Success online conference, 2015: Behind the
classroom door: Effective observation as a tool for establishing and maintaining
standards
10 British Council Teaching for Success: Mentor development course
11 British Council observation guidelines (internal)
British Council: Teaching for Success online conference, 2016: Supporting and
developing teacher reflection
12 British Council Mentor Workbook
13 British Council Teaching for Success: Mentor development course
14 British Council observation tool
15 The House of Dos and Don’ts: teachers, self-access and learner autonomy. In
Innovation in English Language Teacher Education British Council, 2014
Available at:
www.britishcouncil.in/sites/default/files/tec14_papers_final_online.pdf
Appendices
1 British Council Teacher Education Planning Handbook:
2 www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/teacher-education-planning-handbook
3
4 British Council Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework for
teachers
5 Project data 2016
6 British Council observation guidelines (internal)
7 British Council Teaching for Success: needs analysis documents
8 British Council observation guidelines (internal)
British Council Teaching for Success: Mentor development course

36