Date

7-21-2026

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD)

Chair

Amy June Schechter

Keywords

Peer observations, involuntary peer observations, curriculum, instruction, teacher-to-teacher trust, professional development, school culture, school leadership, social learning theory, constructivist theory, teacher interpretations, teacher descriptions, teacher experiences, collaboration, evaluative, mandatory, authoritative, democratic, individual interviews, focus groups, protocol documents, modeling, educational contexts, single instrumental case study

Disciplines

Education

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative, holistic, single instrumental case study was to explore how involuntary peer observations are described, perceived, and interpreted by teachers in an urban secondary school and how those perceptions may inform curriculum development, instructional strategy implementation, collaboration, and trust. The social learning theory guiding this research suggests individuals learn by engaging in observation, modeling of skills and tasks in specific social contexts, interpretations of others’ behaviors, and applying of learned information. The central research question was: How are involuntary peer observations described, perceived, and interpreted in an urban secondary school, and how do these perceptions inform curriculum development, instructional strategy implementation, collaboration, and teacher trust? The setting for this research was an urban, public high school, and the sample included secondary, core-subject teachers. Data collection included synchronous recorded interviews, focus groups, and document analysis. Collected data was analyzed using open coding, axial coding, and pattern matching to identify themes. The study’s findings revealed that educators perceived involuntary peer observations as compliance-driven rather than meaningful initiatives. Participants stated that such observations focused solely on evaluative accountability and documentation, but had minimal influence on curriculum development, teaching strategy implementation, and collaboration. Furthermore, teachers shared feelings of fear of judgment, lack of autonomy and communication, as well as distrust in the process. Overall, the study’s findings suggest that instead of participation in what is intended to be a reflective practice, involuntary peer observations influence teachers’ perceptions of the process while limiting their overall participation and engagement in the initiative.

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