“Special education teachers’ views on peer evaluation. The contribution of peer observation and reflection.”
Tsiotsika Magdalini
Pages 73 – 89
Abstract
In the modern era, societies are characterized by financial turbulence and social instability, requiring individuals
to acquire new skills and abilities so as to respond and adapt to the new standards of the labor market. Teachers,
whose multifaceted role is pivotal in the way society progresses, are assessed over the “quality of their knowledge” and the way it is imparted to students. Teaching and teachers are now the core of the learning society. The
school functions as a learning organization not only for students but also for teachers, where informal forms of
learning such as peer assessment dominate in an effective way. Peer evaluation as a learning strategy, along
with peer observation as a key tool, contributes to teachers’ self-reflection and professional development. The
purpose of this paper is to investigate the views of 132 primary special education teachers of the prefecture of
Attica with experience in an integration department or learning support assistance, regarding peer assessment
and the role of peer observation and self-reflection. The results of the research demonstrate the positive attitude
of teachers towards both observation and self-reflection as a means of acquiring new knowledge, improving
teaching and developing a collaborative culture. The above findings are considered important as they can benefit
the daily educational work both in improving teaching as well as the teachers themselves.