Author Information
Elissar Gerges, Zayed University, United Arab EmiratesSalwa Husain, Zayed University, United Arab Emirates
Abstract
Peer observation of teaching (POT) is widely used in higher education to enhance teaching quality and support professional development. While existing research has largely focused on feedback processes and benefits for the observed instructor, less attention has been given to the observer as an active learner. This mixed-methods study explores how faculty members in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) learn through observing colleagues’ teaching practices and how institutional contexts shape observer interpretation and professional growth. Using a convergent parallel design, quantitative and qualitative data were collected simultaneously through an online survey completed by 39 faculty observers across UAE higher education institutions. Quantitative findings indicated strong learning outcomes for observers, particularly in identifying new instructional strategies and engaging in self-reflection, with significant correlations among strategy recognition, adoption, and enhanced confidence. However, perceptions of institutional support, community dialogue, and contextual facilitation were notably weaker. Reflexive thematic analysis of open-ended responses revealed four interrelated themes: observational stance (evaluative versus dialogic), pedagogical translation of observed practices, the dual role dilemma of balancing collegiality and critique, and the institutional echo shaping the meaning of observation. Integrating these findings, the study proposes an institutional-relational model of observational learning, demonstrating that observer development is not solely cognitive but socially and structurally mediated. The findings highlight the need for developmental framing, structured training, and dialogic spaces to strengthen POT as a sustainable system of professional learning in higher education.
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