Teachers’ attitudes toward classroom observation: the affective component

Abstract

The aim of this article is to show the fear and suspicion that classroom observation provokes in teachers, even among those with more years of experience. Drawing on in-depth semi-structured interviews of 14 professors from the Department of Languages of the European University of Madrid our study shows that, although teachers' feelings of fear and rejection of being observed are confirmed (Lasagabaster and Sierra, 2011), teachers feel a gradual reduction in anxiety in the face of continuous exposure to observations. Also, there is a fear of job loss if departmental expectations are not met and a concern about the lack of clarity of clear standards and observation criteria. Finally, in line with the results of previous research, a positive behavior change is observed in the student when feeling observed (Jones, 1993), tending to naturalize as the observation progresses.