RUME 25
2023
Omaha, Nebraska
Characterizing College Instructors’ Attention During Peer Observations
Page: 1038
Research has highlighted that actively involving students during instruction can lead to positive outcomes for students. However, college mathematics instructors may need support to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively implement this type of instruction. This study looks at how college algebra instructors in a grant-supported professional learning community (PLC) focus on different aspects of their own and others’ teaching. We leverage the instructional triangle as an analytical framework to characterize the foci of participants’ observations. We analyzed PLC meetings where participants reported on specific aspects of each other’s observed classes. Our analysis revealed that instructors each had a primary focus that drove their observations. We anticipate these different foci will inform future PLC meetings and lead to new questions about instructor thinking, and to continued development of the instructional triangle.