Peer observation of teaching: multiple-site case study guided by diffusion of innovations theory

There is limited evidence and understanding of the factors that promote the successful Peer Observation of Teaching (POT) implementation and long-term sustainability. The purpose of this multi-site study is to examine how Canadian universities implement a POT innovation and what factors influence its implementation and sustainability. This study employed a cross-comparative case study design of two Canadian universities guided by the Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) Theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with administrators and faculty who had experience providing or receiving peer observation. Public records relevant to POT innovation implementation and operationalisation were also collected. A qualitative content analysis, using a combination of directed and open coding, was conducted with both sets of data from the two sites. Factors affecting the implementation of POT: the promotion of POT teaching and the availability of resources and supports were insufficient in ensuring adoption in departments where POT was not compatible with demands, routines, and departmental culture. Specifically, the POT innovation was successfully implemented and sustained in two non-medicine departments where it fit with pre-existing professional culture and routines. In contrast, in departments of medicine, where teaching and peer feedback were undervalued, POT was perceived as burdensome and unimportant. Interviews with clinical teachers from medicine and allied health professions suggest the existence of a “hidden curriculum” that may act in contradiction to the principles of a POT innovation. Our findings suggest that while it is important to promote teaching excellence and faculty development, the sustainability and effectiveness of a teaching innovation to this end may require attention to the specific departmental context in which it is employed. Compatibility with routines, time constraints, norms, and culture is important in ensuring an innovation’s sustainability.