Tóm tắt
Classroom observation is an effective tool for professional development (PD)in EFL environments. However, in order for this PD tool to be really effective, there should be more insights into theoretical and practical preparations for this classroom activity. The project was carried out to find out (a) teachers’ perception about classroom observations; (b) the reality of class observation activities in some high schools in Hue, and (c) what third- and fourth- year students should do for their teaching practice. The subjects consist of 15 upper-secondary students and 37 teachers and 15 students from 5 upper-secondary schools in Hue. The research instruments are questionnaires, interview questions, and observing observers’activities sheets. Some main findings include: (1) Most teachers and students have realized the importance of class observation activities; (2) Class observation activities are carried out with different frequency in different high schools; (3) The post-observing stage (giving feedback) is carried out in different ways and need to be paid more attention. Some essential suggestions include (a) Teachers should learn more theory about and attend workshops on ways to take advantage of class observations; (b) Each time a class observation is made, it is suggested that the observer focus on one aspect of the lesson; (c) After making class observation, the experience should be collected and put into a portfolio as a good way to learn. These suggestions aim to improve the quality of class observation activities for upper-secondary teachers of English in general, and for third and fourth year students’ teaching practice in particular.