EXPLORING PEER FEEDBACK IN BUILDING PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE OF TEACHER INTERNS

The internship programmes under teacher development commonly make provision for peer observation as a component but what purpose(s) it is meant for, is usually not made explicit, neither to the supervisors nor to the interns. Most of the time, peer observation is done as a ritual and it does not have the desired visibility or significance as the lesson planning or its delivery has. If we intend to develop reflective teachers through a process- based approach, then there is a need to enrich the internship programme through multiple perspectives. This paper attempts to tap the potential of peer feedback as a constructive input in the socialization and collaborative competence building of teacher interns through interactions and reflective practices. The researcher as a mentor of a group of six teacher interns; analysed the peer observation narratives along with post observation discussions. The insights gained from the findings helped in addressing contextual issues and in evolving an evidence based support to strengthen the constructive role of peer feedback in building up the teacher competence.