Perspective Chapter: Peer Observation of Teaching in Phygital Communities of Inquiry

Abstract

The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have affected many aspects of teacher training programs, which are crucial for informing research in higher education, including reflective peer observation of teaching (POT). The higher education community has adapted to this new normal and begun using phygital (blended physical and digital) spaces effectively. This requires practitioners to adapt new methodologies and hybrid approaches, which pave the way for a new future of learning in a new phygital environment. This chapter describes the implementation of a phygital community of inquiry (CoI) by preservice teachers in an undergraduate early-years education program in the United Arab Emirates. This chapter presents the authors’ observations of preservice teachers’ practices during their internship to describe them against the experience of higher education in the United Arab Emirates. Incorporating the principles of POT and CoI requires strong institutional support if creative technologies are adopted to react to the current state of practices. Specifically, the POT principles involved in CoI should expand the phygital approach to improve the reflective practices of preservice teachers. Moreover, models relevant to specific programs should provide adequate instructional support, materials, and training for preservice teachers to allow their optimal investment of POT in phygital spaces.