Purpose
Teaching observations are beneficial for reflecting on teaching, providing formative feedback, and documenting teaching excellence. This abstract describes the development, implementation, and preliminary outcomes of a peer observation training program to promote evidence-based practices and reflective teaching.

Methods
Our teaching observation form and process were revised to better align with best practices documented in the literature and Ohio University’s Teaching Excellence Framework. Each observation consists of a pre-observation meeting in which the instructor discusses their teaching goals and explains the structure of their class session, the observation of the class session, and a post-observation meeting for reflection on and debriefing of the observation report. Following the revision of the teaching observation form, the Peer Observation Training Program was developed using the Interactive Model of Program Planning and consisted of the following sessions: Introductory session to discuss the purpose and benefits of peer observations, guidelines for how to conduct observations, and answer participant questions A practice observation for peer observers to gain experience using the teaching observation form to provide formative feedback A debrief for participants to discuss similarities and differences in their observations Program evaluation is ongoing and includes a Qualtrics survey to assess participants’ motivations for becoming peer observers, satisfaction, and impact on teaching practices.

Results
To date, eight instructors have been observed, and four faculty have completed the peer observation training program. Preliminary reflections suggest that peer observers were motivated by their passion for teaching, valuing giving and receiving feedback, interest in understanding how their peers teach, and desire to improve their own teaching. Comprehensive results will be forthcoming upon data analysis in spring 2025.

Conclusion
The Peer Observation Training Program along with the structured observation supports a culture of continuous improvement by providing faculty with formative feedback and encouraging reflection and the use of evidence-based practices.