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Also, as the mean for Q.55 indicates, although there was a good deal of supportfor the idea that the teacher might be ‘empowered’ to take the lead in decidingon what the focus for observation should be, the strength of agreement was,as for Q.54, on the lower side. Some of the possible reasoning in favour of theproposition emerges in the following focus group extract:R: Why do you think its good practice to ask a teacher what she wants you toobserve?FG1: By making her –FG5: Feel at ease.FG1: – tell us where she would be doing well, and where she would not be doing– not very well, where she could tell us what she needs.R: Okay, but why? Why do you think that’s a good idea?FG1: I think that would make her more prepared about the observation, andas we have mentioned, not so stressful, and so when she calls me backto observe her, she’s rather prepared to have me with her inside theclassroom. [TRFG5: 200-205]There are no parts of the rest of the data where clear reasons are given forthe contrary view (that the teacher should not be allowed to determine theobservation focus). However, frequent mention is made in them of the need forobservers to use officially prescribed observation check-sheets, and this, alongwith other possible issues, such the need in a large-scale system to ensuresufficient objectivity and consistency in observation, may account for the nature ofthe questionnaire responses.The strength of agreement indicated in the overall response to Q.56 (the observerand trainee should first of all establish the ‘facts’ of what happened in the lesson)was more positive than for most of the others in this section. This perception wasechoed by several parts of the interview and focus group data, e.g:I: And when they use it [i.e., a form for recording objectively what happenedin the lesson], during their feedback-giving, their post-conference withthe teacher, they have a lot to say to the teacher. They were able to avoidcomments like, “the teacher has good command of English,” “the teacherhas good rapport...”R: So the judgement.I: The teacher – they were able to avoid that. Because they were able to notethe actual things that they saw and heard, they were able to say thingswhich are more objective to the teacher, to mirror to the teacher…I: The teacher was able to see herself. The teacher was able to see himself orherself based on theBest Practice INSET | 337