This paper aims to discuss how the process of observation in classes is understood by observing teachers. It is based on critical research and the theoretical frame refers to the Activity Theory (Engeström, 1987, 1999a, 1999b), in authors that discuss language and critical reflection (Magalhães, 2000; Liberali, 1994), and the role of speech in the construction of meanings (Halliday, 1985; Halliday & Hasan, 1989). The paper presents an introduction in which I justify why observation is an important procedure on development of teachers and it is organized in three sections: the theoretical frame about the process of observation; the methodology that describes procedures of collected data; and the discussion of data, supported by systemic functional linguistics. According the observer, the results show us that the observation can be instrument of development only for the observed participant. The power of the observation as instrument of measure and evaluation is strongly marked by the lexical choices of the participants.
observation; reflection; instrument; critical reflection
