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Schools and Societal Issues 45

Structured Post-Observation

Conversations and Their

Influence on Teachers’ Self-

Reflection and Practice

By Carla C. Hozebin

eachers do not always receive consistent, quality feedback from observers in post-observation
Tconferences. The purpose of the qualitative descriptive exploratory research study explained
here was to determine the efficacy of structuring post-observation conversations through the use
of subjective objective assessment plan (SOAP) notes to incorporate key principles of effective
feedback as evidenced by teachers’ perceptions. Additionally, the researcher sought to determine
how SOAP-formatted post-observation conversations influenced teachers’ self-reflection and
practice. Data were collected in the natural setting through a pre- and post-intervention survey,
observations, post-observation SOAP-formatted conversations, and interviews. The significance
of this study is to provide evaluators with the SOAP framework as a tool for structuring meaningful,
rich post-observation conversations that influence teachers’ self-reflection and practice and ensure
consistency among evaluators. The findings of the study indicated that teachers perceived SOAP-
formatted post-observation conversations to be effective and that such conversations positively
influenced teachers’ self-reflection and strengthening of practice.

Why Teacher Evaluation Is Not Influencing Teacher Practice
Along with goal-setting, feedback is the most powerful predictor of successful overall
evaluation of instruction (Hattie, 2008). Feedback must be immediate, frequent, ongoing,
quality, objective, direct, and actionable (Cleveland, Lim, & Murphy, 2007; Feeney, 2007).
One such approach is that used in the medical field, known as the subjective objective
assessment plan (SOAP). School leaders owe it to students and teachers to conduct
SOAP-formatted post-observation conversations that will make teachers more likely to
internalize the feedback and self-reflect; the result will be clear goals for improvement and
true pedagogical development when this structure to promote reflective inquiry is provided
(Marzano, Frontier, & Livingston, 2011).
Over time, education reformers have called for the adoption of teacher-evaluation
systems to improve teacher practice and increase student achievement. Unfortunately, steps
involved in these systems can become routine, and those involved often go through the
motions. The teacher-evaluation process, in turn, is thus perceived by many as an exercise
that is ineffective in improving instruction (Sullivan & Glanz, 2000).
The authors of the New Teacher Project (2010) study concluded, “In many districts we
studied, teachers overwhelmingly reported that evaluations don’t give them useful feedback
on their performance in the classroom” (p. 3). Too often, teachers do not perceive principals
and other evaluators as instructional leaders because they have too many managerial
responsibilities and are reluctant to confront poor teaching; therefore, they have difficulty
making instructional improvement a priority (Johnson, 2011). In many cases, the focus of
evaluation for the teacher is on pleasing the principal or other evaluator, not on student