Teacher perceptions about observation conferences: what do teachers think about their formative supervision in one US school district?

Abstract

This study measured teachers' perceptions about the important elements of the pre-and post-observation conferences within one school district in a US state. Overall, respondents valued the post-observation conference more than the pre-observation conference and identified trusting relationships, constructive feedback, reflection and areas of improvement as important principal responsibilities. Teachers valued discussions about how students would be assessed in the pre-observation conference. In the post-observation conference, respondents perceived constructive feedback delivered by principals as most important. Initial contract teachers believed seven variables influenced their reflection on practice. Yet tenured teachers perceived two variables as influential on their reflection on practice.

Updating the Role of Rural Supervision: Perspectives from Alaska

“…Preservice teachers see little room for developmental stages or accepted struggles on their way to developing into master teachers (Range, Young, & Hvidston, 2012). Those standards are well-intended and arguably needed as guidance for teacher education but can lack relevance for developing teachers and may discount diversity of the cultural and socio-economic contexts where teaching takes place.…”

New technology, changing pedagogies? Exploring the concept of remote teaching placement supervision

“…The literature demonstrates the value of both school-based supervisors (also referred to as school-based mentors and co-operating teachers) and those who visit from the university as being pivotal within the traditional model (i.e. pre-observation, lesson, post-observation conference) of situated learning in teacher education (Bouchamma, 2005;Clarke, Triggs, & Nielsen, 2014;Range, Young, & Hvidston, 2013) although this is balanced with criticism of inconsistent quality of supervision within the traditional triad (schoolbased mentor, university personnel and student) in enabling a strong learning experience for the training teacher (Zeichner, 1990).…”

Performance Feedback: How Structure, Culture, and Agency Affects Feedback

“…Among these tools are formative supervision and evaluation. Each of these tools serve very specific functions: teacher supervision is concerned with improving a teachers' instructional practice, while evaluation is simply rating teachers' job performance to determine their employment status (Range, Young, & Hvidston, 2013).…”

“…School leaders need to "foster a school culture that supports emotional resourcefulness and transparency so that cognitive capital (i.e., inner resources of a teacher) increases, and teachers are more willing to receive, interpret, and apply feedback to improve professional practice" (Roussin & Zimmerman, 2014). It is imperative that principal feedback not only acknowledge teacher strengths and identify areas for future growth, but that principals take it upon themselves to praise teachers for on-going continuous improvement efforts (Range, Young, & Hvidston, 2013). Equally as important to constructive feedback is the ability and willingness of principals to "ask questions which cause teachers to reflect on their own practice, with the intent of creating self-directed learners" (Range, Young, & Hvidston, 2013;Range, Finch, Young, & Hvidston, 2014).…”

“…It is imperative that principal feedback not only acknowledge teacher strengths and identify areas for future growth, but that principals take it upon themselves to praise teachers for on-going continuous improvement efforts (Range, Young, & Hvidston, 2013). Equally as important to constructive feedback is the ability and willingness of principals to "ask questions which cause teachers to reflect on their own practice, with the intent of creating self-directed learners" (Range, Young, & Hvidston, 2013;Range, Finch, Young, & Hvidston, 2014). The recipient of the feedback must be given quality time to interpret, make meaning of the feedback and put the feedback into practice (Roussin & Zimmerman, 2014).…”