Research in Brief - November 2007 - Volume 107 (7)

Classroom Videos in Professional Development

Alma Fabiola Rangel Chavez
p. 269

Due to the recent advances in video technology, an increased incorporation of videos and multimedia materials is used in teacher education, commonly for demonstration of good practices or as a reflection tool for teacher professional development. Of course, video cases can never fully replicate the complexity of working in a real classroom. Watching someone else does not necessarily ensure that student-teachers will reflect on their own beliefs and practices. In that sense, video cases can be too distant.

Focused activities based on video cases are often necessary to ensure that observers become critical, reflective, and analytical. Used in this way, video cases constitute a powerful means to present student-teachers with alternative perspectives and practices, to stimulate them to look at events from the student's perspectives as well as the teacher's, and to become much more conscious of their own knowledge, beliefs, values and feelings by considering how they would have acted in a similar situation (Harrington, 1995). In addition, studies like TIMSS, focusing on the assessment of student work against rigorous academic content standards or the comparison of teaching methods via video recording from around the globe have the capacity and the potential to broaden national perspectives and fuel education reform with new information about student learning and teaching practices (Rice & Islas, 2001).

The literature offers numerous examples in which pre-service and in-service teachers analyzed videos of their own and other's teaching practices with the objective to learn better strategies to improve specific aspects of their instruction. Wong, Yung, Cheng, Lam, and Hodson, (2006) reported findings about a curriculum innovation conducted at The University of Hong Kong. Classroom videos of lessons by different teachers were selected and edited to demonstrate exemplary science teaching. They used the videos: (1) as a source of models of practice to apply and test in their own classroom; (2) as examples of practice that can be compared with their own existing practices and/or previous experiences, and (3) as a set of ideas to be debated and as a springboard to reflection on their existing conceptions of good science teaching. To avoid having distant observers, they formulate “pre-video entry conception” and “post-video entry conception” questionnaires; from these questionnaires they found that the videos elicited student-teacher's conceptions and had impact on those conceptions prior to the commencement of formal instruction.

Brunvand and Fishman (2006-2007) investigated how the availability of different types of scaffolds impacted what pre-service teachers were able to learn and notice from video. Scaffolds such as onscreen text and teacher commentary can be used effectively to draw attention to specific content and prompt pre-service teachers to notice pre-identified classroom interactions. Also scaffolds can be used to decrease the cognitive demand required of teachers as they attempt to learn from video.

Hewitt, Perdetti, Beneze, Vaillancourt and Yoon (2003) used case-based learning with classroom videos. While case-based learning is consistent with theories of situated learning and social constructivism, it usually casts the pre-service teacher in the role of a detached observer. These authors proposed to personalize case methods by focusing pre-service teachers more directly on their own pedagogical decision-making processes. They achieved this by means of what they called “Challenges”. These challenges were situations within the video where unusual things happened. Based on these situations, questions were posed to the pre-service teachers asking them to describe what would they do if they found themselves in such a situation. Results from this research suggested that this approach has the potential to help candidates develop deeper insights into their own classroom practice.

Kruger, Boboc, Smaldino, Cornish and Callahan (2004) presented a summary of the impact of InTime project materials on faculty participants and teacher candidates involved in the project. The purpose of the InTime project is to provide the necessary resources for methods faculty to revise their courses to model technology integration and require teacher education students to apply technology. Results from the study indicated that the web-based video materials produced by InTime were an appropriate and powerful tool that supported learning by university faculty, teacher candidates and in-service teachers.

Rich, Hannafin, and Allexsaht-Snider (2006) explored pre-service teacher development as they use video-based evidence to analyze and subsequently act on their instructional decisions. Using the Video Analysis Tool (VAT), they facilitated the collection and analysis of video-based evidence. The VAT teachers uploaded pre-recorded videos of their practice and analyzed them using a simple commenting system. A critical look at one's own teaching through video has helped pre-service teachers see and subsequently act on their own teaching. In this case, the use of video paired with an evidence-based decision support process fostered critical reflection, revealed discrepancies between thought and action, and resulted in purposeful, informed action.

Hiebert and Stigler (2000) provided results from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). After presenting results from the video study, they proposed a research and development system for improving teaching that builds on the Japanese process of lesson study. They described the process as it works in Japan and outlined the conditions that would enable such a process to function effectively in the United States. Perhaps the most common and valued aspect of this system is teacher-initiated lesson study. It is through this process that many Japanese teachers believe they learn to teach and, indeed become a teacher. Although this study does not propose any use of video for professional development, it is entirely based on international classroom video that can provided quality instruction strategies.

References

Brunvand, S., & Fishman, B. (2007). Investigating the impact of the availability of scaffolds on pre-service teacher noticing and learning from video. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 35 (2), 151-174.

Harrington, H. (1995). Fostering reasoned decisions: Case-based pedagogy and the professional development of teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 11, 203-214.

Hewitt, J., Pedretti, E., Bencze, L., Vaillancourt, B. D., & Yoon, S. (2003). New applications for multimedia cases: Promoting reflective practice in pre-service teacher education. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 11, 483-500.

Hiebert, J., & Stigler, J. W. (2000). A proposal for improving classroom teaching: Lessons from the TIMSS video study. The Elementary School Journal, 101, 3-20.

Kruger, K., Boboc, M., Smaldino, S., Cornish, Y., & Callahan, W. (2004). InTime impact report: What was InTime's effectiveness and impact on faculty and pre-service teachers? Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 12, 185-210.

Rice, R. C., & Islas, M. R. (2001). TIMSS and the influence of the instructional leader on mathematics and science performance. NASSP Bulletin, 85 (623), 5-9.

Rich, P., Hannafin, M., & Allexsaht-Snider, M. (in press). Seeing instructional decisions: The use of video-based evidence to analyze, act on and adapt pre-service teacher practice. Retrieved July 7, 2007, from http://www.uga.edu/squig/2006conference/full Docs/Peter.pdf

Wong, S. L., Yung, B. H. W., Cheng, M. W., Lam, K. L., & Hodson, D.(2006). Setting the stage for developing pre-service teacher's conceptions of good science teaching - The role of classroom videos. International Journal of Science Education, 28, 1-24.