Using video to support & develop student teachers' reflection within teacher education

Bleasdale, Catharine; Glover, Alison; Jones, Mathew; Stewart, Sarah; Thomas, Angela and Rees-Davies, Trudi (2024). Using video to support & develop student teachers' reflection within teacher education. In: Teacher Education Advancement Network (TEAN) Conference 2024, 22-23 May 2024, Manchester, UK.

URL: https://tean.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/tean...

Abstract

The use of video technology in the classroom, for experienced teachers and those in training, has increased in recent years. Video technology has typically been used to record, review and reflect on teaching and learning episodes (Hamal and Viau-Guy, 2019; McCullagh, 2021). Yet, there is growing evidence to suggest it supports deeper reflection that is facilitated by more accurate recall and deeper analysis of teachers’ actions in lessons (Gibbons and Farley, 2021; Göbel et al., 2022; Sablić, Mirosavljević and Škugor, 2021). The traditional model of teacher education typically involves university tutors visiting schools to observe and assess student teachers. However, for the Open University teaching qualification the university tutor never visits the student teacher in school. Using video reflection, the student teacher, their school mentor and those responsible for quality assuring the standard of assessment decisions drive improvements for the student teacher’s learning community. This presentation will discuss the research findings from a study that worked with student teachers and schools who are part of the Open University in Wales Initial Teacher Education Partnership to explore the use of video technology in lessons.
The study involved more than 100 participants including student teachers, school-based staff and pupils who contributed to one or more of the following; a discussion group, interview and an online survey. A funded school-based participant researcher was also a key member of the research team. Professional conversations and written journals were reported to support student teachers’ critical reflection the most effectively, with the use of video technology reported to be inconsistent across schools. This demonstrates a need for guidance to embed the effective use of the tool to support student teacher reflection. Whilst participants identified benefits of video technology to enhance critical reflection, practical drawbacks such as time constraints for re-viewing and technology issues appear to inhibit use. Personal anxiety or discomfort about the use of recordings also hampered engagement. The findings indicate that the use of video technology does offer benefits in respect of its use as a pedagogical tool to support student teacher learning, and that the challenges are not related to the use of the tool for effective student teacher learning, but are more practical or personal. This study is providing the foundation for developing the application of video technology within a PGCE programme through the development of podcasts and short case studies to support further successful use of video reflection in lessons.

Key References
Gibbons, S. and Farley, A.N. (2021) ‘Learning to think like a teacher: effects of video reflection on preservice teachers' practice and pedagogy’, Action in Teacher Education 43(3): 250-267.
Göbel, K., Bönte, J., Gösch, A. and Neuber, K. (2022) 'The relevance of collegial video-based reflection on teaching for the development of reflection-related attitudes', Teaching and Teacher Education 120.
Hamel, C. and Viau-Guy, A. (2019) 'Using video technology to support teachers' reflective practice: A literature review', Cogent Education 6(1).
McCullagh, J. (2021) Using Digital Video in Initial Teacher Education. St Albans, UK: Critical Publishing Ltd.
Sablić, M., Mirosavljević, A. and Škugor, A. (2021) 'Video-based learning (VBL) - Past, present and future: an overview of the research published from 2008 to 2019', Technology, Knowledge and Learning 26: 1061-1077

Plain Language Summary

Consideration of the use of video technology to support development of student teachers' reflective skills during their initial teacher education with reference to a project that focused on the views of student teachers, their mentors & tutors.

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