"Using Video to Examine Teacher Noticing and the Role of Teaching Experience"

Professor Rossella Santagata published an article with colleagues on the benefits of using video in teaching.

​The article - titled "Using Video to Examine Teacher Noticing and the Role of Teaching Experience" was published in the Italian Journal of Educational Technology.

Co-authors are Giuliano Vivanet and Giovanni Bonaliuti, both from the University of Cagliari, Italy.

Santagata studies teacher learning and professional development, with a focus on the use of video to foster teacher professional growth, and teaching and learning in STEM, with a focus on the development of students' conceptual understanding and on video technologies as a tool to study learning interactions. Her research utilizes a variety of methodologies including design-based research, pre- and post-test comparisons, experimental and quasi-experimental studies, and research-practice partnerships. 

Santagata serves as the current director of UCI's Education Center for Research on Teacher Development and Professional Practice and as the School of Education's Global Engagement liaison. She has contributed as a visiting scholar, Institute of Advanced Studies, Alma Mater Studiorum, Bologna, Italy in 2019, and a visiting professor at the Technische Universität Berlin, Germany  from 2018 to 2019. ​

Abstract

​Video has been used extensively in teacher preparation to develop noticing skills. Experienced teachers generally detect, understand and interpret the multiplicity of events that take place in the classroom, whereas novice teachers tend to focus their attention on more superficial aspects that are often not strictly relevant to students’ learning. This study presented video-recorded lessons both to a group of Italian novice teachers in training (without previous teaching experience) and to a group of more experienced teachers (with three or more years of service) with the aim of comparing the observation and interpretation skills of the two groups. Results confirmed prior findings: novices mostly described what they observed, focusing on the teacher’s actions and without demonstrating a critical stance nor suggesting instructional improvements. Contrary to prior research, the majority of novice participants did not focus on issues of or classroom climate or management, and differences between novice and more experienced teachers were not statistically significant. The discussion suggests various hypotheses that might explain these findings and highlights the need for professional development experiences that centre the work of teaching specifically on close analysis of practice and of student thinking.