How Do Thoughts Translate Into Preservice Teachers’ Professional Vision?

• In Event: Translating Thought Into Action: How Digital Video Use Benefits Teachers

Abstract

In initial teacher education, where preservice teacher often have little teaching experience and where few opportunities are available to gain more practical experience, it is a challenge to foster teaching skills. In this regard, professional vision is an important indicator of pre-service teachers’ expertise proximal to classroom action (Sherin, 2001; Star and Strickland, 2008). So far, research found evidence that interventions can effectively foster pre-service teachers’ professional vision (Sherin & van Es, 2002). However, little is known about the underlying thought processes involved which lead to developing professional vision (Palmeri et al, 2004).
Therefore, we developed a 6-month intervention incorporating video-based simulations and actual classroom interactions as part of a teacher education program in order to foster professional vision. To assess indicators proximal to action we evaluated this intervention in a pre/post-design with (a) our computer-based online tool Observer that combines video clips with standardized rating items for assessing professional vision and with (b) a questionnaire on self-efficacy. To gain insight in what happens in-between the pre-/post-test, we analyzed pre-service teachers’ portfolios in which they wrote down reflections they made of what they observed on video and in class over the course of the intervention.
Results from pre/post-comparison with a sample of 110 pre-service teachers show that their professional vision develops (F (1, 110) = 10.28, p < .01, η² = .09) and self-efficacy increased (F (2, 110) 56.85 p < .01, η² = .37) over time significantly. From analyzing the portfolios we see that pre-service teachers’ reflections shifted from being rather naïve and over generalizing to being also explanative and integrating. In sum, our findings indicate that the intervention successfully fosters pre-service teachers’ professional vision. To explain this development we analyzed their reflections and found that thought processes involved elaborated over time. Our design aligning how to foster with how to assess learning (video-based) allowed gaining integrated insight into the development of pre-service teachers’ professional vision.

Authors

• Stefanie Schaefer, TU München

• Kathleen Stuermer, TU München

• Geraldine Andrea Blomberg, Technische Universität München

• Tina Seidel, Technische Universität München