Video or Text Cases in Problem-Oriented or Direct Instructional Settings for Preservice Teachers?

• In Event: Learning With Static and Dynamic Visualizations

Abstract

Objectives and purposes: The study systematically compares four case-based learning environments: video vs. text cases in a problem-oriented vs. a direct instructional approach (2x2 design). We investigate the effects on pre-service teachers’ analysis of classroom management cases.
Theoretical framework: Situated and case-based learning environments are increasingly implemented in pre-service teacher education as an important connection between theory-based education and school practice. However, simply exposing pre-service teachers to school practice may not result in efficient learning, since observers tend to focus on superficial classroom features (Krull, Oras, & Sisask, 2007). Consequently, current approaches define the analysis of classroom cases as a structured process under the focus of educational topics like classroom management (Steffensky, Gold, Holdynski, & Möller, 2015). Yet, studies that systematically vary different case-based learning environments in teacher education are still rare.
Method: Four different case-based learning scenarios on classroom management were implemented in regular pre-service teacher education courses (N= 638 participants). The four learning environments differ in regard to the media presenting the classroom cases (video vs. text) and the designed instructional approach (problem-oriented vs. direct instructional). Participants in the problem-oriented group were given only little guidance with help on demand during their group work on the cases. Participants in the direct instructional group worked task oriented with strong guidance by the facilitator. Both instructional approaches either made use of classroom cases in form of video or text.

Data sources and materials: During the intervention, students worked on a total of four classroom cases. The classroom videos were transcribed, completed with nonverbal information and checked by the facilitators to ensure comparability. The analysis of classroom management was measured in a web-based pre-posttest. We chose six classroom sequences extracted from one classroom lesson to be analyzed individually by the participants. The six sequences were matched either to the pre- or posttest based on three experts' ratings to avoid memory effects yet to ensure comparability between pre- and posttest.
Results: Our data (placed into a structural equation model) indicates that different instructional approaches do not differ in their impact on the quality of analysis. Courses using text cases however showed a significant advantage over video cases, especially in direct instructional settings (β=.13). Further, all case-based learning scenarios led to an increasing use of theory-practice connections (β=.14). Finally, results show that facilitators’ attitudes toward the instructional approaches are important for the theory-practice connections that students are able to establish (β=.32).
Scientific or scholarly significance of the studies: Our results underline the findings that case-based learning promotes theory-practice connections with pre-service teachers. In our sample of novice students teachers (2nd semester) text cases seem to have an advantage over video cases in fostering the analysis of classroom management. At first glance this result contradicts the results of Stürmer, Könings, and Seidel (2012). Additional measurements during the learning process however revealed lower cognitive load for students in the courses using text cases. Further research hence needs to investigate if text cases may be advantageous for novice student teachers followed by video cases.

Authors

• Jürgen Schneider, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

• Marc Kleinknecht, Technische Universität München

• Thorsten Bohl, Eberhard-Karls University of Tuebingen

• Markus Rehm

• Sebastian Kuntze, Ludwigsburg University of Education

• Marcus Syring, Tuebingen University