Evaluating Video Models of Evidence-Based Instructional Practices to Enhance Teacher Learning
Source: Teacher Education and Special Education, v. 32 no. 2, p. 180-196. (May 2009)
(Reviewed by the Portal Team)
In an attempt to address the research to practice gap, the authors developed and evaluated a process for creating and applying video models of effective practices for teacher education.
The purpose of the Learning Stream project was to develop an effective process for creating video models of exemplary instructional practices in reading, math, and science.
More specifically, the project focused on creating video appropriate for online delivery and ensuring that the videos aided teachers in understanding and retaining information about evidence-based practices.
The secondary purpose of the project was to evaluate the effectiveness of video models created using this process.
The Learning Stream project was a collaborative endeavor across three Florida university sites. Each university site focused on
(a) developing a video model in one content area and
(b) evaluating teacher learning gains related to that video.
Video footage was collected at a university research school, and the participating teachers were selected for their expertise in the content area as well as for their reputations as exemplary teachers.
The project was conducted across two phases.
In the first phase, the university teams worked collaboratively to develop and implement the video production process.
In the second phase, each site team worked independently to test the effect of its finished product on teacher learning.
During the second phase, all sites placed pre-service and/or practicing teachers into two randomly assigned groups and provided these teachers with either a video model or a verbatim transcript of the lesson presented in the video model.
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The three participating universities serve predominantly White, middle-class, female students in their teacher preparation programs; therefore, the evaluation phase was carried out with this population.
The pre-service component was conducted within required courses, one at the graduate level and two at the undergraduate level.
The researchers at the university sites selected participants, video implementation procedures, and data collection methods that would naturally occur in their pre-service and practicing teacher education efforts and that addressed one or more of the research questions.
The authors provide an explanation of the video development process and present field-test data that demonstrate the influence of video modeling on teacher learning.