Video-recording provides opportunities for practitioners to act as observers of their own practice, and develop deeper awareness of the nuances of interaction and discourse.  As such it provides opportunities for reflective practice (Schon, 1983) and situated learning (Lave and Wenger, 1991).  The paper explores the scope of a video / transcription intervention as a mediating tool in the development of student teachers’ understanding of subject pedagogy; and evaluates the professional learning opportunities afforded by peer review between novice teachers of the outcomes of the intervention.  Data is drawn from mixed methods case study research conducted between 2005 and 2007 involving student teachers following Newcastle University’s one year Master’s level Initial Teacher Education course.  Interim findings suggest that video / transcription intervention can engage student teachers in reflective practice and knowledge construction, as they develop an understanding of the role of language in teaching and learning (Rodrigues & Thompson, 2001), and how classroom discourse can promote subject specific learning in the classroom (Chin, 2006).  The intervention provides an opportunity for student teachers to engage in workplace studies (Luff et al, 2000).  It can also be considered as the instrument or tool influencing the outcome of the object of learning to teach.  In this way it can be understood as part of the dynamic system described by Engestrom (2001) as Activity Theory.  Significantly the research also suggests that the use of video and associated analysis by student teachers enhances their willingness to engage in professional learning initiatives using video once they are employed as teachers, by stimulating a positive and productive approach to engagement in initiatives such as teacher-enquiry and coaching in their early career. 

This paper draws on research conducted at Newcastle University between 2005 and 2007, with two cohorts of 180 post-graduate students, studying on a one year Master’s level Initial Teacher Education course. As well as professional status as a newly qualified teacher in the UK success in the course provides accelerated access to a part-time M.Ed in Practitioner Enquiry. The course is designed to promote the roles of reflection, action research and enquiry as processes in professional and academic learning.  The student teachers video their lessons on at least two occasions, and use a range of reflective tools to review their emerging pedagogies, including transcription analysis.  Such approaches provide opportunities for reflective practice (Schon, 1983) and situated learning (Lave and Wenger, 1991).  

The research aims to determine the scope of video recording and transcription of student teachers’ own lessons (video / transcription intervention) as a mediating tool in the development of their understanding of subject pedagogy; and to evaluate the professional learning opportunities afforded by peer review between novice teachers of the outcomes of the intervention.  In the broader context the work will enable an analysis of the relative value of the video / transcription intervention as one of a suite of practitioner enquiry tools that student teachers engage with, and the degree to which it might provide a bridge in professional learning between pre-service and in-service teaching experiences.

The research is a mixed methods case study, to explore the nature of learning resulting from the process of transcription and the discourse analysis that this allows. Research methods include pre-intervention student surveys, post-intervention questionnaires, analysis of students’ annotated transcripts and reflective writing, and semi-structured interviews.  Of particular interest is the degree to which this assists student teachers in developing understanding of the role of language in teaching and learning (Rodrigues & Thompson, 2001), and in honing their discursive skills to promote subject specific learning in the classroom (Chin, 2006).  Whether reflection is promoted through peer review between novice teachers of the outcomes of the video / transcription intervention; is also explored, to consider the significance of the collaborative discussion in developing meaning amongst student teachers. 

Interim findings suggest that video and the resulting transcription can enable the student teachers to more readily engage in reflective practice and knowledge construction, supported by mentors or peers who behave as co-enquirers. It provides an opportunity for student teachers to engage in workplace studies (Luff et al, 2000) of their own context.  Video allows a greater density of data from classrooms to be collected, enabling student teachers’ own practice to be ‘examined and explored’ (Harrison et al., 2005).  When they add to this the testing of their own and others’ theories in relation to their practice they are developing habits of the reflective practitioner. 

The video intervention can also be considered as the instrument or tool influencing the outcome of the object of learning to teach.  In this way it can be understood as part of the dynamic system described by Engestrom (2001) as Activity Theory.  The community is made up of students, their peers and mentors, and to some extent university tutors, who find themselves ‘crossing boundaries and taking on new roles and responsibilities’ (Cordingley et al. 2002) as a result of using the video.  In some cases this causes ‘disturbances and conflicts’, but may also lead to ‘innovative attempts to change the activity’ (Engestrom, 2001) of learning to teach.  While the video tool has technological limitations, and may sometimes constrain the process of teaching, it also allows alternative or enhanced perspectives.  These altered perspectives are fundamental in enabling the subject of the video (student teachers), in particular, to acquire personalised professional knowledge.  Student teachers’ analysis of the video footage, reflective writing and collaborative enquiry with peers and mentors and subsequent changed practice provide a critical and reflective edge leading to enhanced pedagogical understanding.

The research suggests that the use of video and associated analysis by student teachers enhances their willingness to engage in professional learning initiatives using video once they are employed as teachers. For example, video and transcription analysis provide a methodological basis for action research, which can become an effective bridge between pre-service and in-service teachers (Smith & Sela, 2005), and is gaining widespread credibility as means to develop teaching and learning.  Recent work on coaching for change in teaching also demonstrates the value of video recording (Lofthouse & Leat 2006), and the pre-service experience of being videoed may encourage teachers to more actively seek or create opportunities to engage in such coaching.  Thus video / transcription intervention both provides student teachers with immediate opportunities for specific early professional learning, and may stimulate a positive and productive approach to engagement in initiative such as teacher-enquiry and coaching in their early career. 

Chin, C. (2006) Classroom Interaction in Science, Teacher questioning and feedback to students’ responses, International Journal of Science Education, 28(11), pp1315-1345.

Cordingley,P., Baumfield,V., Butterworth, M., McNamara,O., & Elkins,T. (2002) Lessons from the school-based research consortia. Paper presented at BERA Annual Conference, Leeds. http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/00002173.htm

Engestrom,Y. (2001) Expansive learning at work: toward an activity theoretical reconceptualization, Journal of Education and Work, 14(1), pp133-156.

Harrison, J.K., Lawson,T., Wortley,A. (2005)  Mentoring the beginning teacher: developing professional autonomy through critical reflection on practice, Reflective Practice, 6(3), pp 419-441.

Lave, J. & Wenger, W. (1991) Situated learning. Legitimate peripheral participation, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.  

Lofthouse, R. & Leat, D. (2006) Coaching for geography teachers, Teaching Geography, 31(3) pp130-132.

Luff, P., Hindmarsh, J. and Heath, C. (Eds.) (2000) Workplace Studies, Cambridge: CUP.

Rodrigues, S. & Thompson, I. (2001) Cohesion in science lesson discourse: clarity, relevance and sufficient information, International Journal of Science Education, 23(9),  pp 929-940

Schön, D. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner. How professionals think in action, London: Temple Smith.

Smith, K. & Sela, O. (2005) Action Research as a Bridge Between Pre-Service Teacher Education and In-Service Professional Development for Students and Teacher Educators, European Journal of Teacher Education, Oct 2005, vol. 28, no. 3, p. 293-310