Talking the talk: unleashing pre-service teachers’ classroom-talk self-reflection through video visualization-enhanced training

Abstract

<p>Self-reflection allows educators to evaluate their teaching practices and identify areas for improvement, and it is therefore seen as a crucial means of enhancing teaching quality. Although multiple kinds of video-visualization technology have been developed to support it, few studies have explored such technology’s potential to support pre-service teachers’ self-reflection on classroom talk in teacher professional development (TPD) programs or in the context of Chinese-language education. Accordingly, this qualitative study explores the role of a video visualization-enhanced TPD program in pre-service Chinese teachers’ self-reflections on classroom talk. Guided by Driscoll’s (1994) ‘What? So what? Now what?’ model, semi-structured interviews with 22 participants were conducted after the TPD program. Thematic analysis indicated that they took a holistic and analytical view of the video-visualization technology, and that it was able to serve as a reflector, enhancer, and facilitator throughout their processes of self-reflection. The study also discusses implications for future TPD programs that integrate video-visualization tools with the aim of supporting effective self-reflection.</p>