Engaging in Video Clubs: Teacher Candidates’ Visioning of Linguistically Responsive Literacy Instruction

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore and document the complexity of elementary level teacher candidates’ (TC) visions of linguistically responsive literacy instruction while reflecting on and discussing exemplary teachers’ video cases in a semester-long video club. The following questions guided this study: What do TC notice and reflect on while engaging in a language and literacy-focused video club? In what ways does participating in a video club inform TC visions of being linguistically responsive literacy teachers? Findings illustrate that as TC engaged in video clubs with their peers, they noticed and reflected on scaffolded instruction (visual and physical supports), student engagement (providing engaging and socially interactive instruction), the importance of building relationships, and equitable and inclusive resources and classroom organization. The process of individually and collectively observing a video case, writing a reflection on that case then discussing it with others provided numerous and repeated opportunities for TC to identify, consider and reconsider specific literacy practices that support language learners. Each case highlighted ways in which TC revealed the vision they have for themselves as teachers, for students, and for their teaching practice. As TC solicited their past lived experiences and present experiences in response to the video cases, they were subtly shaping their visions of their future teaching.

KEYWORDS:

• Teacher candidates
• visioning
• video clubs
• qualitative research
• literacy instruction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lori Czop Assaf

Lori Czop Assaf is a Full Professor at Texas State University in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. She teaches undergraduate and graduate literacy courses and coordinates the Early Childhood- 6th ESL Undergraduate Program. Her research includes teacher education, writing instruction, and multicultural teaching and learning with a special focus on emergent bilinguals and English language learners.

Michelle Forsythe

Michelle Forsythe is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas State University where she teaches science and STEM methods. Her research interests include using video analysis to promote equitable science teaching practice as well as practical strategies for expanding science learning opportunities. Her work has been published in the Journal of Environmental Education, Journal of Science Teacher Education, Science and Children, and Science Scope. She earned her doctorate from Vanderbilt University in 2016.

Deniz Atal

Deniz Atal has a Ph.D. degree in the educational technology research area. Dr. Atal is a research assistant in the Faculty of Education Science at Ankara University, Turkey. She was a visiting scholar at Texas State University, USA in 2018 and at Leiden University, The Netherlands in 2022. Her post-doctorate research interests focus on teacher’s professional identity and virtual reality technology in preservice teacher education. Her current research interests in ICT education are teachers’ identity, teachers’ professional development and new technology in teacher education. She has published book chapters and articles on these topics in both national and international refereed journals.