Watching oneself teach – long-term effects of teachers’ reflections on their video-recorded teaching

Abstract

This study examines changes in teaching habits reported by teachers when they see themselves on video. It is a longitudinal study in which 43 student teachers participated in the first step during their teacher education. When the teachers saw themselves teaching, they were surprised by certain habits and wrote that they wanted to change them. Two years later, eight of these teachers video recorded their teaching again. The interpretation is based on pragmatic philosophy and Mead’s concepts of ‘I’ and ‘me’. In the interviews, it becomes clear that the majority of the teachers in different ways had changed their habits. It is not only a question of new habits but also of the refinement of previous habits. Four categories of changed habits are presented: shift in the opportunity to speak in favour of the participants, reduced service orientation, reduced control, and building relationships.

Keywords:

• video
• teacher
• changed habits
• reflection
• pragmatic philosophy