Using Videotaped Interactions to Promote Reflective
Practice in Early Childhood Teachers:
An Undergraduate Research Opportunity Project 

Kim Riordan & Emily Marshall
University of MN Duluth 

Introduction
What happens when seasoned teachers are asked to view videotapes of themselves during interactions with young children exhibiting challenging behaviors? Do they cringe? Watch in wonder? Recognize events on the videotape which occurred without their knowledge? All that, and more, was the experience of a student-researcher conducting a study on the use of videotaped interactions to promote reflective practice. This article examines the experience of the student-researcher and the results of her study on reflective practice.
     Reflective practice is a process of professional development. It is a means by which practitioners can develop a greater sense of self-awareness about the nature and impact of their performance. It involves thinking about and critically analyzing one’s behaviors with the goal of improving professional practice (Imel, 1992). Individuals must understand their own behaviors and develop a conscious awareness of their own actions. Practitioners’ awareness of their own behavior will allow them to create opportunities to develop and change their practices (Osterman and Kottkamp, 1993). There are many different methods available for teachers to practice being reflective. Journals, portfolios, videotaping classrooms, and feedback from colleagues are but a few of the options.       
     This research project explored the impact of teachers reflecting on videotapes of themselves as a tool to evaluate and shape future teaching practices. The project focused on videotaping classroom interactions, and gathering data from a focus group and teacher-participant inverviews. Further, this research project was a vehicle for student research, an opportunity for student-professor publishing partnership, and university and community (Head Start) collaboration. The following outlines the process and findings from an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Project available to undergraduate university students at a Midwestern university.
Literature Review
     Videotaping is a strategy which will familiarize teachers with their teaching practice and behaviors. Studies of videotape as a reflective tool have shown that participants gain independence, gain the personal and practical knowledge of teaching, and enhance their reflection (Armstrong, 1999). Wedman, Espinosa, and Laffey (1999) found that teachers who viewed video recordings of themselves came to view teaching as a process, and many reconsidered their teaching beliefs and practices. Additional research by McIntyre & Pape (1993) showed that students perceived that interactive videodiscs made them more reflective in their analysis of classroom life. Studies have also shown that reflective practice is not only important for pre-service teacher education, but for the in-servicing of practicing teachers as well (Colton, Amy Bernstein; Sparks-Langer, Georgea M, 1993).
Background
      A state-wide early childhood teacher training initiative began in fall, 2005. This initiative was in an effort to train practicing Head Start and early childhood educators on effectively working with children identified as exhibiting challenging behaviors. As a condition of training, teachers had agreed to be videotaped during classroom interactions with an identified child. The videotaping was to occur at midpoint in the training series. Subsequently, the director of the local Head Start program requested assistance from the university; an early childhood teacher preparation program. The initial plan was to have student volunteers videotape interactions in the classroom; however, due to scheduling constraints this became unrealistic. One student applied for and was granted an undergraduate research opportunity grant in order to defray expenses relative to the classroom videotaping. What had begun as a training initiative became a partnership between the university, and the community of early childhood teachers and their respective programs. 
Methodology
This qualitative research project involved the use of videotaped interactions of 15 teachers in various early childhood classrooms. The teacher-participants would suggest a time frame in which videotaping should occur and the student-researcher would come to the site, being as unobtrusive as possible, and then videotape interactions between the teacher and an identified child. (The teachers were participating in a training focused on positive behavioral supports, primarily relationship-based teaching, as a part of a formal, state-wide training initiative).
Upon completion of the videotaping process, a focus group was conducted in order to gather data on the reactions from the group. The focus group included the 15 teachers videotaped, as well as supervisors and support staff who weren’t videotaped. Information from other program participants who were not directly videotaped was deemed valuable. After the focus group process, the student-researcher identified eight teachers to be interviewed about the videotaping experience and reflection process. Those follow-up interviews were held at the end of the school year, upon completion of videotaping, the focus group, and after teachers had taken the opportunity to reflect on their videotaped interactions.   
Procedures
Interviews with teacher-participants of this research project began after completion of the focus group and videotaping processes. The nature and objectives of the project had been explained previously in group discussions, as well as during the initial meeting in which the student-researcher explained the research consent from.
     Each of the 15 teacher-participants was videotaped for at least two hours. All videotaping of the participants took place in various Head Start classrooms within one school district. Prior to videotaping, the teacher-participant pointed out an identified child with whom the teacher was targeting for intervention regarding challenging behavior. The videotapes captured teacher-student interactions, group lessons, transition periods, and the student’s choice times. The teachers were given several weeks to watch and reflect on what they saw on their video.
Analysis
     Focus Group. A focus group session was held wherein the teachers discussed their experiences, the value of the videotaping, and future plans to use videotapes. The director of the Head Start program suggested the program would buy several digital cameras for the upcoming year so teachers could be videotaped on a regular basis. There was unanimous support for the value of using a videotaping procedure.
     Interviews. After the group session, individual interviews were held with eight teachers. The researcher identified those teachers who had been actively involved in the process the entire time, had a willingness to be interviewed, and whose schedule corresponded with the researcher’s. The teachers were asked a series of questions pertaining to their individual experiences, the value of using videotapes as a reflective tool, how the videotapes could or did impact their practice, and if they would consider doing it again and what they would do differently.
In the interviews, the teachers disclosed valuable information about their experiences. Over all, the following themes emerged from both interviews and focus group discussion. First, the teachers were nervous about being videotaped, but reported feeling more relaxed when they were actually going through the experience. Second, some of the teachers said the presence of the researcher somewhat affected their practice, but most said the videotapes were authentic and captured them the way they thought they were. They also agreed that if the camera would have been hidden, the other adults and the kids in the room would have been more genuine. Third, the process of reviewing videotapes resulted in tangible differences in teaching practice. Teachers gave specific examples of some of the occurrences that surprised them on the video and said that the videotapes made it easy to spot successful strategies and areas which could use improvement. As a result of the videotapes, all the teachers interviewed had either changed something or were in the process of changing something about their teaching practice. Lastly, every teacher felt that video tapes were a valuable tool for reflection. They all reported they would like to use videotapes on a more regular basis throughout the school year to develop better practice and evaluate their progress.
Ethical Issues
An application was submitted, and subsequently approved, to the Institutional Review Board of the University in order to protect human subjects participating in this study. All videotaping was with the informed consent of participants and at the request of participating teachers. Participation in this research study was voluntary.
Research Implications
     This research project contributes to the Early Childhood Education field because it explored the usefulness of videotaping classroom interaction. Specifically, exploring the experience of seeing oneself on videotape and the ability this has on reflecting on one’s teaching practice.
     Videotaping has proved to be a valuable strategy for student teachers and practicum students (McIntyre & Pape, 1993). This research supported the contention that videotaping is useful for teachers already in practice. It also explored the option of using videotaping and group reflection as part of in-service training for teachers at various learning facilities.
     Further research into the nature of teacher’s ability and/or willingness to reflect on their teaching practice and what challenges that process would be helpful. Given the very nature of early childhood classrooms (i.e. often overwhelmingly busy) there may be greater likelihood that time is spent reflecting on practice. When more critical needs are at hand, teachers typically respond to safety and health needs first, educational demands next, and professional development last.
Summary
     Using videotaped interactions to promote reflective practice was a research project organized to explore the value of videotaping teachers as part of their reflective process. All teacher participants in the study agreed that being reflective is an important part of professional development. Teachers develop better practice and change their performance as a result of personal reflection. Teachers oftentimes reflect on what they assume they are practicing and how they believe they are performing in the classroom. This project aimed to help them see the approaches and strategies they use by watching themselves on videotape. It investigated how valuable the tapes were to the teachers’ reflective process.

References

Armstrong, A. J. (1999). Improving Student Teachers’ Reflection and Personal and Practical Knowledge. Retrieved
       October 6, 2005 from ERIC database.
Colton, A. B., Sparks-Langer, & Georgea, M. (1993). A conceptual framework to guide the development of teacher
       reflection and decision making. Journal of Teacher Education. 44(1), 45-54.
Imel, S. (1992). Reflective practice in adult education. Retrieved October 9, 2005 from ERIC digest.
McIntyre, J. D., Pape, S. (1993).Using video protocols to enhance teacher reflective thinking. Teacher Education
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Osterman, K. F., & Kottkamp, R. B. (1993). Reflective practice for educators: improving schooling through professional
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Wedman, J. M., Espinosa, L. M., & Laffey, J. M. (1999). A process for understanding how a field-based course influences
       teacher’s beliefs and practices. Teacher Educator, 34(3), 189-214.