PROFESSOR STUDIES IMPACT OF VIDEO-BASED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Assistant Professors Rossella Santagata has published recent research findings in the Journal of Teacher Education: "Designing Video-Based Professional Development for Mathematics Teachers in Low-Performing Schools."

Dr. Santagata researches learning, development, and culture; video and teacher learning; and mathematics teaching.

Santagata (2009). Designing Video-Based Professional Development for Mathematics Teachers in Low-Performing Schools. Journal of Teacher Education. Theme Issue: Innovative Uses of Technology in Teacher Education.Vol. 60(1), 38-51.

Abstract

This article describes the theoretical framework, research base, structure, and content of a video-based professional development program implemented during two consecutive years with 6th grade mathematics teachers from five low-performing schools.

First, difficulties teachers encountered in responding to video-based prompts during the first year are summarized. Problematic questions dealt with teachers' (a) basic understanding of target mathematics topics, (b) knowledge of their students' understanding, and (c) ability to analyze students' work and reasoning beyond classification into right and wrong answers.

Changes that were made to the program to address teachers' needs in the second year are then described. These were structured around three principles for designing video-based professional development:

(a) attending to content specific understanding,

(b) scaffolding analysis of student thinking, and

(c) modeling a discourse of inquiry and reflection on the teaching and learning process.