How Video Is Reshaping Teacher Development and Why Facilitation Matters Most.
In recent years, professional development (PD) for teachers has evolved far beyond lectures and handouts. One tool rising to prominence is classroom video, used not only for observation but also for in-depth, collaborative analysis. Video captures the complexity of real classroom interactions and student thinking, making it a uniquely rich tool for professional learning.
However, as a team of researchers led by Elizabeth A. van Es notes, simply watching a video does not automatically lead to better teaching. In their article “A Framework for the Facilitation of Teachers’ Analysis of Video” (Journal of Teacher Education, 2014), the authors argue that the true power of video in PD depends on how it is facilitated.
The Shift: From Viewing to Learning
The research draws on two long-term, video-based PD programs:
- A middle and high school mathematics PD program using Learning and Teaching Linear Functions (LTLF) materials.
- An elementary mathematics video club, where teachers analysed clips from their classrooms.
In both settings, facilitators played a critical role not by lecturing, but by guiding inquiry. The study moves beyond asking what teachers learn in PD and focuses instead on how facilitators help them learn through video analysis.
The Framework: Four Core Facilitation Practices
From detailed analysis of video transcripts and interactions, the authors developed a framework of four key practices facilitators use to help teachers engage in meaningful analysis:
1. Orienting the Group to the Video Analysis Task
Facilitators provide essential context before viewing a clip, such as what math topic was being taught, and launch discussion with prompts like “What stood out to you?”
2. Sustaining an Inquiry Stance
Rather than evaluate teaching as “good” or “bad,” facilitators encourage participants to explore and interpret what’s happening. They lift key ideas, press for clarification, and sometimes offer alternative viewpoints to expand the conversation.
3. Maintaining a Focus on the Video and the Mathematics
Discussion stays rooted in evidence. Facilitators help the group refer back to the video, transcript, or student work, and keep mathematical thinking central.
4. Supporting Group Collaboration
Facilitators actively shape a safe, inclusive space for discussion. They validate ideas, distribute participation, and stand back at times to let teacher-led inquiry emerge.
These moves, when used in coordination, help teachers not only notice student thinking more closely but also reflect on their own instructional choices.
Why This Matters
Many teachers are used to flying solo, rarely being observed by peers, and even less often discussing their teaching in depth. This isolation can make it difficult to adopt an inquiry-based mindset about their own practice.
Video, when paired with thoughtful facilitation, breaks that pattern.
Teachers in the study learned to analyse student reasoning more deeply, shift their focus from teacher actions to student ideas, and make better-informed instructional decisions. One facilitator described the goal as helping teachers become “critical colleagues”—not criticising one another, but challenging ideas constructively in a shared pursuit of better teaching.
Bringing the Framework to Life
In one memorable example from the study, teachers viewed a clip of students placing positive and negative values on a number line. The facilitator guided the discussion toward interpreting a student’s misunderstanding, not by explaining it herself, but by prompting teachers to find evidence in the video and discuss possible interpretations. The result? A collaborative, high-level dialogue that unpacked both student thinking and instructional implications.
This kind of exchange doesn’t happen by accident. It takes planning, responsiveness, and a deep understanding of both math content and teaching practice.
Looking Ahead
As schools increasingly turn to video as a tool for professional growth, the framework developed by van Es and colleagues offers a practical roadmap for designing and facilitating impactful PD. It reminds us that facilitation is more than logistics—it's an art form grounded in pedagogy, empathy, and inquiry.
Ultimately, the study makes a compelling case: video can transform teacher learning—but only when it’s guided by skilful, intentional facilitation.
Citation
Van Es, E. A., Tunney, J., Goldsmith, L. T., & Seago, N. (2014). A Framework for the Facilitation of Teachers’ Analysis of Video. Journal of Teacher Education, 65(4), 340–356. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487114534266