A trial by the National Institute of Teaching has found that observing real-life teaching by video-link was no less effective for trainee teachers than being there in person.
The research compared the effectiveness of virtual modes of observing expert practice on teacher trainees’ learning and development, against the more traditional use of in-person visits.
The study involved a randomised-controlled trial with groups of trainees on the National Institute’s Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme, with one group using livestreamed observation alongside a tutor to help them link theory to practice and understand what they were watching. The results showed that the virtual method was not less effective than in-person observation.
While the study has limitations, and the trial was conducted within a specific programme moment (during Intensive Training and Practice), the findings should give confidence to policymakers and other teacher education providers who are exploring the use of livestreamed observation to facilitate trainee development at scale.
Dr Lydia Lymperis, a Research Fellow at the National Institute who led the work, said: “Our findings suggest that virtual observations – when used as part of a hybrid model – can be an equally effective alternative to in-person visits for trainee teachers. This creates significant opportunities for teacher education providers in terms of flexibility and scale, and offers the potential for a more diverse range of school settings to be observed by trainees. However, expert facilitation by an in-person tutor is still needed to ensure success, and future research will need to determine the most effective means of training these facilitators.”
Calum Davey, Executive Director of Research added: “England needs ways for trainee teachers to learn from the diverse expertise in the system if we are to make progress on tackling attainment gaps, enabling inclusion, and improving outcomes for disadvantaged children. Schools often lack the capacity and resources for hosting trainees to observe expert practice. It is therefore promising to learn from this study that hybrid and virtual methods can deliver comparably effective results for trainee teachers. The National Institute will continue to investigate potential uses of technology across all levels of teachers’ professional learning, to identify other opportunities for developing the high-quality teachers that children deserve.”
