The Development of Pre-service Teacher's Reflection Skills Through Video-Based Classroom Observation

In initial teacher education, effective teaching practice is often only available in the 2(nd) year of the MA program after pre-service teachers have completed their (theoretically-oriented) first year. Typically, no prior preparation for the direct exposure to teaching practice is available. A pedagogical experiment was therefore conducted aimed at filling in this gap by engaging students in video-enhanced classroom observation during the first year of their initial teacher education program. This paper lays out the pedagogical experiment and reports on the students' perception of the benefits of classroom observation for the development of their teaching and reflection skills. Overall, the study reveals that preparation for the internship is significantly enhanced by the use of video which allows students to adjust their observation to their own pace and rhythm as well as encourage the joint analysis and discussion within a collaborative learning context.