Videotaped performances: Guiding teacher professional development within a competency-based framework

This study explored the effectiveness of videotaping classroom performances to guide teacher professional development plans through self-assessment, reflective practice, study groups, and peer review using the competencies identified in Charlotte Danielson's A Framework for Teaching (1996) as the basis for peer review utilizing the 2 + 2 approach (Allen, n.d.). This action research study was conducted with 13 K--8 teachers in a rural school system in Maine. Participants created videotapes of actual classroom performances to analyze through self-assessment, reflective practice, and sharing of videotapes in peer review study groups that offered 2 + 2 responses aligned with Danielson's teaching competencies. Qualitative data was collected from journal writings, responses to the Teacher Video Self-Assessment/Reflective Writing questionnaire, study group discussions, Professional Development Questions, and the Concluding Response Survey. The responses were transcribed to determine thematic categories and frequency counts per topic. The results of the quantitative Group Study Surveys on questions 1 through 7, Likert scale 1--4, indicated the 3 most significant variables for professional development were videotaping, peer and self (3.65 and 3.37), the study group sessions (3.55), and the 2 + 2 for peer review (3.55). The response to question 8 of the survey, Likert scale 1--6, rated the effectiveness of study groups for professional development as the most important variable (4.5), followed by self-videotaping (4.3), and the 2 + 2 for peer review (3.5). Ninety-five percent of the respondents indicated at least 1 discovery or learning that occurred after viewing their videotape that they were unaware of prior to watching the videotape.