Collective noticing: teachers’ experiences and reflection on a mathematics video club

Abstract

Video clubs have been used for more than a decade to support teachers’ professional noticing. Accordingly, numerous studies have evaluated video use as a tool for professional learning, concentrating on aspects such as video selection, club meetings, and teacher interviews. Yet, few researchers have considered noticing as a result of repeated experiences in video clubs, over time, or teachers’ perceptions of video clubs. In this study, we explored individual and collective teacher noticing and teachers’ perceived value of video club participation, incorporating multiple data sources. The study was conducted over one academic year with elementary teachers. Our results reveal that teachers noticed broad aspects of teaching as well as specifics of students’ mathematical thinking. Additionally, teachers perceived video club participation as prompting deeper thinking and reflection and encouraging application of learned pedagogical practices. Of interest, participant noticing appeared to converge over time, suggesting social construction of meaning based on collective experiences. Thus, we introduce the notion of collective noticing–a term we coin to describe the convergence of noticing that may result from repeated engagement and discourse between a group of teachers focused on the same videos over time. We encourage teacher educators to consider the specific foci of video clubs and the ramifications of collective, repeated experiences through the video club process.