From beliefs to practices: the video-analysis methodologies to observe the formative assessment in classroom

Observation is a fundamental tool to help in-training teachers to ‘start from practice’ (Danielson, 2007). Observation draws attention to empirical data made of ‘actions and behaviour’ in an actual framework. In this way teachers are able to compare the beliefs they have with empirical data and use them to formulate and reformulate new beliefs. Obviously, knowing the observations’ objects and criteria is a fundamental condition to get teachers to be actively involved in a virtuous training cycle. We speak for a training cycle in which the teachers themselves can analyse their own practices and the practices of others teachers, changing their point of view and modifying their ‘routinely practices’. The use of video-analysis for teacher training (Ferretti & Vannini, 2017) goes hand in hand with in classroom systematic observation and with the observation of teacher behaviour especially. Video analysis urges teachers to "see" what is happening in the classroom, and in particular to focus on teacher assessment behaviours that have a positive impact on learning outcomes. Specifically, three types of core teacher behaviour related to formative assessment and teaching individualization are highlighted: how it involves students, using questions that create opportunities for students to intervene and respond (Kern & Clemens, 2007); how to use the modelling behaviour; how it communicates formative feedback. In this sense, video analysis follows a very similar method to that the one used in the research experience FAMT&L: the aim is to draw the in training teachers’ attention to the details of those behaviours that are more related to educational effectiveness.