Video studies in classroom research: Hidden dimensions of teaching and learning

The use of video to record classroom activities has revolutionized classroom research by making it possible to revisit a classroom practice many times and view it from various research perspectives. This essay discusses various aspects of video-based classroom research in relation to a large international video project. By describing three types of studies within the same project, we show that a combination of macro– and microanalysis has the potential to reveal hidden dimensions of teaching and learning. A systematic overview and macro-level analysis can serve as a tool to generate research questions for in-depth micro-level analysis. The hidden dimensions of algebra teaching that were identified in these studies concerned, for example, the use of manipulatives and pupil engagement in algebra. We describe how video data can be used for research purposes as well as teachers’ professional development, and argue that video recording classroom activities enables us, both as researchers and as teachers, to enter classrooms and increase our understanding of classroom cultures across time and space.