Professional Identity Development During Video Cases Discussions: Does It Make a Difference Whether Teacher Candidates Focus Their Own Videos or Experts’ Videos?

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate dimensions of professional identity that have been reflected in the different video-case discussions of teacher candidates and explore the differences between own and expert video case discussions. In this qualitative case study, data were obtained from eight teacher candidates through online video case discussions implemented in three cycles among two separate groups. In the discussion platform, while one group focus on their own videos, the other group focus on expert teachers’ video. As a result, professional identity indicators, gathered under three themes, named task-based, profession-based, and self-interpretation-based indicators, were reflected in the discussions. Moreover, it is noteworthy differences between the own video-case discussion group and expert video-case discussion group in ‘profession-based and ‘self-interpretation-based’ dimensions of professional identity. Results suggest that especially discussing own video-cases can be a productive tool that helps the teacher candidates to make stronger theory-practice connections and feel like ‘a professional teacher’.