Isolated or integrated? – Instructional approaches to foster professional vision of teaching quality

Student teachers must develop professional vision related to foci on classroom management (PVCM), instructional support (PVIS), and emotional support (PVES). PV can be enhanced through video-based analyses within adequate instructional approaches. Evidence suggests that both isolated and integrated approaches may foster learning. Student teachers could analyze all foci simultaneously (integrated) or successively (isolated). The study investigates the effect of isolated or integrated instructional approaches versus a control group (CG) and individual prerequisites on PV and the simultaneous focus of multiple teaching quality foci. It extends existing research by applying instructional principles to teacher education and enhancing multiple foci of PV. Participants were 140 student teachers. In a quasi-experimental pre-post-test study, participants attended three-week seminars, preparing each session with texts on teaching quality. The intervention groups analyzed classroom videos. The CG and the isolated group focused on a different teaching quality dimension weekly, whereas the integrated group focused on all dimensions. Pre-post-tests measured PV, the simultaneous focus, and individual prerequisites of learning opportunities and interest. The CG was outperformed by the isolated group in PVES and by the integrated group in PVCM and the simultaneous focus. Comparing the intervention groups, the isolated group performed better in PVES and the integrated group in the simultaneous focus. Individual prerequisites had no effects. The findings highlight the lack of integration between pedagogy and content in teacher education programs and indicate that it may not matter whether aspects of teaching quality are taught in isolated or integrated approaches. • Student teachers conducting video-based analyses focused more on pedagogy. • Video-based analysis fostered professional vision (PV) of only one teaching quality focus. • The isolated approach improved more in PV of emotional support. • The integrated approach improved more in the simultaneous focus. • Student teachers did not improve in PV of instructional support or alternatives of action.