Noticing through pupils’ eyes: Using Generative AI-mediated feedback to enhance relational noticing

Research topic/aim <br/><br/>The number of Danish students struggling mentally at school due to psychosocial factors is rising, highlighting the need for teachers to gain noticing skills that focus on relational aspects of teaching (Mendez &amp; van Es, 2024). Noticing the needs of students can be fostered by student feedback, yet its use remains limited, as questionnaires often yield only vague insights into student experiences (Kane &amp; Maw, 2005; Lawson et al., 2015). Consequently, this study developed a Generative AI (GenAI)-mediated pupil feedback tool, that provides teachers with more extensive insight into pupils’ experience, and implemented it during a practicum. <br/><br/>The study followed the research question: How do pupils experience relational dynamics in the classroom, and how does their GenAI-mediated feedback influence pre-service teachers’ relational noticing? <br/><br/>Theoretical framework <br/><br/>The study draws on van Es and Sherin’s (2021) notion of teacher noticing, which is defined as the ability to attend to, interpret, and shape classroom interactions. Video clubs using recordings of teachers’ own practice foster reflection without the pressure to act, enhancing attention to pupils’ thinking (Mendez &amp; van Es, 2024). However, such activities mainly provide external teacher perspectives. Pupil feedback offers an internal view of relational aspects. Research shows that pupil feedback strengthens teacher–pupil relationships (e.g., Kane &amp; Maw, 2005). <br/><br/>Methodology/research design <br/><br/>As part of a larger project, participants include pre-service teachers (n = 67) enrolled in a practicum and pupils (approx. 300; ca. 25 per class). During the 4-months practicum, pre-service teachers join five video clubs on relational noticing. In one session, they receive GenAI-mediated pupil feedback based on Lived Experience Descriptions, originally a phenomenological research method. The LEDs consist of short pupil narratives about meaningful relational classroom situations. Each pre-service teacher receives a one-page GenAI-mediated feedback summarizing key themes and highlighting student quotes. Pupil LEDs and recorded video club discussions will be thematically analyzed, and noticing dialogues coded following van Es and Sherin’s framework (2021). <br/><br/>Expected results/findings <br/><br/>The main study is currently under way and will be presented at NERA. Pilot data from 6th–7th grade classes show that LEDs reveal dynamics such as inclusion, conflict, and responsiveness, which are often overlooked in teacher reflections. Structured prompts improve pupil responses. GenAI-mediated feedback is expected to enhance relational noticing by integrating external and internal perspectives, fostering more empathetic, responsive teaching. <br/><br/>Nordic relevance <br/><br/>The study aligns with the 2023 Danish teacher education reform emphasizing research–practice integration. By centering pupil voices through LEDs, it supports Nordic people-centered values and contributes to teacher education and pupil well-being. <br/><br/> <br/><br/>Kane, R., &amp; Maw, N. (2005). Making sense of learning at secondary school: Involving students to improve teaching practice. CJoE, 35(3), 311–322. <br/><br/>Lawson, T. et al. (2015). Research on teaching practicum—A systematic review. EJTE, 38(3), 392–407. <br/><br/>Mendez, J.A., &amp; van Es, E.A. (2024). Examining teachers' relational noticing: promoting equity through positive interactions in mathematics education. JoMTE, s10857. <br/><br/>Van Es, E.A., &amp; Sherin, M.G. (2021). Expanding on prior conceptualizations of teacher noticing. ZDM, 53, 17–27. <br/><br/>