A Vision for 360° Video in Teacher Professional Development at Scale: Opportunities, Practical Directions, and Theoretical Implications
Purpose This article presents an evidence-based, theoretically informed vision for the ways that 360° video could be used to support, enhance, and even transform teacher learning and teacher professional development (TPD) at scale. 360° video records a complete spherical view of the classroom, thereby offering an authentic, inclusive, unique, and immersive perspective for observation, reflection, and sharing. Design/Approach/Method Our approach comprised three steps: a literature review, an examination of 360° video affordances against the TPD@scale framework, and an exploration of what scale means for TPD from the perspective of spatial theory. Findings Consideration of scale has been lacking in 360° video research and, significantly, few studies have investigated use by in-service teachers. We identify how 360° video could work at scale to improve teaching and learning quality, equity and efficiency, professional experimentation, access to new ideas, peer collaboration, and expert support. Applying sociospatial concepts of place, network, and positionality offers fresh perspectives and recentres teacher lived experiences. Originality/Value We offer an original and timely contribution to the field by identifying studies involving in-service teachers, proposing new approaches for using 360° video in TPD at scale, and outlining opportunities for research, teacher education, training and CPD.
Authors
- Bindu Ramdas Thirumalai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1188-1109)
- Simon Cross (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8741-8503)
- Susannah Wilson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4221-9738)
Institutions
- The Open University (GB)
- National Institute of Advanced Studies (IN)
- University of the Highlands and Islands (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ECNU Review of Education
- Published
- 2026-11-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311261495144
- Primary Topic
- Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00