Video-enhanced observation: a new window on lesson feedback in a PGCE school placement

What if lesson observations were no longer isolated ‘snapshot’ activities carried out behind closed doors? What if feedback was no longer ‘given’ to a trainee, but developed ‘with’ a trainee, acknowledging good practice and agreeing developmental priorities based on video evidence and shared reflection? These were some of the questions driving a recent video-enhanced lesson observation research project led by Newcastle University, which focused on trainee teachers and teacher educators across five countries (veoeuropa.com). Many schools are involved in initial teacher education (ITE). They may also be considering whether video-enhanced observation is suitable for their context. This case study is based on a lesson observation feedback session carried out by an ITE mentor in the UK: a secondary-school assistant principal with overall responsibility for monitoring trainee teachers in the school. The school had introduced a secure system as part of their involvement in the