Seeing what matters: How signaling influences teachers’ noticing of classroom disruptions in scripted classroom videos

Background Noticing describes teachers’ ability to perceive and interpret relevant events. Regarding classroom management, noticing disruptions is particularly relevant. However, many teachers often misinterpret disruptions, perceive them too late, or not at all. While classroom videos can be an effective way to train noticing, they are often overwhelming and therefore less effective. Aims This study examined whether highlighting disruptions in staged classroom videos through signals affects adult education teachers’ noticing skills and self-efficacy. Sample One hundred and twenty-one teachers in adult education participated in this study. Methods All participants watched a scripted classroom video in the practice phase with the task to perceive and interpret disruptions. One group received signals highlighting occurring disruptions, whereas the other group did not. Finally, the participants' noticing skills (perception and interpretation) were assessed in a test phase with a new video without signals. Results Participants in the signaling group perceived more disruptions during the test phase but did not interpret more disruptions correctly than the control group. There was no difference in self-efficacy between the groups. Further, exploratory mediation analyses showed that the participants’ performance in the test phase was associated with their interaction with the signaled disruptions during the practice phase. Conclusion The results indicate that signaling is a useful tool to support teachers in perceiving classroom disruptions, whereas interactions with the signals in the practice phase may be necessary to support teachers’ interpretation skills. Potential explanations for the findings and directions for future research are discussed.