Recorded peer video chat as a research and development tool

When practising teachers take time to exchange their experiences and reflect on their teaching realities as critical friends, they add meaning and depth to educational research. When peer talk is facilitated through video chat platforms, teachers can meet (virtually) face to face even when they are in different geographical locations. We used this method during a project in which we paired up teachers from different locations to discuss selected topics via video chat software. Teachers were asked to record on video these conversations and to share the recordings with the research team. The video recordings were transcribed and used to prompt further discussion. The recording of the video chat meetings provided an opportunity for researchers to listen in and follow up on points they felt needed further unpacking or clarification. The recorded peer video chat conversations provided an additional opportunity to stimulate and support teacher participants in a process of critical analysis and reflection on practice. The discussions themselves were empowering because in the absence of the researcher, the teachers, in negotiation with peers, choose what is important enough to them to take time to discuss.