More than Data: A Multivocal Inquiry into Video-Based Research on Learning and Teaching

Purpose: This commentary aims to echo Wilkinson, Bailey, and Maher's (this volume) arguments about the affordances of videos and video databases in studying learning and teaching. Design/Approach/Methods: This article illustrates a multivocal approach to the videos from the Video Mosaic Collaborative (VMC). In particular, three mathematics teachers in Shanghai were invited to watch and discuss a set of VMC videos. Two recurring themes concerning mathematics learning and teaching were identified in this video-cued interview and discussed in relation to the VMC Analytics. Findings: The VMC videos played a mediating and facilitating role in the interview, helping the teachers notice and reflect on the mundane, implicit culture practices. Based upon this analysis, I argue that to tap into the potential of video in educational research, we need to see videos as more than data and look for more possibilities of using them. Originality/Value: To open and further research dialogues, this article discusses future directions of using videos in educational research and serves as an invitation to creative explorations, in-depth conversations, ethical reflections, and cross-cultural collaborations on the use of videos in education.