2019-2022
DIGI-REFLECT / Towards digitalization in teaching and teacher education: Enhancing the roles and leadership of teachers in classrooms through digitally-enhanced reflection
Principal Investigator: Olcay Sert
Collaborators: Annaliina Gynne and Maria Larsson
Funded by MKL (Mälardalens Kompetenscentrum för Lärande) och Samhällskontraktet
Amount: 2000 000 SEK
Digi-REFLECT is a research and development project that aimed to enhance teachers’ roles and leadership in classrooms. In line with the learning objectives of VFU, researchers Olcay Sert (English), Annaliina Gynne (Swedish as a Second Language) and Maria Larsson (Mathematics) developed digital observation frameworks on a mobile video-tagging tool that were used by mentors in partner schools and student-teachers.
The researchers investigated the ways this evidence-based, digital classroom observation tool improve reflection and feedback practices. Within this digitalized teacher education framework, faculty members, mentors, and student-teachers were able to identify, review, and discuss aspects of teaching and learning, including classroom management and teacher student interaction.
Through a qualitative, data-driven analysis of lessons, post-observation feedback sessions, and interviews as well as focus groups, the research group explored the ways a digitally enhanced teacher education framework in practicum created affordances for teacher development.
The project team, who also run Mälardalen INteraction and Didactics (MIND) Research Group, cooperated with many schools and mentor teachers in the region. MIND Research group is looking forward to extending this partnership between Mälardalen University and schools in the region to facilitate a sustainable and data-driven teacher education and Continuous Professional Development.
Publications
Sert, O., Gynne, A. & Larsson, M. (2025). Developing Student-Teachers’ Interactional Competence through Video-Enhanced Reflection: A Discursive Timeline Analysis of Negative Evaluation in Classroom Interaction. Classroom Discourse, 16(2), 142-171. https://doi.org/10.1080/19463014.2024.2337184
Sert, O., & Jonsson, C. (2024). Digital data-led reflections on language classroom interaction: A collaborative action research study. In A. Burns & K. Dikilitaş (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Language Teacher Action Research, (pp. 108-125). Routledge.
Sert, O. (2024). “It helped me grow and develop”: Video Enhanced Reflection and Feedback in a Swedish Teacher Education Context. TESOL Journal. 15(3) https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.771. [pdf download] [video download]
Gynne, A., Larsson, M. & Sert, O. (2022). Digitaliserad reflektion kring lärares agerande i klassrumsinteraktion. I A. Nordin & M. Uljens (red.), Didaktikens språk – om skolundervisningens mål, innehåll och form (s. 171-180). Malmö: Gleerups.
Popular science article
Sert, O. (May 2023). “You need to be reminded about those small things that make differences”: Classroom interaction and language teaching. Centrum för språk- och litteraturdidaktik (CSL). https://sola.kau.se/cslblog/2023/05/31/you-need-to-be-reminded-about-those-small-things-that-make-differences-classroom-interaction-and-language-teaching/
Video materials
Jonsson, C. & Sert, O. (2021). Using a digital video tagging tool for professional development. Kunskapsfesten Eskilstuna – Inspiration för lärare (Eskilstuna Science Festival – Inspiration for teachers). 9 September 2021, Eskilstuna, Sweden.
Digi-REFLECT Project promo video
Digi-REFLECT in the news and reports
Spaningen news feed (2021): https://www.spaningen.se/ur-nyhetsflodet-vecka-22/
ULF Spaning Nr 7: https://www.ulfavtal.se/download/18.4ae81edf18e5f70c02a47117/1712306807995/ulf-spaning-7-publiceringar.pdf
Västerås Stad news: Västeråslärare får uppmärksamhet för forskning om klassrumsdialog – https://www.vasteras.se/nyheter/nyheter/2025-04-09-vasteraslarare-far-uppmarksamhet-for-forskning-om-klassrumsdialog.html
Västerås Tidning: Gymnasielärare når ut i hela världen med sin forskning om klassrumsdialog – https://etidning.vasterastidning.se/p/vasteras-tidning/2025-04-17/a/gymnasielarare-nar-ut-i-hela-varlden-med-sin-forskning-om-klassrumsdialog/4337/1893839/62322155
IT-Pedagogen: Gymnasielärare når ut nationellt och internationellt med sin forskning om klassrumsdialog – https://it-pedagogen.se/gymnasielarare-nar-ut-nationellt/
Mälardalen INteraction & Didactics (MIND) Research Group 