Teacher-Student Dialogue in Synchronous Videoconferencing Environments: A Design-Based Research Study

This study investigates the impact of a participatory Teacher Professional Development (TPD) programme designed to enhance dialogic interaction in videoconferencing (VC)-mediated secondary science education. Grounded in a Design-Based Research (DBR) framework, the study involved two experienced science teachers from the UK and Mexico, who acted as co-investigators throughout the co-design, implementation, and reflection phases of two iterative research cycles. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including the analysis of 10 video-recorded VC lessons, two surveys, and a series of interviews and stimulated recall sessions with teachers and students. These data sources were thematically analysed to evaluate the effectiveness of the TPD programme. Additionally, multimodal interactions—such as chat messages, annotations, emojis—were examined using ELAN software to identify strategies that support richer, dynamic forms of multimodal dialogue. The results highlight the complex and multimodal nature of VC-mediated dialogue, where various communication modes enhance interactions, creating dialogic spaces that overcome certain limitations of traditional face-to-face exchanges. Features such as breakout rooms, connectivity to additional applications, and adjustable student privacy settings played significant roles in fostering rich and inclusive dialogue. These distinctive aspects of VC-mediated dialogue emphasise their importance in TPD programmes.