Emergence of pedagogical reasoning in Biology teachers upon observing a feedback practice in biodiversity

Abstract

The study investigates the emergence of pedagogical reasoning among in-service Biology teachers as they observe a video-recorded feedback practice focused on biodiversity. Unlike cognitivist perspectives, we conceive pedagogical reasoning as a situated and relational process that emerges from the interrelation of identification, interpretation, and prediction processes, and recurrent dialogue with a resource (video) and data collection instruments (open-ended activities and questionnaire). To this end, 44 Chilean in-service Biology teachers were recruited to participate. Through a digital platform, they observed a feedback episode and answered open-ended questions and a Likert-type questionnaire. The results highlight that teachers identify visible elements such as direct instruction (structural reasoning) but also transition towards reorganizing their ways of observing (reorganizing reasoning). Significant differences are identified between novice, advanced, and expert teachers. Novice teachers focus on the explicit and functional, while experts project complex and relational learning, especially when they have specific experience in biodiversity. These findings suggest that pedagogical reasoning does not operate as a linear or hierarchical sequence, but as a situated and dynamic practice, influenced by professional experience. The study’s findings provide important implications for teacher professional development, especially by conceiving noticing as a form of pedagogical reasoning.