Using video enhanced reflective practice (VERP) with staff in a nursery school to create a community of practice

Anita Soni, Sharon Lewis

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Abstract

This article explores how an adaptation of video interaction guidance (VIG) with professionals, known as video enhanced reflective practice (VERP), developed a community of practice at a nursery school. The project was commissioned by the Head teacher (the second author of this paper), and involved 12 staff who worked in two units with children aged two to three, and three to four, in a nursery school. Attendance at the half termly VERP CPD sessions was strongly encouraged by the Head teacher, and was for practitioners who had video to share with their colleagues. I (the first author) had trained as a VIG practitioner and facilitated all the sessions, with a view to eventually setting up self-sustaining reflection sessions.

The article draws on literature by Wenger (1998) about communities of practice (see below), and on an evaluation of the nursery school VERP group process, which was completed after four VERP CPD sessions. The evaluation was based on individual short interviews with staff, including the Head teacher. Whilst this approach has limitations in terms of the risk of socially desirable responses, the tendency to give positive self-descriptions, it enabled formative assessment of the VERP process for the upcoming year. Within the VERP sessions, there was time for two groups of staff to meet for an hour each, over two terms. This article seeks to analyse how a community of practice developed in the nursery school and what is needed to sustain staff reflection over time.
Original languageEnglish
JournalAttuned Interactions
Issue number7
Publication statusPublished - 20 Jan 2020

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