Unlocking Preschool Teaching Potential: Multidimensional Analysis of Filmed Instruction with Preschool Teachers and Students

This study examines how a multidimensional framework can support instructional analysis and competence development in preschool teacher education. Conducted as a two-year action research project, it involved eight practising preschool teachers and 83 student teachers who analysed instructional sequences filmed during their teaching practicum periods. These analyses, carried out in seminars led by the practising preschool teachers, used the three dimensions of the framework – ‘what’ (learning object), ‘how’ (instructional methods), and ‘when’ (relational timing and pedagogical tact) – as an analytical lens to explore how participants understood and applied these dimensions and what opportunities and challenges emerged. The findings show that the framework helped participants articulate intentional learning objectives, distinguish activities from learning objects, and align instructional methods to specific aims. It also made visible aspects of professional judgement that are often tacit, particularly the situational responsiveness captured by the ‘when’ dimension. Although socio-emotional considerations were frequently highlighted, their cognitive significance was less explicitly recognised, indicating a need for frameworks that connect affective and cognitive dimensions of teaching. The study demonstrates that the structured analytical framework, when combined with video-based reflection, can strengthen learning during practicum and support continuous professional development. The framework balances intentional instruction with responsive, child-centred pedagogy and provides a shared language for discussing the interrelation of the ‘what’, ‘how’, and ‘when’ dimensions in preschool teaching.