Situating Teacher Movement, Space, and Relationships to Pedagogy: A Visual Method and Framework

Abstract

In conversations about pedagogy, researchers often overlook how physical space and movement shape teacher sensemaking. This article offers a comparative case study of classroom videos using a dynamic visual method to map embodied interaction called “interaction geography.” Our analysis proposes an integrative framework to study classroom interactions and teacher movement over space and time comprised of four salient characteristics within lessons: trails, landmarks, material routines, and circulation patterns. We discuss how this visual method and framework can be used and expanded by classroom researchers and teachers as a starting point to better understand teaching as a situative and spatial practice, a crucial step in characterizing responsive forms of instruction. This work has implications not only for teachers and teacher educators but also for architects, administrators, and researchers concerned with the physical design of classrooms.