Using video surveys to compare classrooms and teaching across cultures: Examples and lessons from the TIMSS video studies

The video survey is a promising new approach for studying classrooms and te aching across cultures. Drawing from, experience in working with two cross- cultural video surveys, the Third International Mathematics and Science Stu dy (TIMSS) and its follow-up study (TIMSS-R), this article presents some of the challenges of studying classrooms across cultures and some of the ways that the video survey can deal with these challenges. The article begins b y identifying some of the issues in cross-cultural research and classroom s urveys that led to the creation of the video survey. Examples from the TIMS S and the TIMSS-R video studies are then used to illustrate some benefits a nd limitations of video surveys and to share some of the lessons that were learned about studying classrooms across cultures.