Does Teacher Noticing Matter for Students’ Science Content Learning Outcomes? Evidence From a Large-Scale Empirical Study

Abstract

Although teacher noticing is regarded as a critical component of teacher expertise that matters for student learning, empirical evidence verifying the relationship between teacher noticing and student learning outcomes is scare. Using a relatively large-scale sample involving 189 middle school biology teachers from 156 schools and their students (n = 7,086), this quantitative study investigated the association between teachers’ level of noticing, measured by a standardized video-based instrument, and student achievement. An analysis utilizing two-level hierarchical linear modeling revealed a significant and positive association between teachers’ level of noticing and student learning outcomes. Specifically, the proportion of variance explained was 0.383. Our study offers robust and timely evidence that verifies the core assumption underpinning teacher noticing research as well as professional development efforts focusing on teacher noticing. Implications for teacher noticing research and teacher professional development are discussed.