Webcam-based Eye Tracking: A Novel Paradigm in Teaching and Teacher Education Research to Study Teachers' Visual Expertise

• Applicant: Dr. Christian Kosel
• Subject Area: General and Domain-Specific Teaching and Learning
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 547264389

This proposed research project is designed to investigate the data quality of webcam-based eye tracking technology within research about teaching and teacher education. Positioned as a methodological project, our goal is to assess the validity (in terms of data quality) of webcam-based eye tracking by examining it through the lens of existing research on teachers’ visual expertise. This facet of educational research, traditionally explored through infrared (IR) eye tracking methods, has been pivotal in uncovering the visual and cognitive dynamics inherent to teaching. However, the application of IR eye tracking has historically faced strong limitations due to factors like cost, accessibility, and scalability, often necessitating participant presence in a laboratory setting. Such constraints have typically resulted in research relying on comparably small, less diverse participant pools, thus occasionally casting doubts on the broad applicability of the outcomes. By proposing webcam-based eye tracking as a possible viable alternative to conventional IR techniques, this project seeks to uncover the potential benefits of a more accessible and scalable technology, specifically for research about teaching and teacher-focused research. Employing a within-between research design, this project aims to ascertain whether webcam-based eye tracking can yield results that are on par with those obtained through traditional IR eye tracking apparatus. The successful validation of webcam technology for this purpose could pave the way for more inclusive and representative research projects, significantly enhancing our comprehension of teachers’ visual expertise.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professorin Dr. Tina Seidel