The Biggest Influence on Student Outcomes is
Great Teaching
Decades of research point to the same conclusion: no in-school factor shapes how pupils achieve more than the quality of their teaching. Developing that teaching is the most powerful lever a school has and it is what IRIS Connect is built to do.
Does Video Coaching Improve Pupil Outcomes?
The strongest test of any professional development is whether it reaches the pupils. Large-scale, independent trials have measured exactly that.
INDEPENDENT – RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL
Video-Based Teacher Coaching Improves Student Achievement
Conducted by Mathematica Policy Research, the study asked the question: does video-based teacher coaching have an impact on student learning?
Teachers were provided with coaching through Teachstone’s MyTeachingPartner (MPT) programme and IRIS Connect’s Discovery Kit camera system was selected as the technology to be used.
The study was one of the largest experimental studies in education involving 100 schools, 353 teachers and 8,906 students. It is now clear and in black and white – video-based coaching improves student achievement by up to 2.5 months!
+2.5 months
additional learning for pupils of coached novice teachers, over a single year
How Seeing Yourself on Video Changes Practice
One of the most powerful effects of video is what it does to a teacher’s perception of their own teaching — and to their confidence. Independent research at the University of Tartu set out to measure it.
INDEPENDENT – PEER-REVIEWED
Video Reflection Builds Teachers’ Professional Confidence
This study followed 136 teacher education students as they recorded and analysed their own teaching for the first time. Many began with hesitation, discomfort, and even fear about watching themselves. The study tracked how that shifted through the process of recording, reviewing, and discussing their lessons.
The findings make a compelling case for video as a tool for reflection: it surfaces things teachers would not otherwise notice, and the structured feedback that surrounds it — from peers and tutors — is valued just as highly as the recording itself.
90%
said recording and analysing their teaching increased their professional self-confidence
- 97% rated observing fellow students’ lessons as useful
- 96% valued their lecturer’s feedback on the lesson video
- 91% found peer feedback useful
What the Wider Evidence Says Makes PD Effective
The Education Endowment Foundation analysed over 100 research papers to identify what separates professional development that works from development that does not. The answer is a set of 14 mechanisms, grouped into four areas.
The Headline Finding
Programmes that contained none of the 14 mechanisms had no effect on pupils. Programmes that combined all of them had a significant impact on pupil progress. The lesson is clear: effective PD is a designed, ongoing process — not a one-off event. IRIS Connect enables every one of these mechanisms within a school.
From Theory to the Classroom
IRIS Connect was developed to bridge the gap between research and daily practice. Through the platform, teachers reflect on their teaching, collaborate with coaches and peers, and access evidence-based strategies with video exemplification — turning these mechanisms into habits rather than headlines.
AREA ONE
Building Knowledge
Managing cognitive load and revisiting prior learning so new techniques actually stick.
AREA TWO
Motivating Teachers
Clear goals, credible sources, and reinforcement that sustains effort over time.
AREA THREE
Developing Technique
Modelling, feedback, and rehearsal – the core of effective coaching.
AREA FOUR
Embedding Practice
Prompts, action planning, and context-specific repetition to make change last.
THE FULL EVIDENCE BASE
Explore the Research
Filter by the question that matters to you, or by who carried out the study.
Video Coaching & Student Achievement
One of the largest experimental studies in education found that five cycles of video-based coaching raised pupils’ attainment above the control group.
First-Time Experiences of Video-Recording Teaching
136 student teachers recorded and analysed their own teaching for the first time. The study tracked how reflection changed their perception and confidence.
Substituting In-Person Observation With Video
Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research tested whether video observation makes the process easier to run, less costly, and more reliable than in-person visits.
What Makes Professional Development Effective
A meta-analysis of over 100 studies identified the 14 mechanisms of effective PD. Programmes with all of them significantly improved pupil progress.
Building Feedback Literacy in the Caring Professions
How video and structured feedback develop the feedback literacy that underpins professional growth and reflective practice.
Efficacy of Remote Professional Development
An evidence review of remote and video-enabled professional development, including approaches like IRIS Connect.
Remote & Blended Teacher Education
A pandemic-era rapid evidence assessment of whether effective teacher education can be delivered through remote and blended models.
Video-Supported Collaborative Learning
The educators’ manual on using video to support collaborative professional learning across institutions.
Lesson Study for Behavioural Challenges
Employing lesson study, supported by video, to address behavioural challenges in primary education.
The Role of Video in Supporting Reflection
A study of how video supports reflective practice among teachers, drawn from work supporting teacher development internationally.
Evaluating the Impact of IRIS Connect
How collective video reflection drives measurable change in teaching practice, summarised from the EEF’s evaluation.
Adaptive Instructional Coaching
Our deep dive into building adaptive expertise through reflection and coaching, grounded in the wider evidence base.
See What the Evidence Looks Like in Your School
Trusted by over 100,000 educators in more than 50 countries. We would be glad to show you how the research translates into everyday practice.