Teaching expectancy improves video‐based learning: Evidence from eye‐movement synchronization

Abstract Video‐based learning (VBL) is popular, yet students tend to learn video material passively. Instilling teaching expectancy is a strategy to promote active processing by learners, but it is unclear how effective it will be in improving VBL. This study examined the role of teaching expectancy on VBL by comparing the learning outcomes and metacognitive monitoring of 94 learners with different expectancies (teaching, test or no expectancy). Results showed that the teaching expectancy group had better learning outcomes and no significant difference in the metacognitive monitoring of three groups. We further explored the visual behaviour patterns of learners with different expectancies by using the indicator of eye‐movement synchronization. It was found that synchronization was significantly lower in both the teaching and test expectancy groups than in the no expectancy group, and the test expectancy group was significantly lower than the teaching expectancy group. This result suggests that both teaching and test expectancy enhance the active processing of VBL. However, by sliding window analysis, we found that the teaching expectancy group used a flexible and planned attention allocation. Our findings confirmed the effectiveness of teaching expectancy in VBL. Also, this study provided evidence for the applicability of eye‐tracking techniques to assess VBL. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Video‐based learning has become a popular way, yet students tend to learn video material passively. When students learn with teaching expectancy, they are more likely to engage in deep processing, which has been proven in static multimedia learning. Individuals show high eye‐movement synchronization when watching the same video, and this synchronization may be reduced when they engage in top‐down processing. What this paper adds Teaching expectancy improves learning performance in Video‐based learning. Teaching expectancy enhances active cognitive processing in Video‐based learning. During the video viewing, learners with teaching expectancy not only followed the instructor's explanations but also engaged in active top‐down processing, demonstrating flexible and planned attention allocation. Implications for practice and/or policy Utilizing teaching as an intention can serve as an effective learning strategy for Video‐based learning. The use of eye‐movement intersubject correlation to analyse visual behaviour patterns provides a new way to explore how people learn from dynamic multimedia materials.