Collaboration between Inservice Teachers and Student Intern in Thai Lesson Study

Abstract

Thailand implemented a Lesson Study and Open Approach in Thai school culture with a unique way of adapting Japanese professional development (Inprasitha, 2012). In schools with student interns, there is a collaboration between them and inservice teachers in a 3 phase Lesson Study (Inprasitha, 2010). This qualitative case study research aimed to study the collaborative working of a first grade’ Lesson Study team (two inservice teachers and one student intern) from Kookham Pittayasan school. Data were collected by participatory observation and using questionnaires, interviewing and video recording. Research results revealed as follows: 1) collaboratively designed research lessons, these research lessons have been used by the same group of inservice teachers and group of student interns in the last six years. This year, the student intern revised these research lessons and brought forward to discuss with inservice teacher. 2) collaboratively observing the research lesson, based on their classroom observations in the previous years, inservice teachers took their roles in observing and recording students’ ideas, ways of solving problems, and etc., in order to bring to the discussion in the third phase. 3) Collaboratively reflections on teaching practice. Steps of reflections were a) immediately after the classes, they discuss student’ ideas and how to improve the next class. b) At the end of the week, all teachers in school have weekly reflections together. The research findings support the way inservice teacher and student intern can work collaboratively, rather than inservice teachers just supervising student intern.