Teachers’ Reflective Practice in Lesson Study: A Tool for Improving Instructional Practice

Abstract

In teacher education, a collection of research has established the importance of reflection in professional development. Lesson study, a popular professional development in Japan, incorporates reflection in one of its stages to enhance teachers’ capacity to look into their enacted practices to improve their research lessons. However, there appear to be few studies determining the types of reflective practice among teachers. In this study, the various stages of lesson study process were documented and transcribed to analyze the teachers’ reflective practices. Qualitative analyses yielded three types of reflective practice exemplified by the teachers, namely: descriptive, analytical, and critical. The study highlighted the collaborative, sustainable, and provisional environment which enabled the teachers to become practitioners who are able to use their reflections to gain understanding of their instructional practices. Findings also indicated that the context of professional development for teachers must be tailored to their direct experiences for them to significantly use the outcomes.