Ulul Albab–Based Lesson Study in Madrasah Aliyah: A School Action Research on Science and Mathematics Teachers’ Pedagogical Transformation

PurposeThe main purpose of this study was to explore how engaging in lesson study enhances secondary school mathematics teachers’ pedagogical practice in lesson planning in Jimma, Ethiopia.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a design-based research approach with qualitative and quantitative data collected from two secondary schools, and 12 mathematics teachers. A purposive sampling technique was used to select participants. Interviews, observations, questionnaires and document analysis were the main sources of data. Qualitative data were analyzed using themes with the support of Atlas-ti qualitative data analysis software. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon ranked signs test.FindingsThe findings revealed that engaging secondary school mathematics teachers in lesson study enhanced their lesson planning competence. As a result, teachers began to carefully plan detailed lessons, use curriculum materials and create more student-oriented lessons. Lesson study was found to be a potent model on which to build secondary school mathematics teachers’ lesson planning competence. Hence, it would be rewarding to integrate lesson study into the present school-based teachers’ pedagogical capacity-building program in the study settings.Research limitations/implicationsThe data were collected from particular localities with a small sample size in the quantitative phase. Therefore, it is difficult to generalize to the entire secondary school teachers in the country. However, thick descriptions were provided that would allow readers to determine the transferability of the findings to their specific school context. Future research should investigate the effects that enhanced TPP in lesson planning has on teachers’ mathematics teaching in more schools using a larger sample size.Practical implicationsThis study provides insight into and empirical evidence of how engaging in the process of LS is essential to enhance teachers’ lesson planning competence. It adds important knowledge to a small but growing model of lesson study research. It also informs future researchers in the practical use of LS where lesson planning is a crucial concern in many secondary schools of the country.Originality/valueThis research was originally conducted to build mathematics teachers' pedagogical practice in lesson planning through lesson study in Ethiopian secondary school contexts.

This article discusses the meanings of mathematics teaching forged in the reflections promoted in a lesson study. Guided by the question “What meanings of teaching in mathematics are constructed from reflections promoted in a lesson study?” and based on Isabel Alarcão’s (2018) concept of teaching, we examined four editions of a lesson study, two with teachers of the early years of elementary school, one with mathematics teachers from the final years of elementary school, and one with high school mathematics teachers. Each lesson study cycle was organized in twelve two-hour meetings and involved an average of eight teachers per cycle. The participants are teachers from the state public education system in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The empirical material consists of the researcher’s field notes, the participants’ logbooks, transcripts of the sessions, and interviews conducted at the end of the cycles. Qualitative and interpretative analysis showed that the reflections promoted in the lesson study revealed that mathematics teaching involves various meanings including educational action, social commitment, and pedagogical transformation.

Based in a time of major curriculum reform, this article reports on a qualitative case study of teacher professional development (PD) in the Republic of Ireland (ROI). Five mathematics teachers in an Irish secondary school were introduced to and participated in successive cycles of school-based lesson study (LS) over the course of one academic year. The research investigated how teachers’ pedagogical practices and beliefs on student learning, specifically related to a revised curriculum, were impacted as a result of their participation in this model of PD. Data were generated through audio and field recording of teacher LS meetings, individual teacher interviews, teacher notes, samples of student work, observation of research lessons and researcher field notes. Analysis suggests that due to their collaborative planning, teaching, observation and reflection of research lessons, teachers began to incorporate and develop new pedagogical practices both inside and outside LS. This study suggests that in the introduction of centralised curriculum reform, LS can act as a powerful model of PD which can encourage the introduction of new pedagogical practices. This research also provides evidence for the introduction of LS as a viable form of PD in secondary schools in the ROI.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of lesson study on mathematics teachers’ pedagogical competence and find out teachers’ perception of the impact of lesson study activities on their teaching. In all,7 mathematics teachers were involved in the study. Questionnaire, observations of classroom teaching and Lesson Study meetings as well as reflective writings were the instrument used for data collection. The items in the questionnaire were analyzed using statistical tools such as percentages, mean and standard deviation from Excel 2016 Analysis Tools. The descriptive statistics indicated that there was a significant difference between Lesson Study cycles. The questionnaire given to the teacher participants to elicit their response on the perceptions of mathematics teachers towards the impact of Lesson study activities revealed a positive response. Based on the findings of the study, for this group of mathematics teachers, Lesson Study has effectively enhanced their pedagogical competence and promoted professional development.

Effective mathematical communication is essential for developing conceptual understanding and applying mathematics in real-life contexts. However, empirical studies consistently report that students' mathematical communication skills remain insufficiently developed, highlighting a critical gap in instructional practices that effectively foster these competencies. The Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) approach, grounded in six core principles—reality, levels, intertwinement, activity, interactivity, and guidance—has demonstrated promise in promoting meaningful and contextualized learning. Yet, there is limited empirical research that systematically investigates how these principles specifically support the enhancement of students’ mathematical communication. This study addresses that gap by examining how the application of RME principles contributes to the development of communication skills in junior high school mathematics classrooms. Utilizing a qualitative research design, data were gathered from nine schools across three districts through focus group discussions, lesson plan analysis, and classroom observations. Participants included RME experts, education policymakers, school principals, and mathematics teachers. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify how the six RME principles are operationalized in practice and how they align with indicators of students’ mathematical communication. The findings reveal that each principle plays a distinct yet interconnected role in supporting communication—particularly through meaningful contexts, dialogic interactions, and structured teacher guidance. The study offers empirical support for the broader adoption of RME and highlights its potential to increase teacher motivation and instructional quality. It further underscores the importance of sustained professional development—such as mentoring and lesson study—in enhancing teachers' capacity to implement RME effectively. Future research should focus on developing RME-based instructional materials and digital tools, including GeoGebra-integrated worksheets and context-rich problem sets, to amplify its impact within mathematics education in Indonesia.

Purpose Although there is a growing body of research highlighting the significance of Lesson Study (LS) activities on teacher professional development, studies on teachers’ experience in LS activities remain limited, and the impact of such experience on their professional identities is not clear. To address this gap, this article adopted the Dynamic Systems Model of Role Identity (DSMRI) as a theoretical framework to examine the development of five novice Chinese EFL teachers’ role identities during their participation in LS. Design/methodology/approach This research employed a qualitative methodology. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with five participants, concentrating on their experiences in LS and their perceptions of their role identities during LS activities. A thematic analysis was performed to identify themes related to the development of the participants’ role identities. Findings This study found that five novice EFL teachers’ experience, changes in their role identities content, structure and process in LS were framed by their initial identities, which further contributed to their new identities' development. Throughout this process, various contextual factors promoted or impeded changes in the alignment, and tensions within and between the role identities of these novice EFL teachers. Research limitations/implications First, as with most qualitative research, the findings have limited generalizability. To address this, future research could include a larger and more diverse sample of novice EFL teachers across various LS settings. Second, since the study primarily relied on retrospective interviews, there is a possibility that participants may have misinterpreted or misremembered their experiences. To mitigate this, future studies could utilize data triangulation and conduct longitudinal research to track teachers’ experiences over time. These approaches would offer a more comprehensive understanding of novice EFL teachers’ experiences and identity development in different types of LS. Practical implications For the successful design and implementation of LS initiatives, this study indicates that it is crucial for school leaders and LS policymakers to consider teachers’ personal histories and contextual factors related to LS. Specifically, when designing LS for novice EFL teachers, school leaders and LS policymakers must prioritize the needs and preferences of novice teachers and address potential barriers such as native speaker norms, rigid teaching schedules and heavy teaching load. Besides, more collaborative reflection and dialogue activities should be integrated in LS to facilitate teachers’ learning in LS as a social identity construction practice. Originality/value The originality of this study resides in its examination of the experiences of novice EFL teachers in LS and how these experiences influence their professional identities. By investigating these aspects, the study fills existing gaps in understanding EFL teachers’ learning in LS from an identity lens and offers valuable insights for schools on how to enforce more effective LS practices.

The purpose of this study were : (1) to learn pedagogical strategies teachers who follow the guidance of teacher with lesson study and coaching strategies with MGMP convensional teacher, (2) to determine the interaction between teacher coaching strategies with lesson study and strategies with teacher guidance MGMP conventional and subjects the teachers’ pedagogic competence, (3) to find pedagogical english teacher who followed a strategy with teacher guidance conventional MGMP, (4) to learn pedagogical math teacher who followed a strategy of coaching teachers with pedagogical lesson study and mathematics teachers who follow the strategy with teacher guidance conventional MGMP. This study is quasi-experimental research. The number of samples were 60 teachers. The tecnique of determining the sample is done by random sampling. Research hypptheses were tested using Anova 2 ways used before Anova first tested the data analysis requirements of the test for normality of data using Lillieofors test, and homogeneity of variance using the test Bartlet.

Religious character education in Madrasah Aliyah plays a crucial role in fostering students with integrity through the integration of Islamic values, exemplary behaviour by teachers, and collaboration among all stakeholders. This study aims to assess the impact of systematically instilling Islamic values on the development of religious character among 10th-grade students at a private Madrasah Aliyah. Employing a quantitative approach with a one-group pretest-posttest design involving 30 students, data were collected through questionnaires and observations, and subsequently analysed using SPSS statistical tests. The results indicate that the data are valid, with all significance values (Sig.) below 0.01, signifying a strong correlation between the indicators and the total score. The normality test yielded Sig. Values above 0.05 indicate a normal data distribution and eligibility for parametric testing. The t-test resulted in a t-value of 4.011, exceeding the t-table value of 2.045 (df = 29), with a Sig. Value of 0.000 < 0.05, suggesting a significant difference in students’ religious character before and after the treatment. An R-squared value of 36.5% demonstrates that the treatment significantly and substantially explains the change in students' religious character. Conclusion: The systematic integration of Islamic religious values through religious activities and curriculum integration effectively shapes students' religious character, reflected in consistent religious understanding, attitudes, and behaviour.

The purpose of this study is to explore the integration of Islamic personality values in the learning of the Applied Education Program in the Field of Information and Communication Technology (Prodistik) at madrasah aliyah. The background of this research is driven by the need to understand how Islamic values are integrated in the context of applied education in information and communication technology, as well as their impact on the formation of student character. The research method used is field research with a qualitative approach through case studies. Primary data was collected through interviews with managers, instructors, students, and alumni, while secondary data was obtained from relevant literature and documentation studies. The results of the study show that the application of personality values in Islam, such as honesty, discipline, and responsibility, contributes significantly to the formation of students' character. The integration of Islamic values in learning not only improves students' technical competence but also forms an Islamic professional attitude. The application of the principle of trust in information security increases students' awareness of the importance of maintaining confidentiality and data privacy. The implication of this research is the importance of a holistic approach in education that combines technical aspects and spiritual values to form individuals with integrity and character in the face of the complexities of the modern world.

As digital technologies transform education, competencies such as critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving have become central to educational reform. In China, the 2016 National Core Competencies Framework for Student Development positioned Maker Education (ME) as a vehicle for integrating STEM learning. However, ME’s implementation poses challenges for teachers, including the need for interdisciplinary integration, student-centered facilitation, technological adaptation, and new assessment approaches. To address these challenges, researchers have proposed Design Thinking (DT) as a structured, human-centered framework that guides students through empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, and testing. When embedded in ME, DT supports both student creativity and teacher pedagogical design. Yet, successful adoption requires a supportive professional development system. Lesson Study (LS) offers such a system through iterative cycles of planning, teaching, observing, and reflecting, enabling teachers to refine instruction collaboratively based on student evidence. This thesis investigates how integrating DT into ME through LS transforms teachers’ pedagogical practices and affects student learning outcomes. It adopts a two-phase research design—a 4-month pilot study and a 16-month longitudinal quasi-experiment—organized into four sub-studies: Teachers’ pedagogical design practices (Study 1) Teachers’ insights into student learning (Study 2) Teachers’ professional knowledge development (Study 3) The impact of teacher changes on students’ STEM mastery (Study 4) During the pilot phase, five Chinese STEM teachers engaged in four LS cycles, combining the Chinese LS model with a “case student” observation method. Through this process, teachers developed a Design Thinking-based Maker Pedagogy (DTMP), characterized by (a) integration of the six-step DT process into ME, (b) a systematic project design framework, and (c) differentiated scaffolding strategies for each DT stage. Teachers also constructed a three-dimensional observation framework (cognitive, affective, behavioral) that deepened their understanding of student learning diversity and shifted their beliefs from product-focused to process-oriented, elite to inclusive, and teacher-directed to student-led education. In the longitudinal phase, five trained teachers implemented DTMP across 12 maker projects, while a control group used traditional methods. Comparative analysis of student performance across four STEM dimensions—Knowledge Recall, Conceptual Application, System Operation, and Project Evaluation—revealed that DTMP students achieved significantly higher mastery and more consistent growth trajectories, confirming the model’s effectiveness. The study makes three key contributions: Methodological innovation – Adapting the Chinese LS model with case-student observation to create an evidence-driven approach for differentiated instruction. Theoretical integration – Linking Teacher Noticing and Productive Failure theories to conceptualize students’ mistakes as valuable learning opportunities. Model development and validation – Establishing and empirically confirming the DTMP framework as a culturally responsive pedagogy that merges Western creativity-oriented ME with China’s structured instructional traditions. These contributions collectively offer a localized pathway for advancing ME in China and propose practical strategies for teacher professional development and classroom implementation. Despite its achievements, the study acknowledges four limitations: limited school diversity, imbalanced STEM focus, small sample size, and extensive researcher support. Future research should therefore explore DTMP’s adaptability in varied contexts, analyze teacher learning trajectories with larger samples, conduct long-term impact studies on student outcomes, and investigate scalable implementation in typical school settings. Overall, this research demonstrates that integrating DT and LS within ME fosters teacher growth, transforms pedagogical beliefs, and significantly enhances students’ STEM learning, providing a sustainable model for competency-based education reform in China and beyond.

This study examined how effective pedagogical practices enhance Mathematics learning among pupils at Tungngod Elementary School. It specifically aimed to identify the teaching strategies employed by Mathematics teachers, examine how these practices support pupils’ conceptual understanding, problem-solving skills, and engagement, explore teachers’ perceptions of effective Mathematics instruction, and identify challenges encountered in implementing these practices. The study also sought to analyze pupils’ learning experiences in response to the pedagogical approaches used. A qualitative descriptive research design was employed to capture in-depth and context-specific insights into classroom practices. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with Mathematics teachers, classroom observations, and document analysis of lesson plans and instructional materials. Purposive sampling ensured that participants had direct involvement in Mathematics instruction. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis, with triangulation of data sources enhancing the credibility of the findings. The results revealed that learner-centered and contextualized pedagogical practices, such as the use of real-life examples, collaborative problem-solving, and differentiated instruction, significantly enhanced pupils’ understanding and engagement in Mathematics learning. Teaching strategies that emphasized conceptual understanding and guided reasoning helped pupils develop confidence and problem-solving abilities. Despite these positive outcomes, teachers encountered challenges related to limited instructional resources, time constraints, and diverse learner abilities. Nevertheless, pupils demonstrated positive learning experiences and increased participation when effective pedagogical practices were applied. The study concludes that thoughtful and learner-responsive pedagogy plays a critical role in improving Mathematics learning and highlights the need for sustained instructional support and professional development to strengthen Mathematics education at the elementary level. Keywords: Mathematics pedagogy, learner-centered instruction, conceptual understanding, pupil engagement, elementary education

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore mathematics teachers’ instructional decision-making processes that arise from their professional noticing of learners’ mathematical thinking within the Lesson Study (LS) context. Design/methodology/approach This interpretivist qualitative case study involved nine purposively selected mathematics teachers. Data were collected through observation and unstructured interviews. Observation was done during the lesson presentation and post-lesson reflection stages of LS. Unstructured interviews were used during the post-lesson reflection stage. Findings Although mathematics teachers were able to notice aspects of learners’ mathematical thinking, the manifestation thereof was often at a superficial level. Consequently, the instructional decisions teachers made tended not to adequately address learners’ mathematical thinking. In addition, their reflection was merely superficial and hence their proposed instructional decisions were also not optimal to develop and enhance learners’ mathematical thinking. Research limitations/implications Although the purpose of this article was to explore mathematics teachers’ professional noticing during teaching and their subsequent instructional decisions, not observing the lesson planning process may have deprived us an opportunity for deeper understanding of minutiae of the lesson presented. For instance, we probably would have understood the motive for the LS team’s selection of instructional activities, i.e. numeric patterns. Originality/value Notwithstanding the importance of professional noticing in the education context, it has not been adequately explored, especially in South Africa, to gain insights into mathematics teachers’ instructional decision-making in the LS setting. The findings from the current article, therefore, cast light onto the affordances of teachers’ professional noticing during teaching for effective instructional decisions. The findings could be an inflection point for future studies towards improving teachers’ professional noticing abilities to enhance learners’ mathematical thinking in the LS context. Findings from this study suggest that mathematics teachers must be intentional with their noticing by using purposeful activities, which will enable them to effectively notice learners’ mathematical thinking and make fitting instructional decisions. We recommend further research on a framework or guideline on the attributes of purposeful instructional activities.

Differentes recherches ont etabli l'influence des enseignants sur la qualite de l'apprentissage des enfants. La question est de savoir ce qui rend un enseignant plus performant qu'un autre. Quatre indicateurs, etudies par les AA., peuvent etre utilises dans ce but : les acquisitions pedagogiques des enseignants, leurs participations dans les programmes d'etudes, leurs connaissances des matieres enseignees et leurs strategies pedagogiques

<p>Professional knowledge of mathematics teacher(s) is one of important elements to be considered in order to pursue new professionality of mathematics teachers. While previous studies conceptualized mathematics teacher(s)’s professional knowledge from both static and dynamic perspectives. However, it is also important to consider a collective perspective since as individual mathematics teacher’s knowledge is influenced by community’s knowledge which community created. Previously, the interaction between an individual teacher and community was pointed out in the practice of lesson study. Therefore, this research aimed to develop a conceptual framework for capturing mathematics teachers’ professional knowledge creation through lesson study. The Author reviewed literatures from the perspectives of professional community and situated learning, mathematics teachers’ professional knowledge, and mathematics teachers’ professional knowledge creation. Thereby, a conceptual framework for capturing mathematics teachers’ professional knowledge was developed. Professional knowledge creation was illustrated as one of the elements embedded within dynamic interaction of each component in an individual level and group level. Besides, interactions of different ontological levels can be created by lesson study which has SECI Model within. In order to clarify the process of mathematics teachers’ professional knowledge creation, further considerations was expected from the both theoretical and empirical perspectives.</p>

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to comprehensively explore the current situation of lesson study (LS) implementation and practice among Mathematics Teacher Educators (MTEs) in Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) across the country in Laos. Moreover, the study investigates MTEs’ professional learning through LS experience, the difficulties they encountered during practicing LS and their urgent needs to deepen their comprehension in the context of LS.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through semi-structured interview with 45 MTEs from 7 TTCs in February/March 2018 (seven weeks). The study also collected 14 LS reports, 7 LS posters from the respondents and observed one cycle of LS practice in 2 TTCs. The data were systematically analyzed using inductive category formation through the procedure of transcribing and reading the transcription, thematic coding and categorizing and interpreting the meaning of thematic ideas (Mayring, 2015; Merriam, 2009). Licensed software MAXQDA 10 was used for this qualitative study.FindingsThe study argued based on LS practice in LS model 1 and model 2. MTEs that followed LS model 1 practiced LS in a superficial aspect and quantitatively relied upon the results from the checklists. They majorly satisfied the immediate measurement of teacher teaching’s behavior and student learning’s behavior. Frequently, time constraints, writing LS reports and collaboration were the great challenges. In contrast, MTEs that followed LS model 2 practiced LS in order to deepen understanding of students’ mathematical thinking. Although LS helped them by adjusting appropriate learning task, they encountered difficulty to innovate it effectively. LS also helped them in offering students’ autonomy to explore mathematical ideas, but they failed to understand the values of utilizing students’ mathematical ideas.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings from this study are beneficial for LS practice in the country and similar LS initiatives to find a measure to enhance the effectiveness of LS in schools and TTCs. The study suggested providing clear details of each step, the essential aspect and the core concept of LS to MTEs for successful transposition of LS to a non-Japanese context. Providing LS advisors who have had great experience in conducting LS not just high teaching or working experience only is highly recommended. This study has a limitation in observing LS practices from all seven TTCs.Originality/valueMinistry of Education and Sports (MoES) recognizes the significance of implementing LS in TTCs to enhance the quality of teaching-learning, though the progress of LS in those TTCs has not yet been addressed. Current situation of LS revealed in this study is valuable for similar initiatives, MoES and Japan International Cooperation Agency to make an effort in order to move LS forward.