Lesson Study Cycle Research Articles

Lesson study: Investigation of English teachers' planning behaviors and preparation activities for English tasks in social construction practice

The aim of the study is to identify and explain preparation activities of three English teachers in lesson study process. The English teachers dealt with activities such as setting objectives, building content, organizing classroom practices and identifying success criteria for learning objectives and reflection in three different lesson study cycles based on social constructivism for about 5 months. In this study, the single case study design was adopted. Criterion sampling method was used to determine the participants. The group-based activities of teachers were repeated in each research lesson at different subjects and different grades. Instead of preparing a new format of the existing lesson plan in each research lesson, the participants prepared new lesson plans for each research lesson. The data were obtained by class observation, camera recordings, interview, and document examination of the lesson plans. It was observed that the teachers made more qualified decisions in planning teaching tasks and there were positive changes in their planning skills and teaching practices in the process in lesson study cycle.

LESSON STUDY IN PRE-SERVICE PHYSICS TEACHERS’ EDUCATION: A CASE IN BRAZIL

Lesson study (LS) is a teaching improvement process that began in Japan more than 100 years ago. As the LS is still a new approach in the Brazilian context, this paper will discuss how it could be implemented in the pre-service physics teacher training. To accomplish this, a group was created with 6 pre-service teachers who held 11 meetings, which integrated two LS cycles. The data for this research were collected through field notes and materials produced by pre-service physics teachers. The collected data were analyzed by Bardin's content analysis. According to the results obtained, it highlighted that pre-service teachers had gaps in knowledge about the basic contents of Physics and LS showed that collective work with peers could promote reflection and enable classes that were closer to the students' reality, minimizing the difficulty and rejection by Physics in basic education, improving the students’ learning. Keywords: lesson study, Physics teaching, pre-service teacher, supervised internship, teacher education

Developing metacognitive teaching in Chinese language through conducting lesson study in Shanghai

PurposeThis paper investigates the effectiveness of metacognitive teaching methods on students' reading comprehension through a lesson study case conducted in Shanghai.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts an experimental design with control groups and experimental groups. Plan–do–check–act (PDCA) cycles of lesson study were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of modeling, self-questioning, think aloud and KWL strategy in Chinese language lessons. Metacognitive teaching strategies were implemented at a junior high school in Shanghai. The data was collected via lesson observation, interviews and pre- and posttests.FindingsResults identified a significant difference between the incremental scores of students' reading comprehension in the experimental group and control group. The findings from the lesson observation showed that metacognitive teaching strategies in Chinese language developed students' reading comprehension. Moreover, PDCA cycles of lesson study helped the teachers improve metacognitive teaching strategies.Originality/valueFew studies have been conducted to validate metacognitive teaching through lesson study in the context of China schools, and this study contributes to a new research dimension of lesson study on developing pedagogical practices to improve student learning outcomes.

PENERAPAN PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING DENGAN SIKLUS LESSON STUDY UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN MENULIS ESAI ARGUMENTATIF


 ABSTRACT
 The skill to write argumentative essas as a necessity in the 21st century is crucial for students to hone their critical thinking skills. Having been designed as a classroom action research, the researcher applied Problem-Based Learning with Lesson Study cycle that answered the following two research questions: (a) Can students' argumentative essay writing skill be improved by applying Problem-Based Learning with Lesson Study cycle? And (b) How was the student's response to their implementation? The research subjects consisted of 36 students of IVA semester in English Education Study Program, Faculty of TeacherTraining and Education, Mahasaraswati Denpasar University. To collect data, test and questionnair were administered as research instruments. Data were analyzed descriptively quantitative and qualitative (interactive model). It was found that the application of Problem-Based Learning and Lesson Study was able to improve students' argumentative essay writing skill and the students gave positive response towards their application for the improvement of learning.
 Key words: argumentative essay, Lesson Study, Problem-Based Learning.

Facilitating collaboration between mathematics methods and content faculty through cross-departmental lesson study

PurposeThis paper reports on experiences of university-level mathematics teacher educators (MTEs) from participating in lesson study to improving mathematics teacher preparation. The authors investigate the questions: “What did MTEs report as benefits of participating in cross-departmental lesson study?” and “What considerations did MTEs report for stakeholders interested in lesson study?”Design/methodology/approachThis study employed qualitative methodologies on one cycle of lesson study where the authors served as lesson study participants. Debrief and focus group interview data were analyzed for emergent codes on benefits, supports and challenges from a university-level lesson study.FindingsEngaging in university-level lesson study provided MTEs firsthand professional development, created community, enabled attention to detail, improved knowledge of issues related to teaching mathematics, improved curricular materials and extended beyond one lesson. Institutional support, a natural evolution of the process, alignment of goals among members and support within the group supported their university-level lesson study. Challenges of time and funding, imposition, misalignment of goals and building trust are discussed.Originality/valueThe paper contributes insights about benefits for MTEs who use lesson study to examine their own teaching practice for mathematics teacher preparation. The importance of supports and constraints is highlighted.

PENERAPAN PROBLEM BASED-LEARNING MELALUI LESSON STUDY PADA PEMBELAJARAN PPKN UNTUK MENINGKATKAN PARTISIPASI AKTIF DAN KERJASAMA SISWA DALAM DISKUSI KELOMPOK

ABSTRACTThis article presents the result of implementing Problem-based Learning throughLesson Study in Civics class as an effort of enhancing students’ participation andcollaboration during class discussions. The implementation of Problem-based Learningthrough Lesson Study was conducted in a private school under Muhammadiyahorganization in Distric Purbalingga, Central Java, namely MTs Muhammadiyah 01Purbalingga. In Civics Class at the school investigated, the learning process wascommonly dominated by lecturing session which made the students passive and foundmonotonous atmosphere of learning which consequently resulted on meaninglesslearning. This condition affected to the students’ activeness which belonged to lowcategory. Therefore a better design of learning by implementing Problem-basedLearning through Lesson Study was needed to cope with the problem. Lesson Study wasdone in 2 cycles and is still continuing until now. The action was intended to make thestudents more active and participative during the Civics lesson especially in classdiscussion sessions. The method which was used is qualitative method with 36 studentsin grade 8E of MTs Muhammadiyah 01 Purbalingga participated. During two times ofplan-do-see actions in Lesson Study, 8 of 9 groups in Civics class or 80% of the wholestudents was good at participating in group and class discussions. The finding found inthe two cycles of Lesson Study gives a proof that the implementation of Problem-basedLearning contributes positively to the students’ participation and collaboration in Civicsclass.Keywords: Plan, Do, See, Participation, Collaboration

Learning Together: Teachers’ Evolving Understanding of Coordinated Word Study Instruction Within an RTI Framework

Despite evidence that tiered instruction within response to intervention (RTI) frameworks is important for students with reading difficulties, no complementary professional development (PD) research demonstrates how teachers can develop knowledge necessary to implement coordinated evidence-based instruction across instructional tiers. One promising PD approach combines lesson study (LS) with content-focused PD sessions; PD sessions introduce teachers to new knowledge, while LS supports teachers in integrating knowledge into their instructional repertoires. We used grounded theory methods to investigate how teams of upper elementary teachers’ ( n = 7) understandings of coordinated, tiered reading instruction changed through participation in Project InSync, a year-long PD consisting of content-focused PD workshops and LS cycles. Results indicate that, through interactions during LS sessions, teachers developed more sophisticated and integrated understandings of word study content, pedagogical practices, students’ struggles with literacy, and coordinating instruction across instructional tiers. Results have implications for teacher PD within RTI frameworks.

Teachers' capacity to create inclusive learning environments

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore effects of an intervention designed for teachers' learning. This study investigates the effectiveness of a three-session professional development (PD) program based on the lesson study methodology. Lesson study was chosen as an intervention, attempting to strengthen teachers' awareness of and readiness to teach for student diversity.Design/methodology/approachThis study included 26 participants. The teachers took part in lesson study cycles during a period of four months. Effectiveness was measured using a pre-test/post-test within-subject design. The broad concept of inclusion and the characteristics of the research questions in this study demanded a mix of methods, a design in which qualitative and quantitative data are collected in parallel, analyzed separately and then merged.FindingsResults show an increase of teachers' readiness from baseline to post measurement to adjust the learning environment for increased inclusivity. The largest increase (88%) was seen in the themes in teachers' responses regarding accommodations for a student with special needs. Regarding self-perceived ability, the average increase was 50%. Results show significant changes in teachers' adjustment awareness ability.Originality/valueThis study contributes to educational research, as the focus is PD for general teachers. PD opportunities with teaching strategies related to special needs (e.g. neurodevelopmental conditions, NDCs) are seldom offered to general education teachers. Support from teachers is a key strategy for accommodating students with special needs in mainstream classrooms. Furthermore, there is a lack of literature of interventions aiming to improve teachers' readiness and preparedness for students with NDCs in mainstream settings.

Teaching with Multiple Strategies: An Investigation of Elementary Teachers’ Understandings during a Lesson Study Cycle

Teaching with Multiple Strategies: An Investigation of Elementary Teachers’ Understandings during a Lesson Study Cycle

Enhancing teachers' relational competence: a teacher lesson study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute with innovative knowledge about how lesson study as a method can be used as a tool for increasing in-service teachers' professional development. More specifically, the aim is to test in what way one single lesson study cycle, where teachers' way of perceiving teacher–student interactions was tested before and after, contributes to teachers' increased understanding of relational competence. The study is a pilot preparing for an upcoming main study.Design/methodology/approachParticipants were 19 lead teachers (swe: förstelärare) in a Swedish municipality. The study was based on a relational framework and methodological approach (Aspelin, 2017; Pianta, 1999). Data obtained through web-questionnaires and collaborative group reflections were analysed and compiled to find general patterns.FindingsThe majority of the participants (98.5%) considered their understanding of relational competence to be increased (Cohen's d 1.72) during the intervention. Additionally, there was a notable increase in participants' abilities to verbalise their understanding post-intervention.Research limitations/implicationsThe lack of revised studies might have impacted the validity of this work. However, as this was a pilot study the result can be considered to fulfil the purpose.Practical implicationsThe research suggests that lesson study as a method for in-service teachers as participating students can be used effectively to increase teachers' professional development.Originality/valueThe study aims to investigate how lesson study as a method can be used to develop in-service teacher learning.

MATHEMATICS TEACHERS’ ABILITIES IN DEVELOPING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT AFTER THE INTRODUCTION OF LESSON STUDY AND OPEN APPROACH INNOVATIONS

Purpose – The main purpose of this study was to examine mathematics teachers’ abilities in developing formative assessments when teaching algebraic reasoning after utilizing two innovations: lesson study and open approach. Methodology – A single group quasi-experimental research design was employed in two mathematics classes in a school in Chaiyaphum province, Thailand. The target group was all the 11 mathematics teachers, who were pre-tested, then post-tested afterthe lesson study and open approach training. This was followed bytheir participation in setting up a lesson study group and conducting 10 lesson study cycles involving two research participants who were teaching two selected classes. The instruments were a questionnaire, the Assess Today rubric, interview protocols, 10 lesson plans, field notes, classroom observation video recordings, and students’ written work. The AssessToday rubric was the main instrumentwritten work. The AssessToday rubric was the main instrumentused to determine the ability level of the mathematics teachers indeveloping formative assessment in terms of seven components,namely learning targets, question quality, nature of questioning, selfevaluation,observation of student affect, instructional adjustment,and evidence of learning. Results – The pre-test and post-test results showed an improvementin the mathematics teachers’ understanding about formativeassessment, the methods used in formative assessment, and how theycould use the data from the formative assessment while they wereimplementing the two innovations. In addition, the AssessToday rubric showed that both mathematics teachers were progressinggradually from novice, apprentice to practitioner level in theirabilities in developing formative assessment after the 10 cycles ofinnovation practices in all the seven components. The results implythat the mathematics teachers showed vast improvement in their abilities in developing formative assessment after they implemented the lesson study and open approach innovations in their teaching. Significance – The results contribute significantly to knowledge about the usefulness of the lesson study and open approach innovations in enhancing mathematics teachers’ abilities in developing formative assessment.

Revisioning Grammar Instruction through Collaborative Lesson Study: A New Apprenticeship of Observation

ABSTRACTA concern about grammar and usage instruction is the ineffectiveness of the frequently-used practice of worksheets and out-of-context application. In light of recent findings that applied grammar instruction can improve students’ writing, a need for research on increasing teachers’ pedagogical knowledge in this area is indicated. This case study examines teacher professional development to consider what aspects promote and extend teacher knowledge and practice in this area. Three high-school English teachers participated in a month-long Lesson Study cycle. Findings suggest that teachers’ insights about active, collaborative grammar instruction appear to have been supported by their own collaboration and by joint observation of practice. Providing opportunities for teachers to reflect together on what was observed encouraged learning that transcended the specific lesson.

Are lesson study participants sharing their professional knowledge?

PurposeResearch and practice are often seen as separate entities, however, the notion of teacher as researcher situates the act of teaching as research (Watanabe, 2018). Educators in Japan identify as researchers with contributions to make to the field. Lesson study is one vehicle for their research. The purpose of this paper is to understand whether educators outside Japan are sharing their work resulting from lesson study to impact the field beyond their local context.Design/methodology/approachDatabases were searched to find cases (n=45) of lesson study in K-12 mathematics classrooms in the USA. Descriptions of how lesson study was implemented were coded to determine whether sharing of findings was a part of the lesson study cycle and, if so, to identify the mechanisms for sharing.FindingsIn 12 of the 45 cases, there was evidence that the lesson study team shared their findings beyond the team. The modes of sharing included inviting people to the research lesson, distributing the research lesson, presenting at conferences or writing articles.Research limitations/implicationsThe cases are limited to published lesson study projects. The end of the lesson study cycle for teams not sharing was not evaluated.Practical implicationsWays to make sharing results more accessible are discussed.Originality/valueThe originality of this paper is in that it evaluates a large number of documented cases of lesson study to understand if and how teachers are making their professional knowledge gained through lesson study public.

Mathematics Teachers’ Early Lesson Study Experiences in Turkey: Challenges and Advantages

The purpose of this study was to reveal the challenges and advantages of the implementation of the lesson studymodel in Turkish middle schools. This study was a case study and the participants of the study was 11 middle schoolmathematics teachers in three different school in a city at central Anatolia region of Turkey. Three lesson studycycles were carried out at one month. The data were collected with field notes, focus group interviews and anopen-ended questionnaire. Data were analysed by using content analysis. Moreover, direct quotations from teachers’views were also included. Findings indicated that teachers had prejudice that the lesson study implementations wouldnot help their professional development. However, their prejudices were positively changed and they began to showinterest when they attended the implementations of lesson study. Implementation of the lesson study model enabledthe teachers to share experiences, to focus on students’ thinking / understanding, it also enabled teachers to be moreactive, to examine the curriculum and resources related to instructional materials in depth. On the other hand,challenges in the process of lesson study implementation were as follows: time problem, teachers' ego and fear ofbeing observed, adaptation of students in research lessons, differences between researcher and teachers’ views aboutmathematics teaching, the intensity of the curriculum and the pressure of the central exam.

EFL Lecturers’ Perception on the Use of Lesson Study in Improving Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Lesson Study (LS) assists teachers and lecturers to improve their professionalism
 within the idea of collaborative work through collegiality. Not all lecturers have enough
 competencies dealing with pedagogical content knowledge. Nevertheless, some of
 them seem to be reluctant to get involved in the program. This study aims to explore
 lecturers’ perception on the use of LS process in improving pedagogical content
 knowledge. It employs a qualitative method by applying descriptive study as its
 framework. Three EFL lecturers who teach at one of the state universities in Bandung
 who previously experienced LS process were being respondents in the study. The
 data were obtained from open-ended and close-ended questionnaire focusing on two
 themes, the steps and processes of the LS cycle and its effectiveness in improving
 pedagogical skill in teaching EFL. The result of the study revealed that the lecturers
 had a positive perception on using LS in improving pedagogical content knowledge in
 teaching EFL. However, time management of conducting the discussion still became
 the main problem in the program. The findings above suggest that the lecturers should
 have more desire and enthusiasm in conducting LS in order to promote their teaching
 and to help them get the characteristics of effective professional developments in their
 work.

Lesson study with music: a new way to expand the dialogic space of learning and teaching

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show that lesson study by including elements from music and music education can sustainably expand and improve the dialogical space for teaching and learning in higher education, especially for primary and secondary teacher education students.Design/methodology/approachFor the first time under the topic “Lesson Study: Music in Dialogue,” corresponding study programs were prepared at the University College of Teacher Education, Lower Austria. The data material from which answers to research questions can be generated are the “Didactic Design Pattern” and classical research lesson planning, observation and discussion instruments. Moreover, discussion protocols of the reflection meetings offered insights the participants gained through sharing their experience of a series of lesson study cycles including focussed collaboration between mentors, teachers, teacher education students and primary school pupils.FindingsWithin the lesson study groups, the space for cooperation and dialogue widened considerably and the interest in the work and expertise of each other increased. Based on the principles of a “community of practice,” this study shows the positive effects of professional collaboration on primary and secondary teacher education students and a lasting impact on their pupils’ learning. Thereby, the dialogical principle was found to play a central and important role. In connection with music- and art-related processes, previous limitations in teaching and learning with music can be exceeded for pupils, teacher education students and teachers.Research limitations/implicationsThis study, therefore, provides new insights into questions of organization and implementation, as well as scientific and didactic support in professional learning communities.Originality/valueSo far, there has been little practitioner research through lesson study in the field of music education. In particular, lesson study enhancing the cooperation between music education and other subject areas through dialogical-integrative work has brought about knowledge and insights of great importance for the further development of an appropriate didactic approach in dialogic music education.

Incorporating lesson study in ITE: organisational structures to support student teacher learning

ABSTRACTLesson study is a collaborative model of professional development that provides teachers with the opportunity to learn from the planning, conduction and reflection of a specifically designed research lesson. Lesson study is increasingly incorporated in initial teacher education (ITE) and calls have been made to further detail the lesson study structures that support student teacher learning. In this paper the core organisational elements of incorporating lesson study in ITE are investigated as a comparative case study situated in two distinct educational and cultural settings: one in Ireland (post-primary) and the other in Norway (primary). Qualitative data, including student teachers’ planning notes, research lesson designs, and observation notes from live research lessons, were analysed and findings reveal three structural factors for the incorporation of lesson study in ITE. First, defined roles of mentor and university teachers as knowledgeable others; second, the engagement of student teachers at each phase of lesson study, with the inclusion of case pupils; and third, the conduction of the lesson study cycle on both university campus and in the classroom. These findings contribute to the growing literature of lesson study in ITE and may support the inclusion of lesson study in ITE programmes.

Refining teaching expertise through analysing students’ work: a case of elementary mathematics teacher professional learning during lesson study in Singapore

ABSTRACT This article provides a concrete illustration of how teachers in a primary school in Singapore discuss students’ learning in a lesson study cycle and grew professionally as a community. Specifically, we examined how collaboratively analysing students’ work serves as a useful practice for teachers to learn to work with diverse learners. The findings suggested that open discussions around students’ work helped teachers to reflect upon their unwarranted perceptions of their students and their teaching. The study provided insights into how teachers’ understandings of their students’ diverse backgrounds, as well as teachers’ understanding of subject content and pedagogy, developed as they participated in lesson study activities that were focused on analysing students’ work. Our findings found that lesson study provided the following affordances to foster such changes: (1) eliciting hypotheses in dialogue; (2) creating space for alternative perspectives; (3) collaboratively scrutinizing student learning evidence for follow-up teaching; and (4) identifying problems for further discussion. While the illustration of this case is uniquely Singaporean, implications include concerns about teacher professional learning and teaching for equity common to many other educational contexts.

Development of Scientific Literacy and Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of Prospective Science Teachers through Lesson Study-Based Courses

Lesson Study has been adopted as an effort to improve the quality of education in many countries. Scientific literacy and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) are two indicators of quality education which most agree are important considerations for science teachers This research has been undertaken by following a lesson study-based action research intervention. The objectives were to analyze its effects on development of prospective science teacher (PST) scientific literacy and PCK indicators. Research subjects were 32 fourth semester PSTs enrolled in Strategies for Teaching Biology course. The research was conducted in three cycles with a plan-do-see phase in each cycle. The data were obtained from PSTs’ tasks and analyzed by comparing the mean score gained for two indicators of scientific literacy and three indicators of students’ PCK. Results of this study indicates that the mean scores gained in each indicator of scientific literacy and PCK were higher in the third and second cycles of lesson study when compared to the first cycle. Therefore it can be concluded that implementing lesson study based action research brought about improvement the PSTs’ scientific literacy and PCK, as well as the quality of teaching and learning processes. Key words: lesson study, scientific literacy, pedagogical content knowledge

Collaborative Practitioner Research: A Case of Lesson Study in a Small Jewish School

ABSTRACTLesson study is a form of professional development where a group of teachers identifies a problem of practice on which they would like to make progress in their teaching. Over an extended period of time, the teachers study the topic and plan a lesson together. One member then teaches the lesson while the others observe; the group reflects afterwards on student learning. The cycle repeats, building teachers’ professional knowledge and their shared views of pedagogy over time. In this article, we argue that lesson study is a collaborative form of practitioner research and we show how this is so by sharing an example of a lesson study cycle conducted in a synagogue school.