Lesson Study Cycle Research Articles

How do dialogic interactions contribute to the construction of teachers' mathematical problem-solving knowledge? Construction of a conceptual framework

PurposeThe article presents the construction of a conceptual framework, which is rooted in mathematics education and in dialogic analysis. It aims to analyse how dialogic interactions contribute to constructing teachers' mathematical problem-solving knowledge. The article provides one example of this analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe networking between a content analysis framework (Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Problem-Solving) and a dialogic analysis framework (Lesson Study Dialogue Analysis) is presented. This leads to the construction of indicators to quantitatively and qualitatively code our data: five meetings during one lesson study cycle of a group of eight Swiss primary teachers, working on the teaching of problem-solving.FindingsThis article does not present empirical findings. The developed conceptual framework is the result presented.Research limitations/implicationsThe presented framework allows modelling, on the one hand, the knowledge relating to the teaching and learning of problem-solving and, on the other hand, the analysis of interactions during a lesson study. The article does not contain the results of the research.Practical implicationsThe use of our framework can contribute to teacher educators' and facilitators' training by highlighting which types of intervention are favourable to the development of knowledge.Originality/valueOur analysis involves a “systematic coding” approach. It allows a fine-grained analysis of the interactions in relation to the evolution of knowledge. Such a systematic approach offers the possibility of questioning the coded data in various ways.

A tale of two schools: curriculum deliberation and school-level orientation in transforming knowledge through lesson study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how teachers engaged in curriculum deliberation through lesson study (LS) and how different types of teacher knowledge were elicited, co-constructed and transformed in integrated ways across LS stages. It also clarifies how different school-level orientations influence the nature, depth and scope of the deliberation.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted an interpretive qualitative case study approach involving two schools, employing participant observations of LS cycles and post-LS teacher interviews. Thematic analysis and analytical coding were conducted.FindingsThe two cases revealed core features of curriculum deliberation trajectories enabled by LS: problem identification, planning to unlock the educative potential of content and reflection on enactment for improvement. The types of teacher knowledge that informed deliberation on English language learning were uncovered to reveal LS teams' initial comprehension, collective reasoning and actions, and new knowledge derived. Pedagogical content knowledge was prominently drawn on in unlocking curriculum potential and transformed with the knowledge of student learning gained from the live lesson observations. The school-level orientations were found to influence the extent to which teachers can interrogate existing practices and co-construct knowledge.Originality/valueThe study offers a nuanced understanding of curriculum thinking in LS teams, which is enabled by processes that construct the dialogic space for coordinating curriculum commonplaces to transform content into pedagogical representations to cultivate students' future capacities. It highlights the importance of viewing sustainable LS from an interconnected perspective that calls attention to the social contexts of deliberation.

Guiding educational innovation to promote children's non-cognitive abilities to succeed: implementation of the Sesame Street curriculum in Japan

PurposeWhat does it take to successfully implement new educational innovation in schools, and what roles does lesson study play there? In order to answer this question, this study investigated the implementation of Sesame Street's Dream–Save–Do (DSD) curriculum that was designed to help children in a Japanese elementary school learn to pursue their own dreams.Design/methodology/approachThe authors first reviewed available documents on the DSD curriculum in the district, and then conducted DSD class observations. The authors also interviewed the students, teachers, the principal, the lead teacher at the school, the school district staff in charge of the operation as well as the Sesame Japan staff in order to collect the data for the study.FindingsThe study found that students were highly engaged in open-ended discussions about their future dreams and how to achieve them in observed DSD classes. The implementation of the new curriculum benefited from utilizing lesson study as the main arena for curricular innovation. A further analysis of the data suggests that the success of the curricular innovation owed much to an inside-out implementation process that situated the iterative lesson study cycle of the teachers as the key driver of change while external actors supported the lesson study process in an inside-out fashion.Research limitations/implicationsThe study implies that guiding an educational innovation to success requires not only institutionalized lesson study, but also cross-institutional collaborative dialogues to support the lesson study process with mutually established trust among key players of the innovation. Further studies are needed to investigate how this model sustains as principals and how this model works (or do not work) in other pilot schools and beyond.Practical implicationsThis study implies that what matters most is that the school embodies a vision shared among teachers, school leaders and external curriculum developers, all working together across institutions in a spirit of collaboration. This type of inside-out implementation would be a path to ensure and sustain the success for those who plan any new educational innovation.Social implicationsWhat matters most was found to be that the school embodies a vision shared among educators, school leaders and external curriculum developers working together across institutions in a spirit of collaboration.Originality/valueGuiding an educational innovation to success requires not only new ideas and effective curriculum plans but also a social structure that allows teachers to engage in effective implementations of the desired curriculum. Lesson study is often considered to be a within-school or school-to-school collaborative process. It is rarely connected to outside agents that bring in new ideas for educational innovation. This study found how inside- and outside-school actors can work together to actualize educational innovation, and what roles lesson study play there.

MENTORING THROUGH LESSON STUDY: A COLLABORATIVE WAY TO SUPPORT EFL TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN MADRASAHS (ISLAMIC SCHOOLS)

Recently, attending seminars or professional development programs for teachers is not sufficient to cope with today's teaching challenges. In addition, tight schedules and preparing teaching administration often refrain teachers to work and discuss together with their colleagues. Pointing out such problems, this study tries to investigate how mentoring program for EFL teachers in Indonesia was conducted collaboratively at schools through a lesson study approach and what teachers’ competencies were improved during the program. Eight EFL teachers from three Islamic junior high schools (called madrasahs) and a university lecturer serving as a mentor were involved in the program. Data gathered from observations, questionnaires, and interviews were analyzed qualitatively through (1) iterative reading of the data, (2) reducing the data, (3) categorizing the data, (4) combining all data, and (5) concluding the data. The findings indicate that the lesson study cycle involved in this program covered two stages of PLAN, one stage of DO, and SEE. The participant teachers required more time during the planning due to several factors such as adjustment working with the revised Curriculum recently released by the government at the time of data collection, and challenges in aligning learning objectives, classroom activities, and evaluation. Upon their involvement in the program, the teachers reported that they gained benefits and strong improvements in four aspects of teachers' competencies, namely professional, pedagogical, social, and personal competencies from the collaboration with peer teachers and a university lecturer. For instance, they found their knowledge extending in terms of teaching techniques and methods, planning and implementing effective lessons, and their motivation to teach better and share resources with others increasing as well. In short, mentoring through lesson study is valuable to improve the teachers’ competencies.

Meanings of mathematics teaching forged through reflection in a lesson study

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.

Discussing students’ thinking and perspectives for improving teaching: An analysis of teachers’ reflection in post-lesson discussions in lesson study cycles

Lesson study is a Japanese concept to improve teaching and learning mathematics through a particular form of activity in which a group of teachers works collaboratively to plan, implement, observe, and reflect on the proposed research lessons. Although lesson study is internationally acknowledged as providing key learning opportunities for teachers, there is limited information on post-lesson discussion and its contribution toward teachers’ professional growth. This study has the aim of describing the key features of post-lesson discussions. An entire group of teachers at a public elementary school in Japan participated in three lesson study cycles. During the post-lesson discussion in each cycle, the teachers were invited to write down what they believed was significant in the planned lesson and their comments regarding the lessons, for the discussion. The writings and comments were collected and analyzed. This method helped capture teachers’ ‘voices’ better compared to recordings of oral discussion. The results of the analyses of teachers’ writings and comments revealed that a major part of post-lesson discussions involved issues related to pedagogies, and teachers’ reflections tended to focus more on students’ thinking and mathematical topics over time as the cycles of lesson study proceeded. The results suggested that teachers’ professional growth can be related to their recognition of the importance of understanding students’ thinking and their perspectives on mathematics, in order to improve teaching.

Effect of Lesson Study Continuous Professional Development on Mathematics Teachers’ Pedagogical Competence and Perceptions of Changes in Their Classroom Practices

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.

Impact of lesson study on pre-service primary teachers’ mathematical pedagogical content knowledge

Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) is a fundamental component for effective teaching and plays a crucial role in teacher education. Even though pre-service teachers are engaged in training to improve their PCK, the literature reveals that most of their difficulties in practicum courses stem from their PCK. The purpose of this research is to describe the effects of the Lesson Study on Pre-service Primary Teachers’ (PPTs) mathematical PCK in terms of the following components: students’ knowledge, lesson preparation and delivery. For this purpose, we observed and evaluated 12 PPTs’ lessons during the Teaching Practicum-II course. We assigned six PPTs to the lesson study group and six of them to the non-lesson study group. Each PPT from the first group had already completed three different Lesson Study cycles during the Teaching Practicum-I course. The data consisted of the video recordings of classroom teaching, classroom observations, field notes and one-on-one interviews with PPTs. We analysed the data using qualitative analysis techniques. The results revealed that, although there were some differences among PPTs concerning the aforementioned components, Lesson Study helped PPTs improve their teaching practice and their PCK.

LESSON STUDY STRENGTHENING TRAINING FOR YOUNG LECTURERS TO IMPROVE LECTURE QUALITY

This article aims to describe the implementation of socialization activities and technical guidance for the implementation of Lesson Study for young lecturers in the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Tanjungpura University (University) and to explore information about participants' opinions on the implementation of lesson study in lectures. Opinions were obtained from the stages of socialization and technical guidance on the implementation of the learning quality improvement program through Lesson study. This activity is carried out in two stages. Phase 1 is a field orientation activity carried out by the team, the purpose of this activity is to prepare activities and collect data on young lecturers (CPNS) who are in the teacher training institution at university environment. Phase 2 is a lesson study cycle socialization and technical guidance activity which was carried out in a 4-hour meeting on 27 July 2020 at the teacher training institution University. In this activity, 4 team members as resource persons were present to provide strengthening of lesson study to participants in the socialization and technical guidance, besides that this activity was also attended by 29 participants who were young lecturers in the faculty. With these stages, it is hoped that this community services activity can produce an understanding of sustainable programs for young lecturers in order to improve the quality of professional lecturers and can improve the quality of learning so that it results in increased results and learning processes for students. So that in the end it can build a learning community that affects the improvement of the quality of education.Keyword: Lesson Study, Young Teachers, Community Services

Challenging Malawian primary teachers' views on mathematics teaching and learning through lesson study

PurposeThe aim of the study is to better understand how lesson study (LS) contributes to challenging teachers' views of mathematics teaching and learning.Design/methodology/approachThis study is part of a wider ongoing project aiming at improving primary mathematics teaching in Malawi through professional development (PD) of teachers using a LS model. The units being analyzed are teachers' written reflections and lesson plans. The analytical approach is qualitative content analysis.FindingsInitially, the participating Malawian primary teachers report traditional views of mathematics teaching and learning. After having participated in a LS cycle, they reported on the need to work on how to involve and create space for learners' participation in mathematic lessons and highlight the importance for learners to discover mathematics on their own.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a small-scale study due to LS being quite new in the Malawian context and the need to test before possible upscaling.Practical implicationsThe paper includes a description on how LS might contribute to challenging Malawian teachers' views of mathematics teaching and learning; this can be valuable information for others who are attempting to use LS in a similar context.Originality/valueThis paper fulfills an identified need to learn more about how LS might contribute to challenging teachers' views of mathematics teaching and learning worldwide.

Lesson Observation Practice of Mathematics Teachers through School University Partnership Mediated by Lesson Study

Background: Observation is a critical component of lesson study implementation. To perform high-quality lesson study, teacher must possess the ability to observe lessons in order to gather data, information or evidences of students’ learning. These data are beneficial for developing high-quality reflections that will help shape their future education. This practice develops into powerful components of the teacher professional development program. Objective of the Study: To examine pre-service and in-service mathematics teachers’ observation practice while participating in school university partnership mediated by lesson study (SUPER-LS) program. Methods: The case study technique was employed in this study, which included eleven prospective mathematics teachers from a university and four mathematics teachers from a secondary junior high school who were purposely selected to participate. They were recruited to the SUPER-LS program, trained in lesson study, and conducted lesson study cycles. Between August and December 2021, data were collected using a variety of instruments, including observation report, pre and post survey, which were then analyzed qualitatively. Results: It was found that teachers’ observation practice focused mostly on students learning involving students learning, students’ behavior and student’s disposition. However, there is still a few of pre-service teachers focusing on teacher performance and most the observation focus was stated generally without enough evidences and rigorous explanation. This study suggested that teachers require additional exposure to observe lesson in order to gain a thorough knowledge of their students’ learning and to provide meaningful feedback during reflection sessions which is salient in maintaining high quality lesson study.

Discovering Mechanisms of Changes during Lesson Study in Mathematics Classroom

In the current study the Main purpose is to use a new model of lesson study which discover mechanisms of change in the mathematics classroom. In this regard, six secondary school mathematics teachers and one professor of mathematics education co-operation for developing a new lesson which related to concept of trigonometry. This study administrated in 6 months and all members participate in 6 sessions for developing 3 research lessons. Indeed, lesson study was used as research design in current study. Results of this study show that the modified lessons which developed through respiting lesson study cycle in 3 times, work effectively and teaching method of mathematics’ teachers was enhanced caused by this lesson study experience. Analysis of data reveals the mechanism of changes during this lesson study which are common attention, share experiences, observe challenges of teaching in the classroom, and feel the need and urgency of change. Furthermore, participants in this study mentioned some benefits of doing lesson study as affordances which are considering students’ needs, increasing teachers’ capability in the process of teaching and learning mathematics when students work in the group. Participant teachers in current study discussed about difficulties of using lesson study in their mathematics classroom.

Supporting teacher educators’ professional learning through lesson study

ABSTRACT Lesson Study is a rapidly growing and increasingly popular teacher professional development approach and is valued for its cyclical, classroom-based and collaborative nature. Mostly used in primary and secondary education, Lesson Study has only recently been applied to the context of initial teacher education focussing on pre-service teachers’ professional learning. Only a few studies report on teacher educators participating in Lesson Study. This study aims to fill this gap by examining to what extent Lesson Study is considered a valuable approach to support teacher educators’ professional learning and what conditions should be taken into account when applying Lesson Study in their context. Two groups of teacher educators were followed using learning reports as they participated in a Lesson Study cycle. To determine whether the reported reflections sustained in their practice, focus group interviews were held one year after their Lesson Study participation. The results show that, depending on the conditions, participating in Lesson Study can be supportive as a means to focusing on the learning of pre-service teachers, exchanging knowledge and experiences, and counteracting a culture of professional isolation.

Bansho as part of lesson and lesson study: from the origins to the present

PurposeThis paper aims to provide an overview of the origins of bansho, how it has developed to be an indispensable practice in Japan and its influence on countries outside Japan. The integration of bansho into lesson study (LS) will also be presented.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on the vast literature on bansho from both in and outside Japan to illustrate the points mentioned above.FindingsRecapitulation on the history of chalkboard and bansho in different eras in Japan illustrated its endurance towards the test of time, geographical space and functions. While bansho remains a constant presence in LS research, there has not been any work that outlines how bansho is integrated into the LS cycle. Thus, a guideline on how bansho can be incorporated in the LS cycle is provided.Originality/valueA comprehensive overview of bansho allows educators and researchers outside Japan to move beyond the know-how and know-what of bansho; it would serve as an invaluable source to understand the core concepts underlying this classroom practice, thus avoiding the mere adaptation of bansho superficial aspects. This study also provides precise instruction on how bansho can be integrated into each step of the LS cycle, which will guide teachers and researchers in the future implementation of LS.

Pracademic productive friction: boundary crossing and pressure points

PurposeProductive friction (Ward et al., 2011) can exist as pracademics cross between boundaries of their different identities. Through an exploration of the self-perception of two collaborating pracademics, this paper will consider that organisational and occupational (Evetts, 2009) elements exist that generate professional friction for pracademics.Design/methodology/approachUsing two consecutive Lesson Study cycles as a boundary object, the authors will consider their pracademic identity through a spatial approach. Their perceptions are expressed through semi-structured qualitative interviews and subsequent thematic analysis. This analysis is then explored through Engeström's (2001) learning stages to consider how pracademics interact within the contradictions of their identities and within their context and their work.FindingsTime, purpose, integration and collaboration are all elements that impact on pracademic identities. For each one of these themes, pracademics both experience friction and find resolutions. As these themes vary, there are also moments of unresolved friction, where the pracademics maintain their work based on their enthusiasm alone. Constraints on time and the visibility of pracademic emerge. Exploring these pressure points and their resolutions is key to understanding how pracademics can be further supported by other professionals.Originality/valueWhile it is not possible to draw large conclusions from the experiences and perceptions of two primary-school-based pracademics, their experiences and understanding of contextual pressure points may facilitate the support of other pracademics and resonant with their experiences, particularly if they are using Lesson Study.

Lesson study as a research approach: a case study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the merits of lesson study (LS) as a research approach for research in (science) education. A lesson was developed to introduce students to model-based reasoning: a higher order thinking skill that is seen as one of the major reasoning strategies in science.Design/methodology/approachParticipants of the LS team were three secondary school teachers and two educational researchers. Additionally, one participant fulfilled both roles. Both qualitative and quantitative data were used to investigate the effect of the developed lesson on students and to formulate focal points for using the LS as a research approach.FindingsThe developed lesson successfully familiarized students with model-based reasoning. Three main focal points were formulated for using LS as a research approach: (1) make sure that the teachers support the research question that the researchers bring into the LS cycle, (2) take into account that the lesson is supposed to answer a research question that might cause extra stress for the teachers in an LS team and (3) state the role of both researchers and teachers in an LS team clearly at the beginning of the LS cycle.Originality/valueThis study aims to investigate whether LS can be used as a research approach by the educational research community.

Student Centered Learning and Flipped Classroom of Lesson Study: A Case Study in Higher Education

This research aims to uncover the phenomenon that occur in implementing lesson study using Student Center Learning, flipped classroom, and Edmodo by Visual Communication Design study program lecturers of University Nahdlatul Ulama of Sidoarjo, Indonesia. This research approach method is a descriptive qualitative research and case study with Edmodo using observation, interview, and data collection. The process involves allied lecturers in collaboration from starting Plan, Do and See. The results of the study based on the Lewis Lesson Study cycle showed that there were several stages that were not met properly. In Plan activity, the lesson group are not functioning optimally. In the Do activity, the observer lecturer is still fixated on the lecturer's teaching performance. In the See activity, the conversation is limited by explain the phenomena that occur without further discussion about why this happened. While on the selection of Student Center Learning, flipped classroom, and Edmodo as an approach in the lesson study is very helpful for lecturers in improving learning motivation, understanding of knowledge, and good attitude of students towards the material being taught.

PHÁT TRIỂN NGHIỆP VỤ CHO GIÁO VIÊN TOÁN TƯƠNG LAI QUA NGHIÊN CỨU BÀI HỌC: TRƯỜNG HỢP DẠY HỌC CÁC SỐ ĐO TRUNG TÂM TRÊN BIỂU ĐỒ THỐNG KÊ

Research on teachers' knowledge for teaching is an essential domain in teacher education. This article used a Japanese Lesson Study to develop prospective mathematics teachers' knowledge for teaching measures of central tendency from bar charts and histograms. More specifically, the research focuses on developing specific content knowledge (Specialized Content Knowledge, SCK), knowledge of content and student (Knowledge of Content and Students, KCS), and knowledge of content and teaching (Knowledge of Content and Teaching, KCT) for prospective mathematics teachers through a lesson study process. The research results indicated that the prospective mathematics teachers had improved their knowledge for teaching through a lesson study cycle. The results provide insights into the effectiveness of the implementation of lesson study in initial mathematics teacher education.

Lesson Study in initial training: an interdisciplinary academic experience. A case study in Spain

PurposeThis paper focuses on analysis of the incorporation of a Lesson Study cycle within the university training proposal, as a teaching strategy in initial training in the Infant Education Degree.Design/methodology/approachQualitative research was conducted through a case study methodology.FindingsProposing training strategies based on this methodology encourages both the reconstruction of future teachers' practical knowledge and also adequate professional development from initial training.Research limitations/implicationsThe main constraint in the study was the cost-benefit ratio, since this experience has required significant practical and emotional dedication by the people involved, while the expected results have only been partially evident in the students. This would seem to imply that the strategy requires continuity over time in order for future education professionals to take it fully on board.Practical implicationsMore continuity in such experiences would be required in order to fully analyse their actual value. To this end, the experiences need to be more closely related to the university curriculum, and there must be greater coordination between the subjects in order to ensure a holistic approach to LS.Originality/valueThis article sets out an LS experience as a collaborative action-research strategy that promotes the reconstruction of students' practical knowledge and their professional development in initial training.

Teachers’ perceptions of a lesson study intervention as professional development in physical education

Although continuous professional development (CPD) is a key strategy for physical education (PE) teachers to update skills and knowledge in order to provide the best possible education to students, various concerns have been voiced regarding the effectiveness and feasibility of CPD in the context of PE. One approach to CPD that seems promising in this respect is lesson study, which is a form of collaborative, teacher-led and inquiry-based professional learning. This study reports on teachers’ experiences with lesson study and was specifically aimed at teachers’ perceptions of what was learned through lesson study and how this was done. Ten PE departments (35 teachers) followed a workshop on the topic of the need-supportive teaching of games which was followed by multiple lesson study cycles. Questionnaires and focus group interviews provided insight into teachers’ experiences. Overall, participating PE teachers appreciated lesson study as CPD, especially valuing the collaborative and practice-oriented approach. As lesson study allows for professional experimentation this enabled teachers to transfer new knowledge and ideas into their own specific educational contexts. Nevertheless, results also indicated that in its current form and especially within existing school structures, lesson study might be too demanding in terms of time and resources. Only if schools are willing to make the required investments could lesson study be expected to reach its full potential.