Leading While Learning, Learning While Leading: How Teacher Developers Learn to Conduct Lesson Study

• In Event: 35.068 - Adoption or Adaptation: Lesson Study in Mathematics

Abstract

Background. Research from the last decade points to lesson study as a model for the improvement mathematics instruction both in Asia and the US (Isoda, Stephens, Ohara & Miyakawa, 2007; Lewis, Perry, & Hurd, 2009; Lewis, Perry, & Murata, 2006; Author, 2013; Puchner & Taylor, 2006; Stigler & Hiebert, 1999). As a result, the practice of lesson study has expanded at a rapid pace in the United States.

Theoretical perspectives. This paper considers how teacher developers learn through their participation in a community of practice situated in the work of professional development (Lave and Wenger, 1991). Little is known about how teacher developers learn to facilitate this form of teacher learning, which is a significant departure from the modal kind of professional development that positions teachers as receivers of expert knowledge imparted by teacher developers and as such presents challenges for teacher developers who may never have experienced this kind of teacher learning themselves (Richardson, 1992). This paper presents research on how teacher developers learn to conduct lesson study.

Methods. Four novice teacher developers were followed for a period of one year, from their first exposure to the literature on lesson study, through their participation in lesson study conferences, apprenticeship with an experienced lesson study leader, and into their independent conduct of a lesson study group. The teacher developers kept field notes and extensive records of practice from all lesson study group meetings including teacher work, email exchanges in planning and processing lesson study sessions, photographs of public inscriptions during lesson study meetings, and session plans; the teacher developers were also interviewed and completed surveys of their mathematical, pedagogical, and educational backgrounds as well as their beliefs about teaching and about teacher learning. These data were coded in atlas.ti using a cross-case synthesis method (Yin, 2009) where trends and patterns were noted and labels assigned to clusters of teacher developer actions and thoughts that appeared to be related to three areas of teacher developer learning: their views of teachers and teaching; their views of learners and learning; and their actions in the conduct of lesson study

Findings and discussion. Preliminary findings show that although the teacher developers had similar backgrounds and participated in the same training and apprenticeship experiences for lesson study, their conduct of lesson study groups and their views of teaching and learning diverge significantly. In addition, teacher developers struggled in three areas in learning to facilitate lesson study groups: formulating appropriate and productive responses to teacher questions and issues; determining to what degree to “steer” teacher groups; and determining a reasonable and ambitious standard for mathematical rigor for teachers and for students in the context of lesson study.

Significance. Although the practice of lesson study is expanding in the US, high-quality implementation requires skilled facilitation. Understanding how teacher developers learn to conduct high-quality facilitation is key to expanding this practice in ways that will ultimately benefit student learning.

Author

• Jennifer M. Lewis, Wayne State University