"But Are They Still Learning?" Lesson Study as a Tool for Responsive Instruction

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: Lesson Study SIG: Classroom Insights Poster Session

Abstract

This case study considers the extent to which Lesson study supported teachers’ understanding of responsive instruction. Three teachers at a rural high school with a high Native American population participated in a five-week Lesson Study cycle, along with two researcher-facilitators. Data included meeting transcriptions, field notes, and emails. Results indicate that teachers’ awareness of students’ comfort and communication led to considerations of structures for responsiveness, such as grouping and scaffolding. Affordances of Lesson Study that seemed to support teacher learning were the observable data they collected and open discussions that ensued. How teachers positioned themselves, their views about culture, and past teaching experiences seemed to inhibit teachers’ developing understanding. Overall, Lesson Study supported collaboration that reflected the school’s unique characteristics.

Authors

• Vicki S. Collet, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville

• Angelia Greiner, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville