Project REALM: High-Quality Professional Development to Support and Nurture Lesson Study

• In Event: Research on Teacher Learning Through Lesson Study

Abstract

Project REALM is designed around the characteristics of high-quality mathematics professional development described by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, to facilitate and support improvement of mathematics instruction through lesson study cycles with K-12 teachers. During REALM sessions, facilitators support teachers’ collaborative planning of research lessons by incorporating activities that develop teachers’ mindsets, pedagogy, and mathematical content knowledge. Participants solve math problems, observe effective teaching, review relevant literature from the field, and reflect on teaching and learning to inform the instructional decisions that frame their research lessons. Data collected since 2016 suggests that participants appreciate discussing multiple solution paths to solving math problems, value collaborating with peers, and increasingly recognize the significance of student voice in the classroom.

Authors

• Kaili Hardamon, Detroit Public Schools Community District

• Christopher Dennis Nazelli, Wayne State University

• S. Asli Ozgun-Koca, Wayne State University