Focal Students as Catalysts for Equity in Mathematics Lesson Study

• In Event: Humanizing Professional Learning: Equity, Agency, and Well-being Across California Subject Matter Projects

Abstract

Objectives or Purposes
This study explores how the use of focal students in lesson study supports teachers in advancing equity in mathematics education. Specifically, the research examines how teachers’ engagement with focal students—those selected to represent learners with particular needs—can shift teacher perceptions, foster more inclusive instructional practices, and create new mathematical learning opportunities. The core objective is to investigate the ways in which lesson study teams deepen their understanding of student agency and equity by focusing on the lived experiences of individual learners.

Theoretical Framework
The concept of focal students is grounded in the work of Dudley (2012, 2013), who proposed the use of "case pupils" to highlight the experiences of learners with distinct needs. This approach has the potential to challenge deficit-based thinking and expand teachers’ understanding of student capability. The Teaching for Robust Understanding (TRU) framework informs this work, offering five dimensions of mathematically powerful classrooms—including access, agency, and identity—as a lens for reflection and planning. Student agency, defined as the capacity to act or refrain from acting (Gresalfi et al., 2009), is emphasized as a key lever for equitable learning. Lesson study teams were supported in framing their observations and instructional adjustments through these theoretical lenses.

Methods / Data Sources
The California Mathematics Project facilitated 12 lesson study cycles across the state in Spring 2021. Each team selected focal students and designed equity-based research themes to guide their inquiry. At the conclusion of each cycle, CMP leaders conducted focus group interviews with participating educators via Zoom. These interviews were transcribed and coded, with analytic attention given to all segments in which focal students were mentioned. Codes were iteratively developed and clustered into thematic categories reflecting patterns in teacher learning and shifts in pedagogical practice.

Results / Substantiated Conclusions
Analysis of the focus group transcripts revealed four key themes:
Building Relationships – Teachers reported forming more meaningful and empathetic connections with focal students.
Understanding Student Experience – Teachers developed new insights into the personal and academic experiences of students, particularly in how they navigated math learning environments.
Instructional Innovation – Teachers designed and implemented novel learning opportunities tailored to focal students’ strengths and needs.
Framing Observations – Teachers and equity commentators consistently grounded their interpretations of classroom dynamics in observations of focal students’ participation and responses.
These findings suggest that the focal student model functions as both a mirror and a magnifier—helping teachers reflect on their assumptions while amplifying marginalized voices within mathematics classrooms.

Scientific or Scholarly Significance
Persistent inequities in mathematics education demand pedagogical approaches that move beyond broad reform rhetoric and toward relational, practice-based strategies. The use of focal students in lesson study presents a promising, scalable method to support equity-oriented teacher learning. This research contributes to the field by offering an empirically grounded model for disrupting deficit narratives and promoting student agency, especially for learners historically underserved in mathematics classrooms.

Author

• Kyndall A. Brown, University of California - Los Angeles