How Technology-Mediated Lesson Study Enhances Rural Science Teachers’ Capacity to Teach Three-Dimensional Science

• In Event: Transforming through Lesson Study: Building Collaborative Communities for Equitable and Engaging Learning

Abstract

Rural teachers often face professional isolation, which limits access to effective professional development, especially in three-dimensional science instruction. This study examines how Technology-Mediated Lesson Study (TMLS), a collaborative, video-based professional learning model, helps four rural biology teachers improve their ability to teach using three-dimensional science principles. Using an ecological framework, the research demonstrates how TMLS fosters teacher growth and capacity across personal, social, and contextual domains. Over the course of a year, teachers increased their content knowledge, adopted student-centered strategies, and grew in their pedagogical understanding. The findings suggest that TMLS effectively reduces rural isolation and supports ongoing professional development in three-dimensional science, providing a practical approach to professional development for isolated educators across various disciplines.

Authors

• Michelle Hudson, Brigham Young University

• Heather Leary, Brigham Young University

• Rebecca Sansom, Texas A&M University

• Max L. Longhurst, Utah State University

• Clara Smith, Brigham Young University

• Josh Stowers, Brigham Young University

• Austin Moore, Utah State University