Beyond labels: what are the salient features of lesson study and learning study?

ABSTRACT

Lesson Study and Learning Study are popular teacher professional development models across the world. Drawing on an extensive review of research and literature, this paper aims to identify the features of the two models to contrast and establish their similarities and differences particularly with regard to their application in practice. The paper focuses on their impact on teaching and learning as well as the rationale behind the process of Lesson Study and Learning Study. Four major distinctions between the two models are revealed: ways of identifying a topic for teaching, views and methods for understanding student learning, the focus of teacher collaboration on lesson design and implementation, and the overall instructional design. The paper concludes that the two models appeal to different practitioners depending on their aims and objectives in teaching and learning as well as their broader perspectives on education. In addition, this paper suggests that the two models could complement each other to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning in different contexts.     

A coding tool for examining the substance of teacher professional learning and change with example cases from middle school science lesson study

Although lesson study is increasingly adopted in the United States (U.S.), the impact of lesson study on teacher learning is uncertain. This study presents a theoretically grounded set of codes to systematically document the various aspects of teacher learning and change (knowledge and beliefs, professional learning community, resources) in lesson study across contexts. To present examples of the codes in use, a subset of codes related to change in teacher knowledge and beliefs were applied to analyze teachers' professional discourse in three middle school science lesson study teams.     

The role of lesson analysis in pre-service teacher education: an empirical investigation of teacher learning from a virtual video-based field experience

A video-based program on lesson analysis for pre-service mathematics teachers was implemented for two consecutive years as part of a teacher education program at the University of Lazio, Italy. Two questions were addressed: What can preservice teachers learn from the analysis of videotaped lessons? How can preservice teachers’ analysis ability, and its improvement, be measured? Two groups of preservice teachers (approximately 140 in total) participated in the program. A three-step lesson analysis framework was applied to three lesson videos: (1) goal(s) and parts of the lesson; (2) student learning; and, (3) teaching alternatives. Preservice teachers’ ability to analyze lessons was measured through an open-ended pre- and post-assessment. In the assessment, preservice teachers were asked to mark and comment on events (in a lesson not included in the program) that they found interesting for: teachers’ actions/decisions; students’ behavior/learning; and, mathematical content. A coding system was developed based on five criteria: elaboration, mathematics content, student learning, critical approach, and alternative strategies. In both studies, the ability to analyze instruction improved significantly on all five criteria. These data suggest promising directions for the development of both an instrument to measure lesson analysis abilities and a model for teacher learning.     

Constructivism-informed variation theory lesson designs in enriching and elevating science learning: Case studies of seamless learning design

The constructivist paradigm opens abundant opportunities for effective knowledge construction in which student build knowledge and continually evaluated and improved their knowledge. The teaching mode under constructivist pedagogy redefines the role of students and the teachers and their interrelationships by creating a nurturing environment. By adapting constructivist framework, this article demonstrates how the variation of learning practices was critical in facilitating Primary 4 students in Singapore to carry out seamless science learning. The variation of learning practices enables the students to explore a particular scientific concept through various learning experience across the contexts. The study adapted the framework of the Objects of Constructivist Learning Model for the improvement of the seamless science learning design. When redesigning the lesson, a conscious effort was made by the teacher to create relevant patterns of variation, that is, varying certain critical aspect(s) while keeping other aspects of the object of learning invariant in order to help students discern those critical aspects. The findings contribute knowledge to how the Theory of Variation can be used in analyzing seamless learning as well as designing for constructivist learning experiences. The findings have also demonstrated that the complementary practice of constructivist pedagogy with variation theory as a viable and effective approach in seamless science learning, at which it deepened students' understanding through constructing the critical aspects of a phenomenon. Engagement with primary school students in experiencing the variations allowed the translation of theory into practice.     

青田县中小学教师心理问题的调查与分析

利用ScL-90对青田县部分中小学教师进行心理测试,结果表明:青田县中小学教师中存在一定程度的心理问题,其中人际关系敏感、焦虑和抑郁尤为突出.根据调查情况可知,影响教师心理健康的主要因素是过强的工作压力、过高的社会期望、两难的评价标准及尴尬的价值体现.由此提出改善待遇、优化管理、关注成长三个策略,从而有效地促进教师的心理健康.     

Improving the pedagogy of Islamic religious education through an application of critical religious education,variation theory and the learning study model

This study presents a new theoretical and pedagogical framework based on the theories of Critical Religious Education (CRE), Variation Theory (VT) and the Learning Study model with the purpose of improving teaching and learning in Islamic Religious Education (IRE). It reports a Learning Study conducted in a secondary girls Muslim school in London on the topic of ‘Islam and being Muslim’. The aim of this research study is to examine if and how the proposed framework can be applied to IRE lessons, and how it affects the students’ learning. Thirty students of two seventh grade classes and their religious education teacher participated in the study. The data was collected through interviews and written tasks with the students before and after their participation in the study, video-recordings of the research lessons, and meetings with the teacher. Phenomenography and VT were utilised in the analysis of the data. The results suggest that the use of CRE, VT and Learning Study in teaching Islam contributes to students’ learning outcomes by means of helping teacher consider students’ diverse perspectives on religious phenomena when planning and implementing the curricular content, increasing students’ awareness of the ontological and epistemological dimensions of their faith as well as allowing them to make informed judgments about religious phenomena.     

The centrality of Aboriginal cultural workshops and experiential learning in a pre-service teacher education course: a regional Victorian University case study

This paper discusses a cross-cultural pedagogical approach, couched in a theory–practice nexus, used at a Victorian regional university to guide non-Indigenous pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and cultures. We have drawn on qualitative and statistical data, and current issues in Australian and international literature, to explore the relevance and success suggested by data from this cross-cultural pedagogical approach, in particular the notion of teacher ethnicity in racialised spaces. In doing so, we have addressed recent sentiments about a lack of quantitative and qualitative research that explores inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content and discussions of ways in which tertiary educators construct and influence teachings about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. It is anticipated that this paper will generate further dialogue and research-based evidence on ways in which other tertiary education providers may draw on cross-cultural theories to guide inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content and perspectives in PST education courses.     

The symbiotic roles of action research,lesson study and learning study seen in a social–emotional intervention for males with behavioural needs

ABSTRACT

To help a group of nine adolescent boys with behavioural needs improve their social-emotional skills, the researcher designed and conducted a longitudinal intervention at a public secondary school in British Columbia. In order to complete this task, the researcher drew on the various strengths of action research, lesson study and learning study. Together their distinct attributes acted as an organizational framework and were seen to provide an effective and robust approach to school-based research. The action research component of the study ensured that the intervention had a deep understanding of the problems facing male students with behavioural needs, that stakeholders’ voices were considered in the research and that the personal role of the researcher was acknowledged. Learning study established positive masculinity as the intervention’s primary object of learning; and it helped influence the content and approach of individual sessions. Finally, lesson study’s fluid and collaborative approach to assessment allowed for ongoing guidance and a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the study’s results. Although there are similarities between action research, learning and lesson studies, the research discussed in this article demonstrates the efficacy and benefit in allowing their distinctive strengths to be used in conjunction for a longitudinal intervention.     

The object of learning in action research and learning study

ABSTRACT

The Learning study and the Educational Action Research approaches to educational research are compared, not from a third, neutral point of view, but from the perspective of the former. Hence, the comparison is carried out in terms of how the main point of departure of the Learning study (LS), the question of ‘What is to be learned?’, is addressed in the two approaches. Both represent critical stances to Educational objectives, the frequently taken-for-granted answer to the question. Educational objectives communicate, however, what the students are expected to become able to do, but not what they need to learn in order to get there. Hence, what is to be learned cannot be stated in advance, prior to the teacher learning what her students need to learn. The two approaches to educational research agree on the principle that what is to be learned has to be found in the interaction between students and teachers; however, there is an important difference between the two concerning the very point of departure. Educational objectives are too wide and imprecise according to LS, the teachers have to find the critical aspects (necessary to appropriate, but not appropriated as yet by the students) of the object of learning. According to Action research, as formulated by Lawrence Stenhouse, educational objectives are too narrow, too limited and limiting. We shall start looking for what is to be learned amongst inherent aspects of the content itself.     

有效教学的涵构及其策略

有效的教学不仅是顺利实现教学目标的根本途径,还是提升人才质量的重要保障。本文通过对有效教学理论的分析,结合中职学校当前外语教学现状和有效教学方法设计与实施,探索了中职学校外语课有效教学的涵构及其策略,为提高中职外语有效性教学和就业面试效果提供参考。     

试析中小学教师不良心理状态

中小学教师在教育教学工作中表现出的不良心理状态有：在课堂上的紧张、焦虑与无助感,在个别辅导学生时的无奈、倦怠与烦躁感,在学校应试管理模式下的巨大压力感,在超负荷工作状态下的孱弱身心,因付出与回报的强烈反差导致的委屈感等。要改善中小学教师的心理状态,必须提高其经济、社会地位,真正让教师职业成为令人羡慕的职业。     

项目化教学方法在高职数学建模教学中实践与探索

本文概述了项目化教学方法,详细介绍了其实施过程,并通过具体的结果展示了将项目化教学方法应用于高职数学建模教学的意义。     

中小学教师发展性评价模型初探

教师评价是教育教学活动的重要组成部分,也是长期困扰教育管理的一个难题。现阶段教师评价已由奖惩性评价转向发展性评价,但对发展性教师评价模型研究仍较少。以发展性教师评价理念为指导思想,构建适合中小学发展性教师评价的指标体系,并运用模糊数学及综合评价方法建立的中小学发展性教师模糊综合评价模型,对中小学教师评价工作的开展具有操作性参考意义。     

Expectations and challenges: the implementation of mobile devices in a Scottish primary school

This article provides a case study of the implementation of iPod Touches on a one-to-one basis in a Scottish primary school. It focuses on teachers’ expectations for the project and the realisation (or otherwise) of these expectations. Findings suggest that the iPods offered opportunities for resource provision, interactive learning and extension activities. Technical challenges impacted on what could be achieved and some expectations, including sharing of resources and pupil work, and use for assessment, were not fully realised. Teachers also reported that some expected issues were quickly overcome. The development of teacher confidence with the devices remained a challenge after 12 months and they continued to seek meaningful ways to implement devices in the classroom. This case study contributes to our understanding of the pedagogical impact of mobile devices in schools and highlights the ways in which they can quickly become a valued part of the classroom environment. It suggests that implementation may not necessarily be a linear process of moving from assimilation to accommodation, as suggested by Lebrun, but that both phases may take place concurrently.     

中职化学教学中探究式教法的探索和分析

在中职化学课堂中倡导探究式的教学方式,让学生经历科学探究的一般步骤,掌握科学探究的一般方法,可以促进学生自主学习、勤于思考、勇于探索、善于实践,有利于中职生学习能力、实践能力和创新能力的培养。为了达到预期的效果,教师除了要在教学实践中大胆践行探究式的教学方式外,在实施过程中还要讲究一定的方法和策略。     

Developing a culture of collaboration and learning among natural science teachers as a continuous professional development approach in a province in South Africa

This article discusses the views of natural science teachers on their culture of collaboration and learning as a continuous professional development approach. It included the support received from their school leadership. The data were collected in a large province in South Africa by means of interviews and a questionnaire. Findings indicate contradictory results between interviews and questionnaires. The interviews reveal that many of the teachers did not collaborate with their colleagues while in the questionnaires they claim that they did. Also evident is that though some teachers do collaborate, the culture of learning is not formalised and not frequent. Further, there were shortfalls regarding the support provided by the school leadership. Thus, the author argues that collaboration has the potential to provide teachers with opportunities for professional growth within a school environment, thereby ultimately increasing their confidence in their teaching abilities.     

黔东南中小学体育教师校本课程开发能力研究

采用文献资料法和实地调查法对黔东南中小学体育教师校本课程开发能力进行研究,提出了体育教师校本课程开发应具备的技能和能力,对照教师应具备的技能和能力发现黔东南中小学体育教师在校本课程开发能力方面存在的不足,针对性地提出解决问题的策略与途径.     

Consensus-based course design and implementation of constructive alignment theory in a power system analysis course

This article presents the implementation of the constructive alignment theory (CAT) in a power system analysis course through a consensus-based course design process. The consensus-based design process involves both the instructor and graduate-level students and it aims to develop the CAT framework in a holistic manner with the goal of including different perceptions. The considerations required to implement this approach are described in detail. To examine the effect of this approach, three different course evaluations were conducted by querying the students during different stages of the course. These evaluations show that most of the students find a benefit for their learning in the implementation of CAT within the new course design. These observations are supported by a comparison of the students’ performance in the new course and the previous one. Finally, the revised two-factor study process questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) is utilised to identify the students’ learning approach towards the course. The aim is to correlate the students’ approach with their final grade to assess if students adopting a deep learning approach are rewarded with higher marks and vice versa, that is, to check if the CAT implementation was successful. Meanwhile, some of the R-SPQ-2F limitations, which affect the quality of the results, are identified and discussed. Additionally, to facilitate the practical usage of R-SPQ-2F, an algorithm was developed by the authors to rank the students’ approach towards the course. The results of the new ranking algorithm demonstrate positive correlation with the students’ final grade, which is an indication of the effective CAT implementation.     

Theory and practice in a science education course for elementary teachers

In this action research work, I analyze the theory–practice integration in teacher preparation within the context of a science and technology (S&T) education teaching methodology course aimed at future elementary teachers. The course was designed, developed and evaluated taking into account this relationship as one of its axes. The results reveal that the proposal favors progress in theory–practice integration and stimulates the students’ reflection and research. By means of a written report and an oral presentation, the students communicated their reflections on S&T teaching in the context of their concomitant professional practice. They also collected and presented resources and activities they found useful for teaching, practiced the use of certain educational S&T kits, and looked for and shared S&T pieces of news from different mass media. They additionally conducted a school learning project simulation and reflected on it. Besides, they prepared three written essays about theoretical–practical assigned readings and discussed them. In this paper, I refer to achievements and difficulties that emerged during the process, relating them to other research findings in the area and to theoretical considerations. Finally, I make proposals for further efforts in this field.     

Quantifying the long-term impact of zoological education: a study of learning in a zoo and an aquarium

Abstract

There is increasing evidence that zoos and aquariums do, as intended, educate their visitors. However, even though most zoos offer a wide array of educational experiences, few studies have considered if the duration of an educational experience affects learning or whether learning lasts beyond the immediate visit. The current study used matched-pairs surveys to investigate children’s knowledge, attitude and knowledge of positive behavior during both a five-day zoo camp and six months after an aquarium visit. The participants of the study included children aged 9–12?years some of whom had participated in a purposefully designed educational intervention. First, the impact of a five-day zoo camp experience on children’s learning was investigated. Second, learning retention was investigated six months after a school tour at an aquarium. Results showed that during the camp learning was positively affected by participation in the educational intervention and by previous zoo experience. Girls were more likely than boys to have an increase in learning six months after an aquarium visit. The study demonstrates that learning persists, but that education can be enhanced with longer programs. Thus, zoos can play an increasingly important role in igniting pro-environmental behavior.