Lesson study on two continents: contextual differences reflected in teachers’ pedagogy, affect and processes
International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies
ISSN: 2046-8253
Article publication date: 27 September 2022
Issue publication date: 3 November 2022
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to better understand how lesson study (LS) impacts the pedagogy and attitudes of teachers in varied sociocultural contexts. The authors investigated responses of teachers in Kenya and the USA who were new to LS.
Design/methodology/approach
Teacher interviews after LS were qualitatively and inductively analyzed with Teacher Education and Development Study: Learning to Teach Mathematics as a conceptual/analytical framework.
Findings
Results varied between Kenyan and US teachers. Kenyan teachers reported increases in content and pedagogical content knowledge. They suggested participating in LS was an enjoyable, productive struggle and emphasized the value of planning for lessons and the role of the outside expert. US teachers described consideration of students' needs, abilities, and learning strategies. They described LS as a positive experience, even though making time for the process was challenging. Procedurally, US teachers valued research and collaboration. Although both the process and responses differed, US and Kenyan teachers' reflections highlight affordances of LS.
Research limitations/implications
This study is a small-scale, comparative case study. Future research could ask similar research questions in other contexts and with greater numbers of participants.
Practical implications
Views of teaching and learning and typical structures for teachers' professional learning vary by context; these factors should be considered when planning and implementing LS.
Originality/value
The study responds to an identified need to learn more about how LS contributes to teachers’ different views of teaching and learning, which are embedded in various sociocultural settings.
Keywords
Citation
Collet, V.S. and Nakawa, N. (2022), "Lesson study on two continents: contextual differences reflected in teachers’ pedagogy, affect and processes", International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, Vol. 11 No. 4, pp. 260-274. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-03-2022-0043
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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