Improving Core Instructional Practice in Mathematics Teaching Through Lesson Study

Item

Title

Improving Core Instructional Practice in Mathematics Teaching Through Lesson Study

Abstract/Description

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how teachers improve core instructional practices in teaching mathematics for problem solving through lesson study (LS). The core practices included launching a task, implementing a task, and orchestrating students’ solutions.

Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted multiple case study and survey methodologies. Each of three LS groups developed a research lesson on problem solving in algebra through Chinese LS, which includes collaborative planning and repeated teachings/debriefings of the research lesson with support from experts. The data collected included lesson plans, videotaped research lessons and debriefing meetings, and an end-of-project survey. Case studies supported by survey data were utilized to describe how research lessons were improved and what teachers learned from LS.

Findings
A fine-grained analysis of the data revealed that the participants improved their strategies for teaching for problem solving, which included effectively launching tasks, strategically implementing tasks, and productively orchestrating students’ solutions to the tasks. Further, analyses revealed that the feedback from experts during debriefing meetings played crucial roles in making these changes. Moreover, participants learned how to implement these core instructional practices and changed their views about students’ learning.

Originality/value
The study uncovers the mechanisms about how teachers improve teaching and their expertise in teaching through Chinese LS. The importance of the dynamic between repeated teaching and immediate feedback from knowledgeable others is highlighted.

Author/creator

Huang, Rongjin

Barlow, Angela T.

Haupt, Melanie E.

Date

2017

In publication

International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies

Volume

6

Issue

4

Pages

365-379

Resource type

en Research/Scholarly Media

Resource status/form

en Published Text

Scholarship genre

en Empirical

Keywords

Chinese lesson study

core instructional practice

deliberate practice

enactments and reflections

IRE Approach/Concept

Lesson Study

Chinese Lesson Study

Primary national context

United States

Open access/full-text available

en Yes

Peer reviewed

en Yes

ISSN

2046-8253

DOI

10.1108/IJLLS-12-2016-0055

URL

Official Publisher’s Webpage (Emerald Insight)

Full-text PDF Shared by Author (ResearchGate)

Is part of

Theory and Practice of Chinese Lesson Study and Its Adaption in Other Countries [Special Issue]

Citation

Huang, R., Barlow, A. T., & Haupt, M. E. (2017). Improving Core Instructional Practice in Mathematics Teaching Through Lesson Study. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 6(4), 365–379. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-12-2016-0055

Item sets

Open Access Resource (IRE)

Int J Lesson Learning Std 6(4)

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