Abstract
Since 2016, Park School in Denmark has consistently used Japanese lesson study as an approach to the professional development of its mathematics teachers. The school has moved beyond the initial adaptation of lesson study, and no longer includes external support. In this article, I investigate how three groups of teachers participated in the maturing lesson-study phases, especially the reflection phase. I apply social practice theory, particularly the concepts of figured worlds and improvisation, to examine the groups’ improvisation of artefacts and actions during lesson study, and the mature, valued outcomes. This study explains how and why the mature lesson-study efforts at Park School offer predominantly superficial learning opportunities to students and teachers alike. It concludes that in countries unaccustomed to lesson study, external support (or other external knowledge sources) is also important at the mature stages of its adaptation. This study proposes three activities that offer such support.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
Therefore, I use ‘external support’, not ‘koshi’, hereafter.
Tingleff (2013) uses the terms ‘functionality of teaching’ and ‘family-like atmosphere’ in her cultural–historical analysis of Danish teachers’ group learning.
References
Bjuland, R., & Helgevold, N. (2018). Dialogic processes that enable student teachers’ learning about pupil learning in mentoring conversations in a Lesson Study field practice. Teaching and Teacher Education, 70, 246–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.11.026
Bussi, M. G. B., Bertolini, C., Ramploud, A., & Sun, X. (2017). Cultural transposition of Chinese lesson study to Italy: An exploratory study on fractions in a fourth grade classroom. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 6(4), 380–395. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-12-2016-0057
Charmaz, K. (2014). Constructing grounded theory. SAGE.
Clivaz, S., & Miyakawa, T. (2020). The effects of culture on mathematics lessons: An international comparative study of a collaboratively designed lesson. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 105(1), 53–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-020-09980-1
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2011). Research methods in education. Routledge.
Dudley, P. (2013). Teacher learning in Lesson Study: What interaction-level discourse analysis revealed about how teachers utilised imagination, tacit knowledge of teaching and fresh evidence of pupils learning, to develop practice knowledge and so enhance their pupils’ learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 34, 107–121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2013.04.006
Ebaeguin, M., & Stephens, M. (2014). Cultural challenges in adapting lesson study to a Philippines setting. Mathematics Teacher Education and Development, 16, 58–82. http://libservy.nie.edu.sg/login.php?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=98509937&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Gee, J. P. (2005). An introduction to discourse analysis. Routledge.
Gero, G. (2015). The prospects of lesson study in the US. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 4(1), 7–25. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-02-2014-0007
Groves, S., Doig, B., Vale, C., & Widjaja, W. (2016). Critical factors in the adaptation and implementation of Japanese lesson study in the Australian context. ZDM, 48(4), 501–512. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-016-0786-8
Gu, F., & Gu, L. (2016). Characterizing mathematics teaching research specialists’ mentoring in the context of Chinese lesson study. ZDM, 48(4), 441–454. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-016-0756-1
Hart, L. C., Alston, A., & Murata, A. (Eds.). (2011). Lesson study research and practices in mathematics education. Springer.
Holland, D., Lachicotte, W., Jr., Skinner, D., & Cain, C. (1998). Identity and agency in cultural worlds. Harvard University Press.
Horn, I. S., & Kane, B. D. (2015). Opportunities for professional learning in mathematics teacher workgroup conversations: Relationships to instructional expertise. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 24(3), 373–418. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2015.1034865
Huang, R., Fang, Y., & Chen, X. (2017). Chinese lesson study: A deliberate practice, a research methodology, and an improvement science. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 6(4), 270–282. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-08-2017-0037
Larssen, D., Cajkler, W., Mosvold, R., Bjuland, R., Helgevold, N., Fauskanger, J., Wood, P., Baldry, F., Jakobsen, A., Bugge, H. E., & Næsheim-bjørkvik, G. (2018). A literature review of lesson study in initial teacher education: Perspectives about learning and observation. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 7(1), 8–22. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-06-2017-0030
Lewis, J. M. (2016). Learning to lead, leading to learn: How facilitators learn to lead lesson study. ZDM, 48(4), 527–540. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-015-0753-9
Lewis, C. C., & Perry, R. (2014). Lesson study with mathematical resources: A sustainable model for locally-led teacher professional learning. Mathematics Teacher Education and Development, 16, 1–21.
Lewis, C., Perry, R., & Hurd, J. (2009). Improving mathematics instruction through lesson study: A theoretical model and North American case. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 12(4), 285–304. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-009-9102-7
Little, J. W. (2003). Inside teacher community: Representations of classroom practice. Teachers College Record, 105(6), 913–945. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9620.00273
Murata, A. (2011). Introduction: Conceptual overview of lesson study. In L. C. Hart, A. Alston, & A. Murata (Eds.), Lesson study research and practices in mathematics education (pp. 1–12). Springer.
Perry, R. R., & Lewis, C. C. (2009). What is successful adaptation of lesson study in the US? Journal of Educational Change, 10(4), 365–391. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-008-9069-7
Ponte, J. P., Quaresma, M., Mata-Pereira, J., & Baptista, M. (2018). Fitting lesson study to the Portuguese context. In M. Quaresma, C. Winsløw, S. Clivaz, A. Takahashi, J. P. da Ponte, & A. N. Shúilleabháin (Eds.), Mathematics lesson study around the World: Theoretical and methodological issues ICME—3 Monographs (pp. 87–103). Springer.
Quaresma, M., Winsløw, C., Clivaz, S., da Ponte, J. P., Shúilleabháin, A. N., & Takahashi, A. (2018). Mathematics lesson study around the world: Theoretical and methodological issues ICME-13 Monographs. Springer.
Saito, E., & Atencio, M. (2013). A conceptual discussion of lesson study from a micro-political perspective: Implications for teacher development and pupil learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 31(1), 87–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2013.01.001
Schipper, T., Goei, S. L., de Vries, S., & van Veen, K. (2017). Professional growth in adaptive teaching competence as a result of Lesson Study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 68, 289–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2017.09.015
Seino, T., & Foster, C. (2021). Analysis of the final comments provided by a knowledgeable other in lesson study. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 24(5), 507–528. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-020-09468-y
Seleznyov, S. (2018). Lesson study: An exploration of its translation beyond Japan. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 7(3), 217–229. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-04-2018-0020
Seleznyov, S. (2020). Lesson study: Exploring implementation challenges in England. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 9(2), 179–192. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-08-2019-0059
Skott, J. (2013). Understanding the role of the teacher in emerging classroom practices: Searching for patterns of participation. ZDM, 45(4), 547–559. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-013-0500-z
Skott, C. K. (2020). A social practice theoretical perspective on teacher collaboration in lesson study. In H. Borko & D. Potari (Eds.), ICMI study 25: Teachers of mathematics working and learning in collaborative groups (pp. 182–189).
Skott, C. K., & Møller, H. (2017). The individual teacher in lesson study collaboration. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 6(3), 216–232. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-10-2016-0041
Skott, C. K., & Møller, H. (2020). Adaptation of lesson study in a Danish context: Displacements of teachers’ work and power relations. Teaching and Teacher Education, 87, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.102945
Skott, C. K., Kristiansen, H., & Rønn, E. (2018). Hvordan kan matematiklæreres refleksionssamtaler om undervisningspraksis karakteriseres? MONA, 3, 61–79.
Skott, C. K., & Ding, L. (in press). A comparative study of the role of the external facilitator in lesson studies in Denmark and China. Twelfth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (CERME 12)
Stigler, J. W., & Hiebert, J. (1999). The teaching gap: Best ideas form the World’s teachers for improving education in the classroom. Free Press.
Suzuki, Y. (2012). Teachers’ professional discourse in a Japanese lesson study. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 1(3), 216–231. https://doi.org/10.1108/20468251211256429
Takahashi, A. (2011). Response to part 1: Jumping into lesson study—Inservice mathematics teacher education. In L. C. Hart, A. Alston, & A. Murata (Eds.), Lesson study research and practices in mathematics education (pp. 79–82). Springer.
Takahashi, A. (2014). The role of the knowledgeable other in lesson study: Examining the final comments of experienced lesson study practitioners. Mathematics Teacher Education and Development, 16(1), 1–17.
Tingleff, L. N. (2013). Teamsamarbejdets dynamiske stabilitet - en kulturhistorisk analyse af læreres læring i team. Aarhus Universitet og UCC.
Vrikki, M., Warwick, P., Vermunt, J. D., Mercer, N., & van Halem, N. (2017). Teacher learning in the context of lesson study: A video-based analysis of teacher discussions. Teaching and Teacher Education, 61, 211–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.10.014
Wake, G., Foster, M., & Swann, M. (2013). Bowland maths lesson study project report. https://www.bowlandmaths.org.uk/lessonstudy/report.html
Warwick, P., Vrikki, M., Vermunt, J. D., Mercer, N., & van Halem, N. (2016). Connecting observations of student and teacher learning: An examination of dialogic processes in lesson study discussions in mathematics. ZDM, 48(4), 555–569. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-015-0750-z
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Skott, C.K. Lesson study beyond its initial adaptation: a case without external support. J Math Teacher Educ 27, 163–183 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-022-09556-1
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10857-022-09556-1