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This study reports on changes made within the study, plan, teach and reflect steps of lesson study with pre-service teachers who were learning to teach within a disciplinary literacy course.

Using methods associated with formative experiments and design-based research, this study gathered data over four iterations of the disciplinary literacy course. Data included the course materials, pre-service teachers’ written work, observational notes from research lessons, transcripts of post-lesson discussions and teacher-educators’ analysis sessions and pre-service teachers’ post-program interviews. Data were analyzed within and across iterations.

Initial adjustments to the lesson study process focused on the reflect step, as we learned to better scaffold pre-service teachers sharing of observational data from research lessons. Later adjustments occurred in the study and plan steps, as we refined the design of four-day lesson sequences that better supported pre-service teachers’ attention to disciplinary literacy while providing room for their instructional mentors to provide specific team-based feedback. Adjustments to the teach step included reteaching and more explicit attention to literacy objectives.

This paper contributes to the literature by explicitly applying formative experiment and design-based research methods to the implementation of lesson study with pre-service teachers. Furthermore, it contributes examples of lesson study within a disciplinary literacy context, expanding the examples of lesson study’s applicability across content areas.

This research seeks to explore the potential of Lesson Study as a vehicle to support professional development (PD) in a rural, Irish primary school. Lesson Study was utilised to design and implement integrated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) lessons with young children (ages 4–7 years).

Three teachers were introduced to and participated in four cycles of Lesson Study over the course of one school year. Qualitative data were generated from interviews, collaborative weekly meetings and observation sheets.

Analysis suggests that Lesson Study supported the development of a culture of collaboration and provided an opportunity for teachers to share their knowledge. Findings also reveal that Lesson Study motivated teachers to reflect on their role within the classroom and enabled them to move away from teacher-led approaches. Although teachers perceived Lesson Study to be a beneficial form of PD, factors constrained their engagement, including practical, cultural and sustainability challenges.

The study explores the adaptability of Lesson Study in first level education in the context of STEM education. It reveals teachers’ first experience of Lesson Study, given its stark contrast to more “traditional” PD experiences they are accustomed to. This article will, therefore, be of interest to teachers, school leaders and policy makers.

This paper contributes initial findings to a currently under-researched area, Lesson Study in a rural context. This study also combines Lesson Study with STEM education, which has not been widely explored.

This study aims to develop a self-reflection scale useful for teachers to improve their skills and to clarify the Japanese teachers’ characteristics during mathematics lesson observation (MLO). In MLO, it is important to understand the lesson plan in advance to clarify observation points, and we aim to develop a scale including these points.

Based on the pre-questionnaire survey, nine perspectives and two situations for MLO were extracted. From these, a questionnaire for MLO was created. The results obtained from 161 teachers were examined, and exploratory factor analysis was conducted. ANOVA was conducted to analyze the effect of differences across the duration of teaching experience on the identified factors.

We developed a self-reflection scale consisting of 14 items with three factors: [B1] focus on instructional techniques and evaluation, [B2] focus on proactive problem-solving lesson development and [B3] focus on the mathematical background of the learning content. While duration of teaching experience showed no effect, three factors of the self-reflection scale for MLO showed a significant effect. Further multiple comparisons revealed the degree of focus was [B2]>[B1]>[B3].

Teachers who use this developed scale may grasp the strengths and weaknesses of their own MLO, which leads to self-improvement. The perspectives emphasized in lesson observation are the same when creating lesson plans and implementing lessons, leading to lesson improvement. Furthermore, based on the characteristics of teachers revealed, new training programs regarding MLO can lead to higher-quality lesson studies.

The aim of this study is to illuminate the perceptions of the essential factors for sustaining Learning Study of the curriculum leaders who have led Learning Study in schools over a sustained period.

This study adopted a case study research approach to explore the perspectives of the curriculum leaders regarding the sustainability of Learning Study. Data were collected through interviews, observations and document analysis. To analyse the data, thematic analysis was conducted to identify themes related to the research aim.

Four themes were deemed crucial by the curriculum leaders for sustaining Learning Study: (1) integrating Learning Study into the overall development plan of the school, with milestones recognisable by all stakeholders; (2) developing a shared understanding of and patience towards the different developmental needs of stakeholders; (3) developing a sustained programme of professional development for teachers regarding variation theory of learning, which underpins Learning Study; and (4) creating an improvement culture and a safe environment for sustaining professional development. We argue that Learning Study models should be flexible that they fit various school contexts while retaining the aim of enabling learning.

Sustaining Learning Study in schools becomes a challenge if support in the form of government funding and research involvement from tertiary institutions is withdrawn. This study is the first to voice the opinions of school curriculum leaders regarding this complex issue, who play a key role in initiating, implementing and sustaining Learning Study.

The purpose of the research was to, first, investigate if the use of maps as instructional resources will boost scholarly performance and, second, examine if gender can moderate the effect of map usage on scholarly performance.

The study was a quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test. A sample of 260 JSS II Students from 8 schools were selected through the purposive sampling technique. A Social Studies Scholarly Performance Test (SSSPT) with a reliability index of 0.79 was the instrument for data collection. The students were assigned into two groups: control and experimental. Both groups were pre-tested taught for a timeline of six weeks and thereafter post-tested.

The study reported a significant increase in the scholarly performance of students taught with maps; a significant difference occurred in the scholarly performance of both groups and gender did not moderate the effect of maps.

The social studies teachers used for the study did not have previous knowledge or map skills; this could have affected the outcome. Secondly, the treatment took place for just six weeks, and the time allotted for social studies in the school timetable was used. This may not have given the students enough time to master map interpretation.

A major implication of the study is that results will show that maps can promote the scholarly performance of students in social studies. Secondly, the fact that gender did not moderate the effect of maps suggests that maps are gender-friendly.

The results of the study, if implemented, would make social studies teachers to become inventive and resourceful in the use of maps as instructional resources for junior secondary students' scholarly performance in social studies without taking gender into consideration.

This study is a product of the researcher’s doctoral thesis; therefore, it is original and has value. The results are the product of a painstaking study carried out by the author for a period of three years on the effect of instructional resources on social studies students’ scholarly performance. Maps were one of the instructional resources studied for the award of a Ph.D. degree.

The ultimate objective of this study is to compare the impact of face-to-face and online flipped learning on students' academic achievements and their perspectives on learning and teaching, offering valuable insights to the field.

The study utilized a quasi-experimental research method that involves pre-test and post-test control groups.

The results indicated that face-to-face and online flipped learning positively impacted learning, with comparable contributions to academic achievement. However, we found that online flipped learning did not affect students' beliefs about learning and teaching, while face-to-face flipped learning positively influenced them.

As distance learning becomes increasingly important in our modern era, this research aims to explore the use of active learning methods, including discussion, writing, animation, drawing, association, analysis, knowledge measurement and games, in virtual learning environments, such as online flipped learning. The study seeks to enhance the existing literature on the impact of face-to-face and online flipped learning models on student success. Additionally, it aims to address a significant gap in the literature by determining the effect of these models on students' epistemological and pedagogical beliefs, which can impact their motivation, learning outcomes, academic achievements and decision-making processes.

Film has long been an instructional tool in social studies education; however, most research and methods for using film to teach social studies are situated at the secondary level. As such, the purpose of this study was to extend and expand what is known about using film in elementary social studies classrooms. More specifically, this qualitative content analysis study explored how and why elementary pre-service teachers (PSTs) used film clips from Molly of Denali to design critical Indigenous studies lessons. The data offer insight into the possibilities of using film as a strategy to teach anti-oppressive elementary social studies education.

The authors used qualitative content analysis in this study. Data for this study included 17 lesson planning assignments and corresponding written rationales completed by PSTs in an elementary social studies methods course. Data collected as a result of convenience sampling, given both the authors were the instructors of the methods course. To analyze the data, the authors used a multi-step coding process and a combination of inductive and deductive coding.

Grounded in a framework of anti-oppressive and anti-colonial education, PSTs designed elementary social studies lessons that used film clips from Molly of Denali to increase representation, center a counter-narrative and serve as a motivator. PSTs also infused other sources into their lesson plans, thus extending their lessons beyond the film.

Given the lack of research on how film can be used in elementary social studies classrooms, this study fills a void in the literature. Results of this study suggest that similar to the benefits of using film in secondary classrooms, film can be an engaging and motivating source of information for elementary students. Moreover, when used within a critical pedagogical framework like Sabzalian's (2019) critical orientations of Indigenous studies, film can increase representation and teach anti-oppressive counter-narratives in the elementary classroom.

This study aimed to determine the expectations of students from mathematics teachers in the planning phase of lesson study (LS) in mathematics classrooms.

This study reported only a part of large-scale action research. The participants were Grade 8 students selected by the convenience sampling method. The data were obtained through open-ended questions. The content analysis method was used to analyze the data.

Four categories emerged: connection, technology-supported teaching, use of concrete materials, practice, and teacher behavior and teaching style.

This study reveals how students in a different culture and education system, such as Türkiye, want to learn mathematics in the LS process of Japanese origin. It also gives some important clues for applying LS in a different culture.

This study may attract the attention of educational stakeholders who want to implement LS in mathematics classrooms by considering student perspectives.

Due to the nature of LS, this study may emphasize teacher–student and teacher–teacher interactions. Thus, it can draw attention to the importance of social learning environments where students take responsibility and interact.

This study emphasizes the importance of listening to student voices in LS. Some ideas about mathematics teaching in Turkey should also be given. Finally, it can provide a good basis for understanding and comparing LS practices in different cultures and understandings.

This article aims to identify and describe the research outcomes of studies that have employed the theoretical framework of lesson study (LS) in initial science teacher preparation programs. The focus is on the impact of LS on preservice teachers’ (PST) pedagogical and content knowledge, beliefs, routines and norms for professional learning and instructional practices.

A systematic approach was employed to compile pertinent literature by initially searching scholarly databases using specific keywords and phrases related to prospective science teacher preparation. Seventeen studies, encompassing both qualitative research and mixed-methods research, met the inclusion criteria and significantly contributed to the study’s findings. The authors independently conducted a coding process, applying a predefined code scheme based on Lewis et al.'s (2019) theoretical framework. The outcomes of the coding process were compared, and reliability tests were conducted to ensure the consistency of the coding.

In preservice science teacher (PSST) education, LS proves transformative, enriching pedagogical and content knowledge, shaping beliefs, fostering collaboration and influencing instructional practices. Its collaborative, reflective and iterative nature significantly contributes to the professional growth of preservice science teachers, preparing them for effective, student-centered teaching practices. Further investigation is warranted in the realm of LS, particularly concerning preservice science teachers and their beliefs.

This literature review on science PSTs is one of the pioneering efforts to employ the professional development framework crafted by Lewis et al. (2019).

Despite their pivotal role in classroom social dynamics, teachers are not always aware of, and/or do not know how to respond to, bottlenecks in these dynamics. This study investigated the effectiveness of the Social Classroom Dynamics Intervention with Lesson Study (SKILS, acronym of the Dutch program name) in supporting teachers with regards to improving their classrooms' social dynamics.

A sample of Dutch secondary school classrooms was divided into five SKILS classrooms (n = 86; 53.5% boys; M_age-T0 = 13.62 years and SD = 1.02 years) and nine control classrooms (n = 156; 50.6% boys; M_age-T0 = 13.55 years and SD = 0.89 years). Involvement in bullying and social cohesion was assessed pre- and post-intervention using student peer reports. Teachers of SKILS classrooms formed SKILS teams of five teachers (N = 25; 60% male; M_age-T0 = 42.45 years and SD = 12.81 years; teacher's experience: M_T0 = 11.35 years and SD = 8.36 years). Teachers were interviewed post-intervention.

While SKILS had little effect on classroom bullying dynamics, it had a positive effect on student social cohesion. Teachers indicated a learning effect with regard to identifying bottlenecks within classroom dynamics and felt more competent to intervene in response to bottlenecks due to SKILS.

The findings suggest that teachers can successfully impact classroom social cohesion by increasing their knowledge of classroom dynamics and working in Lesson Study (LS) teams with colleagues to develop tailored interventions for these dynamics.