Malawi mathematics teacher educators’ understanding of Lesson Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-59
Author(s):  
Janne Fauskanger ◽  
Arne Jakobsen ◽  
Mercy Kazima
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Lesson Plans ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to better understand the challenges involved in introducing Lesson Study (LS) into teacher education in Malawi by studying mathematics teacher educators’ (TEs’) understanding of planning for LS. Design/methodology/approach This study is a part of a wider ongoing project designed to improve the quality and capacity of mathematics teacher education in Malawi. One of its components is professional development of all mathematics TEs in Malawi using an LS model. The units being analyzed comprise of the TEs’ written lesson plans and qualitative content analysis is the chosen analytical approach. Findings Based on the analyzed research lesson plans, the TEs have difficulty in focusing on their own learning parallel to the student teachers’ (STs’) learning, and struggle with predicting STs’ responses to tasks. In addition, there is a pervasive lack of emphasis on planned and focused observation of STs’ learning, as evidenced by a review of the research lesson plans. Research limitations/implications This is a small-scale study due to LS being introduced to Malawi teacher education for the first time and the need to test before possible upscaling. Practical implications The paper includes a description of mathematics TEs’ understanding of LS in an African context, which can be a valuable information for TEs who are attempting to use LS. Originality/value This paper fulfills an identified need to learn more about TEs’ understanding of LS worldwide.

Lesson study in Dutch initial teacher education explored: its potential and pitfalls

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 351-365
Author(s):  
Tijmen M. Schipper ◽  
Sui Lin Goei ◽  
Wouter R. Van Joolingen ◽  
T. Martijn Willemse ◽  
Evelien C. Van Geffen
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Target Groups ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Planning ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper explores the potential and pitfalls of Lesson Study (LS) in Dutch initial teacher education (ITE). This context is examined through data drawn from student-teachers and teacher educators participating in LS.Design/methodology/approachThree case studies of three teacher education institutes in the Netherlands are presented, focusing on student-teachers' learning in two cases and teacher educators' learning in the third case.FindingsThe case studies show that LS in the context of Dutch ITE has high potential. All cases yield clear benefits for working collaboratively as a result of participating in a LS. Student-teachers appreciate the explicit focus in LS on how students learn and teacher educators stress how LS may strengthen their role as “teachers of teachers.” Time, planning arrangements, commitment and a LS facilitator are highlighted as essential conditions for LS application in ITE.Research limitations/implicationsThe three cases address a specific ITE context focusing on different target groups (student-teachers and teacher educators in applied and/or research universities). Consequently, results are explorative regarding Dutch ITE.Practical implicationsThe potential of LS in Dutch ITE is recognized and stressed; this study may act as a catalyst for further and wider application of LS in this context, taking into account possible pitfalls and conditions.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies exploring the potential of LS in Dutch ITE using both student-teachers' and teacher educators' perspectives.

Exploring the impact of lesson study through the views of Lao mathematics teacher educators on the needs, learning and difficulties

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-116
Author(s):  
Sommay Shingphachanh
Keyword(s):  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematical Thinking ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Current Situation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mathematical Ideas ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively explore the current situation of lesson study (LS) implementation and practice among Mathematics Teacher Educators (MTEs) in Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) across the country in Laos. Moreover, the study investigates MTEs’ professional learning through LS experience, the difficulties they encountered during practicing LS and their urgent needs to deepen their comprehension in the context of LS. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through semi-structured interview with 45 MTEs from 7 TTCs in February/March 2018 (seven weeks). The study also collected 14 LS reports, 7 LS posters from the respondents and observed one cycle of LS practice in 2 TTCs. The data were systematically analyzed using inductive category formation through the procedure of transcribing and reading the transcription, thematic coding and categorizing and interpreting the meaning of thematic ideas (Mayring, 2015; Merriam, 2009). Licensed software MAXQDA 10 was used for this qualitative study. Findings The study argued based on LS practice in LS model 1 and model 2. MTEs that followed LS model 1 practiced LS in a superficial aspect and quantitatively relied upon the results from the checklists. They majorly satisfied the immediate measurement of teacher teaching’s behavior and student learning’s behavior. Frequently, time constraints, writing LS reports and collaboration were the great challenges. In contrast, MTEs that followed LS model 2 practiced LS in order to deepen understanding of students’ mathematical thinking. Although LS helped them by adjusting appropriate learning task, they encountered difficulty to innovate it effectively. LS also helped them in offering students’ autonomy to explore mathematical ideas, but they failed to understand the values of utilizing students’ mathematical ideas. Research limitations/implications The findings from this study are beneficial for LS practice in the country and similar LS initiatives to find a measure to enhance the effectiveness of LS in schools and TTCs. The study suggested providing clear details of each step, the essential aspect and the core concept of LS to MTEs for successful transposition of LS to a non-Japanese context. Providing LS advisors who have had great experience in conducting LS not just high teaching or working experience only is highly recommended. This study has a limitation in observing LS practices from all seven TTCs. Originality/value Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) recognizes the significance of implementing LS in TTCs to enhance the quality of teaching-learning, though the progress of LS in those TTCs has not yet been addressed. Current situation of LS revealed in this study is valuable for similar initiatives, MoES and Japan International Cooperation Agency to make an effort in order to move LS forward.

scholarly journals Perturbating the assessment of individuals and groups: Listening for challenges to mathematics teacher educators

Pythagoras ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 0 (60) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Breen
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Student Teacher ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teacher Assessment ◽  
Assessment And Evaluation ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators

In this article I begin by focusing on different ways in which the term assessment can be understood and practised.  Having done this, I turn my gaze onto one particular teacher education situation and explore student teacher assessment as they are prepared for a career in teaching. In describing some of the particular ways in which I try to heighten the awareness of this particular group of student teachers regarding assessment and evaluation, I reflect on the experience and pose questions for teacher educators in general to consider about their own practice.

Pre-Service Elementary Teachers' Evaluations of Technology Tools for Mathematical Learning

2010 ◽  
pp. 258-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Elementary Teachers ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Lesson Plans ◽  
Mathematics Lesson ◽  
Mathematical Learning ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators ◽  
Technology Tools

Pre-service elementary teachers are faced with numerous technology tools which can be incorporated into their mathematics lesson plans. However, these teachers may not be experienced in evaluating technology tools for mathematical learning prior to using them. This chapter presents a reflective model for mathematics teacher educators. In a three-part activity, pre-service elementary teachers identify their criteria for evaluating technology tools, evaluate several technology tools according to their own criteria, and make recommendations for or against those technology tools. As pre-service elementary teachers reflect upon the criteria they feel are essential for evaluating technology tools, they begin to identify the specific affordances and limitations of the technology tools. This chapter describes this three-part activity by placing it within the context of a model for mathematics teacher education.

When Mathematics Teacher Educators Come Under Attack

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-74
Author(s):  
Rochelle Gutiérrez
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Mathematics Education ◽  
Mathematics Teacher ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Education ◽  
Professional Organizations ◽  
Mathematics Teacher Educators ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The One ◽  
Historical Moment

We are in an interesting historical moment in mathematics teacher education. On the one and, there is greater realization within our field of the connections between systems of power and mathematics (O'Neil, 2016). We are starting to acknowledge how mathematics education can be viewed as dehumanizing for both students and teachers as well as what might constitute rehumanizing practices (Gutiérrez, in press). Our professional organizations are calling for teachers to move beyond simplistic notions of equity to understand these power dimensions and challenge the system on behalf of (and in community with) Black,1 Indigenous,2 and Latinx3 students in particular

scholarly journals Practice-Focused Research in Initial Teacher Education

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Abbiss ◽  
Eline Vanassche
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Teacher Educator ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Theoretical Contribution

A review of the field of practice-focused research in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) reveals four broad genres of qualitative research: case studies of teacher education programs and developments; research into student teacher experience and learning; inquiry into teacher educators’ own learning, identity, and beliefs; and conceptual or theory-building research. This is an eclectic field that is defined by variation in methodologies rather than by a few clearly identifiable research approaches. What practice-focused research in ITE has in common, though, is a desire on the behalf of teacher educator researchers to understand the complexity of teacher education and contribute to shifts in practice, for the benefit of student teachers and, ultimately, for learners in schools and early childhood education. In this endeavor, teacher educator researchers are presented with a challenge to achieve a balance between goals of local relevance and making a theoretical contribution to the broader field. This is a persistent tension. Notwithstanding the capacity for practice-focused research to achieve a stronger balance and greater relevance beyond the local, key contributions of practice-focused research in ITE include: highlighting the importance of context, questioning what might be understood by “improvement” in teacher education and schooling, and pushing back against research power structures that undervalue practice-focused research. Drawing on a painting metaphor, each genre represents a collection of sketches of practice-focused research in ITE that together provide the viewer with an overview of the field. However, these genres are not mutually exclusive categories as any particular research study (or sketch) might be placed within one or more groupings; for example, inquiry into teacher educators’ own learning often also includes attention to student teachers’ experiences and case studies of teacher education initiatives inevitably draw on theory to frame the research and make sense of findings. Also, overviewing the field and identifying relevant research is not as simple as it might first appear, given challenges in identifying research undertaken by teacher educators, differences in the positioning of teacher educators within different educational systems, and privileging of American (US) views of teacher education in published research, which was counteracted in a small way in this review by explicitly including voices located outside this dominant setting. Examples of different types of qualitative research projects illustrate issues in teacher education that matter to teacher educator researchers globally and locally and how they have sought to use a variety of methodologies to understand them. The examples also show how teacher educators themselves define what is important in teacher education research, often through small-scale studies of context-specific teacher education problems and practices, and how there is value in “smaller story” research that supports understanding of both universals and particularities along with the grand narratives of teacher education.

Challenging Malawian primary teachers' views on mathematics teaching and learning through lesson study

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janne Fauskanger ◽  
Nina Helgevold ◽  
Mercy Kazima ◽  
Arne Jakobsen
Keyword(s):  
Mathematics Teaching ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Primary Teachers ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mathematics Teaching And Learning ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Ongoing Project

PurposeThe aim of the study is to better understand how lesson study (LS) contributes to challenging teachers' views of mathematics teaching and learning.Design/methodology/approachThis study is part of a wider ongoing project aiming at improving primary mathematics teaching in Malawi through professional development (PD) of teachers using a LS model. The units being analyzed are teachers' written reflections and lesson plans. The analytical approach is qualitative content analysis.FindingsInitially, the participating Malawian primary teachers report traditional views of mathematics teaching and learning. After having participated in a LS cycle, they reported on the need to work on how to involve and create space for learners' participation in mathematic lessons and highlight the importance for learners to discover mathematics on their own.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a small-scale study due to LS being quite new in the Malawian context and the need to test before possible upscaling.Practical implicationsThe paper includes a description on how LS might contribute to challenging Malawian teachers' views of mathematics teaching and learning; this can be valuable information for others who are attempting to use LS in a similar context.Originality/valueThis paper fulfills an identified need to learn more about how LS might contribute to challenging teachers' views of mathematics teaching and learning worldwide.

Second-career teachers’ workplace learning and learning at university

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Keck Frei ◽  
Mirjam Kocher ◽  
Christine Bieri Buschor
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Workplace Learning ◽  
Life Experience ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Career Change ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine career-change student teachers’ practice-based learning in teacher training, with a special focus on the support they received. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on a qualitative content analysis of 15 group interviews, including 58 career-change student teachers and focuses on their learning at university and the workplace. Findings This paper indicates that career-change student teachers’ learning is task-related and based on interactions. It benefits from the support provided by actors at the university and workplace. Their learning is highly self-regulated and built on skills from prior professional and life experience. However, behaviourist learning and trial-and-error learning strategies are more often mentioned than constructionist learning and goal-oriented learning. Practical implications The findings underline the fact that universities and schools can enhance career-change student teachers’ learning by providing professional support, helping them to form links between experience from their prior profession, as well as their knowledge acquired at the university and experience from the workplace. Originality/value Until now, few studies have addressed workplace learning in teacher education. The present study aims to address this lack. Moreover, the study shows how career-change student teachers deal with the challenge of bridging the gap between theoretical and practical knowledge acquired during practice-based teacher education.

Schooling, teachers in Jamaica and social responsibility: rethinking teacher preparation

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 816-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmel Roofe
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Standardized Testing ◽  
School Violence ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Content Type

Purpose In a context where standardized testing and achievement scores have become the hallmark of accountability frameworks, the issue of social responsibility is not given much attention in schools in Jamaica. This has led to a continuous decline of the moral and spiritual dimension of schooling in the country. This is evidenced through an increase in school violence and other disparities among students. This paper aims to explore teachers’ perception of how they are prepared for their role as agents of social responsibility. Design/methodology/approach Through interviews of 16 in-service teachers, this research sought to explore teachers’ perception of how they are prepared for their role as agents of social responsibility. Each participant in the study was interviewed using a structured interview schedule comprising six questions. Data collected were transcribed and analyzed by sorting and identifying codes. Pattern codes were established which were then interpreted to form themes. Three themes emerged which are used to present findings. Findings Findings revealed that teachers had a shared understanding of social responsibility; they felt that they were prepared for this role through ad hoc curriculum encounters, were not adequately prepared for their role and social responsibility required a belief in the idea first before it can be taught. Research limitations/implications The findings from the research are used to present arguments in the paper for emphasis on preparing student teachers to be agents of social responsibility and for a rethinking of teacher preparation curriculum in Jamaica. The paper also presents strategies that can be used to guide the re-thinking of teacher preparation programmes. Practical implications Teacher preparation programmes represent the avenue through which teachers can be prepared to develop their social consciousness, so that they can in turn help students. The results of this paper are means of helping teacher educators understand this. Originality/value This paper is one of the first since the early 1990s to discuss social responsibility as a key component of teacher preparation in Jamaica. It also fills the void of scarcity of research in Jamaica on teacher education on a whole and social responsibility in teacher education in particular.

Lesson study with didactical engineering for student teachers in Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-138
Author(s):  
Aluska Dias Ramos de Macedo ◽  
Paula Moreira Baltar Bellemain ◽  
Carl Winsløw
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strong Potential ◽  
Didactical Engineering

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to experiment with ideas from didactical engineering (DE) in student teachers’ first experience with lesson study (LS). Design/methodology/approach This is a case study. Findings LS in pre-service education can be enhanced by elements from DE. Originality/value The idea indicated in the purpose is new and holds strong potential for the use of LS in teacher education.

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