Pedagogical and learning theories in lesson and learning studies – revisited

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 295-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulla Runesson
Keyword(s):  
Lesson Study ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Variation Theory ◽  
Learning Study ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Point Of Departure

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss two theoretical frameworks, Pirie and Kieren’s work (Pirie and Kieren, 1994) and variation theory of learning (Marton, 2015) in relation to lesson/learning study and mathematics teaching and learning. Design/methodology/approach The point of departure is the article: “Folding back and growing mathematical understanding: a longitudinal study of learning” (Martin and Towers, 2016) where it is demonstrated how Pirie and Kieren’s work (1994) and particularly the notion “folding-back” can be used as the theoretical framework in lesson/learning study. By dealing with similar arrangements and different theories, the two frameworks are contrasted. Findings It is suggested that the theory appropriated must be in resonance with the aim and focus of the study the theoretical perspective taken since it has implications for what becomes the focus of the process and subsequently the results of lesson/learning study. Originality/value This paper contributes to the discussion about how a more theory-informed lesson study and a broader theoretically framed learning study would improve and change the scope and progress of the two.

You can only see what you have chosen to see

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mun Ling Lo
Keyword(s):  
Lesson Study ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Current Issue ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Variation Theory ◽  
Learning Study ◽  
Inherent Limitation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research On Teaching

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to suggest ways that we can widen our vision since our views are limited by our theoretical lens. Design/methodology/approach – The paper first draws on articles in the current issue to illustrate how limitations imposed by our theoretical lens can be partly overcome. It then draws on the insights from two recent papers by Svensson (2016) and Lo and Chik (2016) to discuss some ways forward. Svensson’s paper argues for integrating research on teaching and learning using case-based studies and the contextual analysis approach. Lo and Chik’s paper is about how our learning can go beyond the single case through attending to fusion in the external horizon. The conceptual lens from these two papers which are from the phenomenography, variation theory and learning study tradition is applied to look at some of the papers in this issue which are from the lesson study tradition. Findings – Although there is an inherent limitation to what we can see as a consequence of the theoretical lens that we take, we can widen our vision by learning to see from others’ perspectives and gain insights that would be useful to us. Originality/value – The conceptual lenses from the phenomenography, variation theory and learning study tradition is applied to look at some of the papers which are from the lesson study tradition to reveal alternative ways of seeing.

How teachers’ practice knowledge is used and challenged in a Learning Study using Variation Theory as a tool

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 274-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Thorsten
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Variation Theory ◽  
Learning Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Field Notes ◽  
Practice Knowledge

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss how teachers’ practice knowledge is used as a tool in a Learning Study and how teachers’ practice knowledge is challenged by using Variation Theory as a tool in the process? Design/methodology/approach – The analysis is based on data from the research process in a Learning Study. The data consists of meeting notes of ten research meetings, field notes of the research meetings and from the enactment of the lessons, video recordings of the lessons and reflective notes after and between the meetings. The analysis is qualitative and the findings are described in themes. Findings – Teachers’ practice knowledge was used and challenged in different ways in the process. This is described in five themes. Teachers’ practice knowledge was visible in the process since it enabled relevant questions to be addressed and subtle signals from students to be taken into account. It also ensured that the activities used were suitable for the students. The theory provided a focus on the object of learning and a language to talk about teaching and learning. It also challenged teachers’ assumptions about teaching and learning and allowed them to be discussed. Originality/value – The paper addresses both teachers’ practice knowledge and Variation Theory in relation to a Learning Study. It focusses on how practice knowledge of teachers can be used and challenged in the same process. The perspective is from the inside, from a teacher researcher’s point of view.

scholarly journals Quality criteria for lesson and learning studies as forms of action research

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-17
Author(s):  
John Elliott
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Variation Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Action Context ◽  
Quality Learning

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to articulate criteria for assessing the quality of lesson and learning studies as forms of practice-based educational action research that are grounded in the practical experience of those engaged in such research. Design/methodology/approach The paper explores the implications of Stake and Schwandt’s distinction between quality as measured and quality as experienced for assessing lesson and learning studies in higher education contexts, where “standards templates” are increasingly used to measure “quality”. Such templates it is claimed distance research from the action context of teachers’ work. Previously published work, in which the author distils criteria for good educational action research from his own narratives of experience, is then summarised as a basis for conceptualising lesson study as good action research. This poses the issue of whether the use of learning theories to inform lesson study distorts their quality by distancing them from action. The author argues that this does not apply to lesson studies that are informed by Marton and Booth’s theory of variation. In doing so he distils a set of experience-based quality criteria for assessing learning studies, and demonstrates a high degree of congruence between the pedagogical implications of variation theory and Stenhouse’s idea of “teachers as researchers”. Findings A set of experience-based quality criteria are distilled for assessing what counts as a high-quality learning study report. Originality/value The paper creates an alternative view of the relationship between educational research and practice to that which currently dominates academic discourse.

Learning Study – the dual process of developing theory and practice

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Po Yuk Ko
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Teaching Strategies ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Dual Process ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Variation Theory ◽  
Learning Study ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – Variation Theory has been used as a source of guiding principles for pedagogical design, lesson analysis and improvement in Learning Study (LS). The purpose of this paper is to argue that the LS approach provides an important opportunity for teachers and researchers not only to improve the teaching strategies together but also refine the Variation Theory in action. Design/methodology/approach – A case study of teaching writing in Chinese at Primary 4 level of a LS project is selected using analysis of covariance to identify lessons that had significant differences in student learning outcomes. Analysis focuses on examining one of the major claims in Variation Theory which is that “contrast should precede generalization” in order to explore if this argument is able to provide a possible answer to the difference in student performance in the two classes of students of similar ability learning the same topic. Teachers’ contribution to the discussion of the application of the theory is analysed to explain the different teaching strategies chosen. Findings – The case study shows that in a LS platform, teachers’ teaching act and their interaction with theorists contributed to a dual process of developing the practice as well as the theory itself. The results of students’ learning serve as evidences for the claim that “contrast should precede generalization” as the theory suggested. Originality/value – Most of the lesson study and LS projects emphasize teachers’ learning through the participation in the process. This paper illustrates that in conducting LS approach, when there is conscious effort to direct discussion toward how to handle the content in terms of Variation Theory explicitly, the result could contribute to the development of the theory itself. Hence, the LS provides an important opportunity for teachers and researchers to refine strategies as well as theories of teaching and learning together.

Editorial review

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-9
Author(s):  
John Elliott
Keyword(s):  
Lesson Study ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Learning Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quantitative Research Methods ◽  
Quality Of Teaching ◽  
Editorial Review

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discern and discuss links and connections between the ideas and insights contained in the articles published in Issue 6.2, in a way which portrays the key features of lesson study in an international context, its conceptual relationship with the ideas of Lawrence Stenhouse, and its analytic potential to effect pedagogical transformation in a global context. Design/methodology/approach To create a basis for a fruitful discussion about the critical features of Lesson and Learning Studies as it globalises between readers and the authors of the eight texts published, three of which are authored by practicing school teachers. Findings The author pinpoints four critical implementation issues that should provide a focus for further deliberation about how to realise the potential of lesson and learning studies for improving the quality of teaching and learning in educational institutions. These are: developing methods of analysis that disrupt and challenge the cultural scripts that shape teaching and learning in educational institutions; developing conditions and support systems that enable teachers not only to develop their practice through lesson and learning study, but also to participate in the development of theories that can powerfully inform such study; creating sustainable programmes of high-quality lesson and learning studies in educational institutions when they may stand in a state of tension with the prevailing organisational culture; and exploring the potential of creative methodological mixes, using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, for improving the quality of teaching and learning through lesson and learning study. Originality/value This editorial review provides a criterial framework for evaluating the quality of programmes of lesson and learning studies in educational institutions.

scholarly journals Exploring knowledge bridging and translation in lesson study using an inter-professional team

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 180-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brahm Norwich ◽  
George Koutsouris ◽  
Taro Fujita ◽  
Thomas Ralph ◽  
Anna Adlam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lesson Study ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Seci Model ◽  
School Teaching ◽  
Working Together ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Psychological Knowledge

Purpose – It is argued that the issues of translating basic science, including knowledge from neuroscience, into relevant teaching are similar to those that have been experienced over a long period by educational psychology. This paper proposes that such a translation might be achieved through lesson study (LS), which is an increasingly used technique to stimulate teacher enquiry. To explore these issues, the purpose of this paper is to present the findings from a modified LS approach that involved psychologists and mathematics lecturers working together with school-based teachers to prepare a series of lessons on mathematics. Design/methodology/approach – The LS team review and planning meetings and subsequent interviews were recorded and analysed for common themes, with reference to patterns of knowledge bridging. Particular attention was paid to translational issues and the kind of knowledge used. Findings – Overall, there was some successful bridging between theory and practice, and evidence of translation of theoretical knowledge into relevant teaching practice. However, the analysis of the team’s interactions showed that relatively little involved a useful applied neuroscience/neuropsychology element, whereas other psychological knowledge from cognitive, developmental, educational and clinical psychology was considered more relevant to planning the LS. Originality/value – This study illustrates how reference to brain functioning has currently little specific to contribute directly to school teaching, but it can arouse increased interest in psychological processes relevant to teaching and learning. This approach reaffirms the central role of teacher-led research in the relationship between theory and practice. The findings are also discussed in relation to the SECI model of knowledge creation.

Variation theory in Austrian initial EFL teacher education: potentials and challenges

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erwin Maria Gierlinger ◽  
Harald Spann ◽  
Thomas Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Variation Theory ◽  
Learning Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning Cycles ◽  
Efl Teacher ◽  
Efl Teaching ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Efl Teacher Education

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to scrutinise the potentials and challenges of variation theory when adopting learning study in Austrian initial EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher education. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a hermeneutic and epistemological approach, projects, and publications employing variation theory in the context of EFL are critically evaluated. Findings – Variation theory and learning study turn out to have great potential for EFL teaching and learning in Austria. However, three critical issues need further conceptual and empirical research before new learning cycles can be implemented and evaluated: the object of learning, the SLA-variation theory interface, and the roles of variation theory on different educational levels. Originality/value – By identifying and discussing important critical issues within the current practice of variation-theory-oriented EFL teaching, this study could lead to further theoretical and empirical deliberations in various areas of modern language teaching. This in turn could help pave the way for both the development of theoretical underpinning and methodological refinement, ultimately fostering international co-operations in implementing learning cycles.

Developing theoretical coherence in teaching and learning: case of neuroscience-framed learning study

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuen Sze Michelle Tan ◽  
Joshua Johnstone Amiel ◽  
Kwesi Yaro
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Brain Research ◽  
Cognitive Architecture ◽  
Variation Theory ◽  
Theoretical Knowledge ◽  
Learning Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Using Data

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe two cycles of learning study (LS) involving eight elementary teachers in British Columbia, Canada. The study explored the teachers’ experiences of learning to plan and teach lessons as informed by recent brain research. Design/methodology/approach The case study was constructed using data sources including teacher semi-structured interviews (pre-study, post-study and delayed post-study), classroom materials (including student assignments), LS training materials, fieldnotes and recordings of meetings and research lessons; sources were triangulated. Thematic analysis was applied. Contemporary neuroscience perspectives framed the LS discourse and analysis. Findings The teachers developed theoretical coherence and could better articulate reasons for their pedagogy. They developed understandings of the cognitive architecture underlying functions like learning and memory, allowing them to identify pedagogical actions that are consistent with human biology and understand why these actions are effective in promoting learning. Practical implications LS is shown to be an effective professional development (PD) model where theoretical knowledge, like neuroscience, could be employed and tested in classroom settings to provide depth to support teachers’ praxis. This teaching–research nexus supports exploration of fruitful connections between theoretical knowledge and education to advance the science of learning and the science of instruction. Originality/value Findings demonstrated how LS could be employed with alternative theoretical perspectives to promote teacher PD, thus extending beyond the dominant use of variation theory. Also, illustrated is the potential use of LS to bridge the knowledge gap between neuroscience and education.

Experiencing and creating contrasts in music

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Wallerstedt
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Necessary Conditions ◽  
Variation Theory ◽  
Music Teaching ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Conditions For Learning ◽  
Intended Object ◽  
Point Of Departure

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine what are necessary conditions for learning the concept ABA form, a concept for analysing and composing music, and to discuss how the use of variation theory can contribute to the field of music education research. Design/methodology/approach – The method used is a form of lesson study, but with only one participating teacher. Three cycles are conducted with three small groups of children, aged eight to nine years old. Findings – The main findings are that the learning of ABA form requires first, awareness of the sequential form of the music, second, that the attitude to differences that appear between sequential parts of the music is consciously being re-direct from seen as “failures” to being interesting musical contrasts and third, that attention is being paid to different features within one musical aspect, that sounds (not only looks) different. It is found that a main contribution of applying variation theory to studies in the domain of music is the consideration of a part-whole relationship. When the teacher helps the children to create contrast and at the same time keeps focus on how it sounds, the children succeed in coming up with a composition in ABA form. To address the simultaneous relationship between acting and seeing, that is musical impressions and expressions, is crucial for learning. Originality/value – This study is pioneering since music teaching is studied with the point of departure in an intended object of learning.

How and what teachers learn from collaborative professional development

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Wood ◽  
Halida Jaidin ◽  
Rosmawijah Jawawi ◽  
J.S.H.Q. Perera ◽  
Sallimah Salleh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Learning ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Educational Outcome ◽  
Variation Theory ◽  
Learning Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Face ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
Dimensions Of Variation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on a study of teacher learning through participation in sustained collaborative subject-based professional development groups supported by a facilitator, using a model of teachers’ conceptions of teaching developed from phenomenography to identify what are the critical features of teaching that must be present if teachers are to learn, and using a variation theory of learning to explain how they learn. Design/methodology/approach The groups engaged in cycles of lesson study action research to improve the learning outcomes of their students. The authors intended to engage the teachers in an exploration of their own and their students’ experiences to understand the relationship between the enactment of the research lesson(s) and the educational outcome. The authors collected over 157 hours of video recorded teachers’ meetings involving 15 groups, 47 hours of follow-up interviews and 97 hours of lessons. In this paper the authors report on the progress of one of those groups. The authors analysed the transcripts to see what, if any, dimensions of variation were opened in discussion, affording the opportunity for learning. The authors sought the simultaneous juxtaposition, the bringing together, of threads that have entered the discussion that have the potential to open dimensions of variation – to add critical features to the “what” and “how” dimensions of teaching. Findings The authors identified necessary conditions for teacher learning through collaborative subject-based professional development groups. Any member of the group might bring this about. The facilitator or coach might be expected to perform this role in the group, and to sustain the group’s attention on the critical features of the object of learning. Practical implications The paper provides valuable insights into strategies to change teacher perspectives from a transmission oriented to a construction oriented view of teaching in the face of new and challenging curriculum demands. Originality/value In the work reported here the authors have used variation theory to design lesson study. This is rather different from a learning study where the teachers engaged in the study use variation theory to design their research lesson(s). It is a learning study of teachers’ professional development.

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