Leading whole-class discussions: from participating in a lesson study to teaching practice
International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies
ISSN: 2046-8253
Article publication date: 17 November 2022
Issue publication date: 31 March 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to analyse how a teacher leads whole-class discussions during and after participating in lesson studies and to what extent that participation influences her teaching practice.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a qualitative/interpretative research with a case study design, carried out with a secondary school mathematics teacher who participated in two lesson studies. Data were collected from participant observation, audio recording of lesson study (LS) sessions and discussions with the teacher, video recording of lessons and semi-structured interviews. Frameworks regarding the teachers' actions are used in the analysis.
Findings
The results suggest that in her teaching practice, the teacher led students to explain their strategies with supporting/guiding actions, but she also challenged the students to justify their productions, ensuring that the students' ideas were clear. Additionally, the teacher explored incorrect strategies and disagreements, inviting and challenging other students to intervene or react and involved students in drawing connections, as discussed in the LS. Therefore, the teacher put into practice several actions teachers can do in leading whole-class discussions to promote students' learning. Participating in LS was an opportunity to rethink her teaching practice, as the teacher pointed out, bringing her a new perspective on leading discussions in which students play an active role in learning mathematics, creating opportunities for the students to explain and react to their colleagues' ideas.
Originality/value
This article examines an under-researched issue: the influence of LS on the way a teacher leads whole-class discussions, during and after participating in lesson studies.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This article was financed by national funds through FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology) by a grant to Paula Gomes (Reference SFRH/BD/145118/2019), by Stimulus of Scientific Employment program to Marisa Quaresma (Reference 2020.02874.CEECIND) and also by a grant to UIDEF Unidade de Investigação e Desenvolvimento em Educação e Formação (Reference UIDB/04107/2020).
Citation
Gomes, P., Quaresma, M. and da Ponte, J.P. (2023), "Leading whole-class discussions: from participating in a lesson study to teaching practice", International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 139-151. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-02-2022-0022
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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