Developing curriculum and pedagogical resources for teacher learning: A lesson study video case of “Division with Remainder” from Singapore

Abstract

Purpose

Teacher education and professional development have long been criticized for failing to induct and engage teachers in discourses of classroom deliberation. Lesson studies have contributed to an emerging discourse in which teachers come together to study classroom teaching to improve student learning. The purpose of this paper is to share knowledge about developing video resources to support this emerging discourse.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors showcase a digital hypermedia video case developed from research lessons on a third‐grade topic on division with remainder, conducted by teachers and researchers in a lesson study cycle in Singapore. Drawing on anchored instruction and knowledge points of the mathematics education discourse in China, the authors used embedded contexts, case‐based reasoning, critical incidents and facilitation as major design features.

Findings

A video documentary traces the research problem and how teachers learned to use the concrete‐pictorial‐abstract (CPA) model to improve teaching for student learning. Critical incidences are created to engage teachers in analyzing the research lessons by describing, interpreting and probing into the object of learning, student difficulties in learning, and how the teacher mediated the subject matter of teaching. A full range of lesson study data and related reading and web resources are provided in the video case to support training and self study.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates the promise to capitalize on the curricular and pedagogical values of the rich video archives of lesson studies to support continued inquiry of teachers. It has important implications for addressing the issues of depth of implementation and sustainability arising from rapid spread of lesson studies in countries like Singapore.

Citation

Fang, Y., Lee, C.K.E. and Yang, Y. (2012), "Developing curriculum and pedagogical resources for teacher learning: A lesson study video case of “Division with Remainder” from Singapore", International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 65-84. https://doi.org/10.1108/20468251211179713