Whose Learning in ITE Lesson Study? Gaining the Most from Lesson Study in Relation to Learning

Abstract

This chapter discusses the focus of learning in lesson study research in initial teacher education. Whose learning should be considered in lesson study cycles? The learning of the student-teachers, the learning of the pupils or both? Relevance theory implies that meaningful interaction develops as a consequence of the heuristic interplay between the communicative and the cognitive principles of relevance, that is, the dynamics of any given interaction create meaning as the interactional process unfolds and relevance is maximised. The participants in the interaction at hand will thus create the best solution in any given set of circumstances. They will subconsciously strive towards the most relevant outcome of their interaction, which equals maximisation of relevance irrespective of the quality of the outcome. This approach will be used to discuss the role of the student-teachers and the pupils in learning processes and lesson study cycles. The student-teachers influence the interactional process from the point of view of the communicative principle of relevance, and the pupils influence the interactional process from the point of view of the cognitive principle of relevance. These dynamics will also have a bearing on the unfolding of the lesson study cycle, and consequently imply that lesson study research should take into account the learning of both the student-teachers and the pupils from the point of view of collaborative learning and reflective practices.

Citation

Bugge, H.E. (2019), "Whose Learning in ITE Lesson Study? Gaining the Most from Lesson Study in Relation to Learning", Wood, P., Larssen, D.L.S., Helgevold, N. and Cajkler, W. (Ed.) Lesson Study in Initial Teacher Education: Principles and Practices, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 47-60. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78756-797-920191004