Hybrid lesson study: extending lesson study on-line

Abstract

Purpose

Lesson study in the USA provides a space for teachers to discuss classroom teaching with a goal of improving student learning. In general, US teachers’ professional lives are constrained by a lack of time for planning and observation. Within a lesson study context, we designed and utilized a web site to support and extend collaboration among teachers of mathematics at 26 school sites across two school districts. The purpose of this paper is to describe the lesson study context and share results of the investigation and affordances of the web site.

Design/methodology/approach

Through the use of a survey, discourse analysis, and grounded theory, we examined how teachers used the web site and how best to foster regular and inclusive participation.

Findings

The results reveal the web site spans time and distance. A significant percentage of the teachers used the web site for accessing resources, while a smaller fraction of teachers used the web site to discuss pedagogy and students’ mathematical thinking.

Originality/value

The work expands the descriptive knowledge base of lesson study efforts in the US with the hybrid lesson study model that addresses the time constraints of US teachers. Also, the work addresses the challenge of geographical distance associated with facilitating communication among teachers from multiple sites.

Citation

D. Nickerson, S., Fredenberg, M. and Kinsella Druken, B. (2014), "Hybrid lesson study: extending lesson study on-line", International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, Vol. 3 No. 2, pp. 152-169. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJLLS-06-2013-0037