Lesson study as a vehicle for improving achievement in mathematics (LESSAM).

The international research project aims to investigate the impact of the model of Lesson Study on teacher learning and, consequently, on student learning outcomes across four participating countries. Lesson Study (LS) is a teacher professional development model that originated in Japan in the 1870s, but has recently been adapted worldwide. The basic model involves teams of teachers within a school investigating collaboratively the effectiveness of teaching practices for their students. The core model involves: a) plan lessons during planning meetings, b) teach/observe those lessons; c) reflect on lessons during reflection meetings. Variations of the model include the presence of a LS facilitator during teachers' planning and reflection meetings, guiding teachers as they construct new knowledge. Despite the promising nature of LS, more evidence is needed in order to establish how teacher learning occurs during LS meetings. Even less evidence exists on the impact of this learning on teaching practices and, as a result, on students' academic achievement. Using a quasi-experimental research design, we examine the impact of a series of Lesson Study interventions in mathematics classrooms (grade 7-9) in four participating countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Cyprus an Greece). on both student and teacher level. The objectives of the project are (1) to examine the effects of teachers' participation in Lesson Study on their own learning and on students' mathematical reasoning; (2) to examine the potential impact of the role of an LS Advisor and LS Facilitators on dialogues and teacher learning; and (3) to examine the relationship between teacher intentions and teaching practices.

Keywords:EDUCATION

Disciplines:Mathematics and numeracy curriculum and pedagogics, Methodology of pedagogical and educational research, General pedagogical and educational sciences not elsewhere classified