Publication Date

2020

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Henning, Mary Beth

Second Advisor

Pitney, William

Degree Name

Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)

Legacy Department

Department of Curriculum and Instruction (CI)

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine a team of elementary teachers’ reflective practice through lesson study. The study focused on how three first-grade teachers described their reflective practice during and after lesson study and how they reflected-in, -on, and -for-action during three lesson studies. The teachers each participated in four individual interviews, three stimulated recall interviews, and observations during the lesson studies when they taught research lessons and engaged in post-lesson discussions.

Data from the interviews and lesson study observations were analyzed using qualitative methods and through the lens of Schön’s theory of reflection. Ten sub-themes were collapsed to identify four major themes: 1) the power of peers during lesson study, 2) reflecting on unexpected classroom events during lesson study, 3) initiating action steps after lesson study, and 4) questions drive reflections during and after lesson study.

Five key findings emerged from the study: 1) Teachers’ reflective practice is supported through participation in a series of lesson studies that include the critical components of Japanese lesson study. 2) Peers serve as models of reflective practitioners in lesson study. 3) Teachers’ reflective practice is facilitated by questions that are both the same and different than those asked in lesson study debriefs. 4) Teachers reflect-in and -for-action when they observe surprises in the

midst of instruction during the research lessons. 5) Teachers reflect-on and -for-action when they study the effects of planned instructional strategies and adjustments made in the midst of instruction. Limitations include the size of the case, possible response bias, the make-up of the population, the dynamic of the group of participants, and the skillset of the facilitator and knowledgeable other. Recommendations for the field and for future research are also presented.

Extent

193 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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