Inquiring into Teaching: Lesson Study in Elementary Science Methods

Abstract

This article describes an innovative approach to developing preservice elementary science teachers’ classroom confidence and skills. Based on lesson study approaches, preservice candidates designed and taught integrated science–mathematics lessons during the semester before their student teaching. Working in teams, candidates designed and taught a common lesson in 3 different classrooms, critiquing and refining their lesson between each teaching activity. Data collected from observations of classroom teaching events, team reports, and individual reflections were analyzed qualitatively. Results indicate that, over the 3 teaching events, there were dramatic improvements in lesson design and delivery, the management of the learning environment, the quality of students’ engagements with meaningful content, and the quality of assessments and generation of student data.

Appendix

Assessment Rubric for Lesson Study Reflection (35 points)

Component	Low (1 point)	Acceptable (6 points)	Target (7 points)	Exceptional (8 points)
Reflections on lesson design	None or poorly presented.	Reflections clearly describe the major ideas considered by the team in designing the lesson, including purposes, strategies, and student learning expectations.	In addition, modifications made are clearly described, including accommodations for different classrooms, observations from earlier teaching events, and the different curricular contexts of the lessons.	In addition, reflections generalize at least two guiding principles for designing any similar lesson for future classrooms.
Reflections on lesson delivery	None or poorly presented.	The delivery of the three lessons is clearly described, including classroom management concerns, reactions to student questions or answers, and how closely the lessons followed their intended design.	In addition, discussions include information about how design changes (including managing materials, teacher-led discussions, data collection and analysis, and student engagement) impacted (positively and negatively) the delivery of the following lesson.	In addition, you discuss how possible differences in teaching style of the three team-members might have influenced lesson delivery and effectiveness.
Reflections on evidence of student learning	None or poorly presented.	Evidence of student learning across the three lessons is clearly presented and discussed, specifically supporting whether or not the team felt the lesson was a success.	In addition, evidence of changes in student learning taken from across the three lessons is discussed, specifically supporting whether or not the team felt their students’ learning was more on target as the study progressed.	In addition, evidence of student learning is considered to support or refute the claim that integrated or thematic units enable students to perform better.
Group reflections on the process of the lesson study	None or poorly presented.	Group reflections of the lesson study process identify what went well, was problematic, and did not work at all.	In addition, an analysis of the progress of the three lessons over the course of the lesson study is included, describing ways the lesson was changed and how the changes impacted the lesson’s success.	In addition, group considerations identify and discuss ways the lesson study helped or hindered their efforts to design and teach an integrated science–mathematics lesson.
Individual reflections on process and outcomes	No reflections are provided or are very poorly presented.	Individual reflections are provided that describe important personal learning outcomes you can draw on from this experience.	In addition, your individual reflections consider what you learned about working across varied teaching styles, classroom routines, and personal approaches to teaching from other members of your team.	In addition, you consider strategies for addressing the differences described in the target criteria in your future collaborative work with other teachers.