Abstract
This qualitative study examined whether or not participation in lesson study provided educators the opportunities to improve their knowledge for teaching mathematics. Participants for the study consisted of 24 middle school mathematics teachers from seven urban schools who formed five lesson study groups. Analysis of the data consisted of both a within and across case comparison. Analysis showed that particular factors in the lesson study cycle provided greater opportunity for teachers to increase their knowledge for teaching mathematics. These factors are referred to as “windows of opportunity.” Findings showed participants in three of the five lesson study groups showed an increase in their knowledge for teaching mathematics as a result of how teachers reacted to the “opportunities.”
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Ball, D. L., Thames, M. H., & Phelps, G. (2008). Content knowledge for teaching: What makes it special? Journal of Teacher Education, 59(5), 389–407.
Dana, N. F., & Yendol-Silva, D. (2003). The reflective educator’s guide to classroom research: Learning to teach and teaching to learn through practitioner inquiry. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.
Guskey, T. R. (2000). Evaluating professional development. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.
Hill, H. C., Rowan, B., & Ball, D. L. (2005). Effects of teachers’ mathematical knowledge for teaching on student achievement. American Education Research Journal, 42(2), 371–406.
Lewis, C. (2002). Lesson study: A handbook of teacher-led instructional change. Philadelphia: Research for Better Schools.
Ma, L. (1999). Knowing and teaching elementary mathematics. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Merriam, S. B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education: Revised and expanded from case study research in education (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Mewborn, D. S. (2003). Teaching, teachers’ knowledge, and their professional development. In J. Kilpatrick, W. G. Martin, & D. Schifter (Eds.), A research companion to principles and standards for school mathematics (pp. 45–52). Reston: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics. Reston: Author.
National Research Council. (2001). Adding it up: Helping children learn mathematics. (Edited by J. Kilpartrick, J. Swafford, & B. Findell). Washington: National Academy Press.
Phillips, J. (2003, Spring). Powerful learning: Creating learning communities in urban school reform. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 18(3), 240–258.
Richards, L. (2002, March). Using N6 in qualitative research. Melbourne: QSR International Pty Ltd.
Smith, M. S. (2001). Practice-based professional development for teachers of mathematics. Reston: The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Smith, T. M., Desimone, L. M., & Ueno, K. (2005, Spring). Highly qualified to do what? The relationship between NCLB teacher quality mandates and the use of reform-oriented instruction in middle school mathematics. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 27(1), 75–109.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Meyer, R.D., Wilkerson, T.L. (2011). Lesson Study: The Impact on Teachers’ Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics. In: Hart, L., Alston, A., Murata, A. (eds) Lesson Study Research and Practice in Mathematics Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9941-9_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9941-9_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-90-481-9940-2
Online ISBN: 978-90-481-9941-9
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)