Lesson Study: An Action Research Approach To Improving Teaching And Learning Lesson Study: An Action Research Approach To Improving Teaching And Learning Debbie Weible Oldway Primary School

Oldway Primary School Context: Large Primary School/ Year group Planning Teams Large Primary School/ Year group Planning Teams National Support School National Support School Maths attainment historically behind Literacy Maths attainment historically behind Literacy Ethos of ‘a thinking school’ Ethos of ‘a thinking school’ Action Research projects Action Research projects

The SW Collaborative Professional Development Project 6 schools – cross phase Research models for successful Professional Development

Effective CPD What is the best piece of CPD you have ever experienced?

Effective CPD Starting where we were/ relevant Extended period of time Done with, not done to Incorporating our classrooms

Collaborative Practice Japan, USA and many European countries have found collaborative practice improves teaching and learning.

Teachers’ Activities to Improve Instruction Choose curriculum, write curriculum, align curriculum, write local standards U.S. JAPAN Plan lessons individually Plan lessons collaboratively Watch and discuss each other’s classroom lessons

The Teaching Gap “If teachers learned to teach by studying books and memorizing techniques, written recommendations might have their intended effect. But everything we have learned indicates that teaching is a cultural activity, and consequently the writing and dissemination of reform documents is an unrealistic way to improve education.” “If you start with lessons, the problem of how to apply research findings in the classroom disappears.” “The focus is on the lesson, not on the teacher who taught the lesson; the lesson, after all is a group product, and all members of the group feel responsible for the outcome of their plan.”

Lesson Study Step 1: reflecting on pupils current skills identifying a lesson study theme identifying a lesson study theme - long and short term objective Step 2: PLANNING - collaborative planning - shared ownership - use of current academic research - taking risks - shared with SL (facilitator)

Lesson Study Step 3: the RESEARCH lesson planned lesson taught by one member of team and learning observed by others Step 4: reflecting on learning - what did you see? - what can be learnt about teaching this particular topic/ teaching/ learning more broadly? - SL draw out learning

Lesson Study Step 5: re-plan lesson How will planning be adapted in light of what was learnt from first research lesson Step 6: re-teach research lesson - how do changes to planning change learning? Step 7: final reflection - report on learning

Y5 Lesson Study - Oldway Y5 Lesson Study - Oldway REFLECTING ON CURRENT SKILLS: Theme – helping pupils engage with mathematical problems (worded). PLAN: 3 x Y5 teachers. RESEARCH LESSON: Observing/ recording pupils thinking etc. REFLECT: Supported by SL. Focus on pupil thinking. Reasons for difficulties, successes etc. Re-plan + re-teach + final reflection Z

Key learning - Early years – a sense of number - Visualisation - Using known tables facts and place value - Division - Subtraction/questioning Key Learning/Impact D y3 C

Key learning - not about observing teaching/ about researching learning – importance of shared ownership of planning/ teachers’ ownership of their learning - not about observing teaching/ about researching learning – importance of shared ownership of planning/ teachers’ ownership of their learning - Value of a group of teachers reflecting together on learning – breakthrough moments - Behaving mathematically v ‘doing’ maths KEY LEARNING

Lesson Study Recycling learning – new knowledge Structure to think with v algorithm Concentration on end product – implementation or innovation

Lesson Study: An Action Research Approach To Improving Teaching And Learning Lesson Study: An Action Research Approach To Improving Teaching And Learning Debbie Weible Oldway Primary School