Lesson study and application experience of lesson study to build capacity for students of literature education

125 LESSON STUDY AND APPLICATION EXPERIENCE OF LESSON STUDY TO BUILD CAPACITY FOR STUDENTS OF LITERATURE EDUCATION Dr. Tran Hoai Phuong1 Abstract: Lesson study is a model of teacher’s career development that has been used extensively in Japan for more than a century, and is now being introduced and applied in many countries around the world. It is an opportunity to create a community where teachers make plans, share resources as well as research and improve teaching activities for specific lessons at school that help improve the quality of teaching and learning. This paper indicates a brief overview of lesson study and the experiences in applying lesson study to develop the capacity for students of Literature Education in Hanoi National University of Education. Thereby confirms this model should be strengthened in the curriculum in order to improve the students’ practical experiences. Keywords: lesson study, develop teaching competence 1. Overview of Lesson study The term “Lesson study” refers to the process of continuous research and improvement of the lesson until the state of perfection is achieved (Lewis et al., 2006). This is considered an effective professional development method for teachers and has long history since the Meiji period in the latter half 19th Century (Watanabe, 2002). Since Stigler and Hiebert published The Teaching Gap: Best idea from the world’s teachers for improving education in the classroom in The Third International Mathematics and Science Study in 1999, lesson study has been widely known throughout the world and 1 Hanoi National University of Education Email: phuongth@hnue.edu.vn Tel: 0947.694.698 PROCEEDINGS OF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE EDUCATION FOR ALL KỶ YẾU HỘI THẢO QUỐC TẾ: GIÁO DỤC CHO MỌI NGƯỜI 126 applied in many countries. According to Lewis, Perry and Hurd (2004), in 2004 at least 250 schools in 29 states of the United States were involved in a Lesson study project. Because the majority of research resources is from the United States, the influence of this method has become even stronger. In Asia, both Singapore and Indonesia follow the Lesson study model (Cheng & Lo, 2012). Lesson study is a teaching improvement process for teachers - a type of action research and professional development activity in which teachers of a department, faculty, or school collaborate with one another to effectively develop lessons that are suitable to the curriculum and school conditions (Fernandez, 2002; Lewis, 2002). In lesson study, teachers do not work individually but will participate in an active and collaborative environment where they exchange and share information and expertise to innovate their teaching and assessment methods. As a result, lessons are better developed and at the same time, the teachers’ professional capacity is enhanced. A lesson study typically takes place over several months to a year, covering all activities including planning, teaching delivery, reflection, and improvement (Stigler & Hiebert, 1999). Carlgren (2012) emphasized that lesson study is a model of professional development rather than a research method. Although “lesson study” is central to the model, the purpose of lesson study is not restricted to purely improved knowledge, but also enhanced professional capacity for teachers. Thus, the focus of lesson study is to change teacher’s perceptions: a lesson should be assessed on the basis of student’s learning, and reluctance to sharing due to capacity gap among teachers should be overcome. The lesson study cycle consists of several steps. According to Stigler and Hiebert, the cycle consists of eight steps: (1) Defining and researching a problem (2) Planning the lesson (3) Teaching and observing the lesson (4) Evaluating the lesson and reflecting on its effect (5) Revising the lesson (6) Teaching and observing the revised lesson (7) Evaluating and reflecting a second time (8) Sharing the results Meanwhile, Lewis refined the cycle in four steps: (1) Formulate goals for the study lesson (2) Plan the selected lesson (3) Deliver teaching and discuss the study lesson (4) Reflect, re-teach or revise the study lesson In Vietnam, lesson study was initially piloted in Bac Giang and further implemented in other provinces. So far, lesson study has been conducted in professional development sessions in primary and secondary schools and generated positive results. 2. Experience in applying lesson study in the Literature Teaching Methodology module Development of expertise and skills to sharpen professional skills plays an important role in teacher training. The more and sooner students are exposed to professional environment, the higher the quality of student outcomes are. Students will be less confused and awkward when seeking employment. As the curriculum for Literature teacher training program sets the expected outcome as graduates possess basic, comprehensive and systematic knowledge of Literature and education science to be able to teach Literature in high schools, colleges, and universities, to conduct research in specialized institutions, and to pursue post-graduate education in specialized majors; have pedagogical skills and be able to apply general teaching methods and teaching methods in Literature; be able to meet requirements on innovation of teaching-learning content and methodology, and learning outcome assessment for Literature in high school; possess self-study skills to improve their capacity to meet the increasingly higher demand of the profession and the society (Faculty of Philology, Hanoi National University of Education, 2012), the design of the Teaching Methodology module has become more important. In the current curricula, from the second year until graduation, students of Literature are exposed to a variety of subjects, including: Theory of Literature teaching methods; Practice teaching of Literature in General school; Development of literacy skills for General students; Development of teaching capacity for Literature; Learning outcome assessment, etc. The subjects are highly practical when focusing on building student capacity. In particular, we focused on the subject Practice Teaching of Literature in General school, and analyzed favorable conditions and challenges to integrate lesson study in the classroom. 2.1. The subject Practice Teaching of Literature at Secondary and High Schools was integrated in the curriculum when the Hanoi National University of Education stipulated that the module Practice Teaching in Teacher Training 127LESSON STUDY AND APPLICATION EXPERIENCE LESSON STUDY TO BUILD CAPACITY FOR STUDENTS... PROCEEDINGS OF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE EDUCATION FOR ALL KỶ YẾU HỘI THẢO QUỐC TẾ: GIÁO DỤC CHO MỌI NGƯỜI 128 Institutions with the duration of 3 credits to become compulsory for all students of education and training major. The 3-credit subject uses Practice teaching in the Teacher Training School (Pham Thi Thu Huong, ed., 2017) composed of 6 modules as the core material, and covers the following topics: Practice Use of Teaching Aids in teaching Literature in General School; Practice planning of Literature lesson; and Practice teaching of Literature. The modules’ content is closely linked with various materials on Literature teaching methodology. This is the preparatory step for students to be directly involved in the basic activities of the profession, particularly lesson planning and teaching in class. With that in mind, it is imperative that students collaborate with their peers to fulfill the assignments, as well as develop and sharpen their skills. Organization of a Lesson study includes the following steps: Step 1. Group division, lesson selection, and preparation for practice Group division plays an important role as it helps students to better interact, easily exchange ideas, and discuss to reach a common view with their peers on lesson planning. Depending on the number of students in the class, the instructor assigns groups of 5-7 students with different learning, research and teaching capacities. Upon agreeing on the group work rules, students review the module curriculum and select suitable lessons. Step 2. Planning of expected deliverables Depending on the module being Practice planning of Literature or Practice teaching of Literature, expected deliverables will be either a lesson plan or live lesson. Normally, students can use the lesson plan designed in the former module for live lesson in the latter module. 129 While designing the lesson plan, students discuss in group the focused questions on goal setting and teaching ideas: - What is the role of the lesson in the Literature curriculum in general school? - What are the knowledge, skills, attitudes and competencies expected to be developed for students? - What kind of lesson is this: reading comprehension, Vietnamese or writing? Is the lesson about a new knowledge or a review? - How to introduce this lesson to attract students? Should the approach be direct or indirect? Should presentation or open question where an issue is raised be used? - What is the structure of the lesson? With that structure, how many teaching and learning activities should be designed? In each activity, what teaching means should be used to achieve high efficiency? - In which content should students integrate other knowledge? Which knowledge from the students can be utilized? - Anticipations of words and actions of teachers and students in class? Advantages and difficulties that teachers and students may encounter during the lesson, especially when an issue is raised, open questions, in-class communication, etc. - How should the lesson be concluded to resonate and create a deep impression on the students? - How to effectively assess student learning outcomes? During discussions to arrive at common answers for the questions, students navigate key points and start working on the deliverables. Before the live lesson, the student groups have to complete a lesson plan that include goals, preparation, teaching method, teaching-learning activities, and practice exercises. One student will conduct the live lesson following a developed script, while others provide support on learning materials and play the role of learners, etc. to simulate a real lesson in the classroom. Step 3. Presentation of lesson plan/the first live lesson Presentation of lesson plan/live lesson helps expand the scope of learning from within the group to class activities. Students share the results of their group work with a larger group of peers and receive feedback to improve their initial deliverable. The presentation must include: - Reasons for lesson selection, expected results and teaching ideas when designing activities; LESSON STUDY AND APPLICATION EXPERIENCE LESSON STUDY TO BUILD CAPACITY FOR STUDENTS... PROCEEDINGS OF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE EDUCATION FOR ALL KỶ YẾU HỘI THẢO QUỐC TẾ: GIÁO DỤC CHO MỌI NGƯỜI 130 - Underlying meaning of the used teaching methods and techniques, as well as anticipation of learners’ attitude, excitement, and motivation; - Expected method to assess learning outcome. The larger group of student plays two roles: learners and observers. The learners interact with the teacher to perform learning assignments. Observers focus on behaviors, attitudes, emotions and the level of cooperation between teachers and learners to make comments about the learners’ excitement, position, proactiveness, and motivation in the class. Through the activity, the observers learn the learners’ reaction to the teacher’s teaching method, which helps improve the reflection and self-reflection skills: Are the expressions of learners showing that they are interested in this activity? Are learners enthusiastic to interact with the teacher? Are learners actively connected to one another in this group activity?, etc. The focus of observation - reflection activity is on the learners. Step 4. Feedback for improvement Feedback for improvement step aims at helping the practice group and the whole class to exchange opinion, reflect on the live lesson, and draw experience for themselves. Feedback always takes place from three sides and on several issues. The three sides include: the practice group, the learners, and the observers. The practice group reflects on what has been accomplished in the original plan, and challenges to assign the learning tasks to learners. The learners share their assessment of the lesson, their level of interest in the activities, and the outcomes. The observers comment on the interaction between the teacher and the learners and suggest solutions to issues arising in the classroom. Topics of discussion include: Are the content and teaching methods suitable to achieve the expected outcomes? Is the content suitable for learners’ capacity and inspirational to learners? Do questions, exercises, and situations stimulate the demand for learning and thinking ability of learners? What do learners achieve after this lesson? How were the tasks assigned and what is the meaning of each task? Based on the feedback, the practice group revise and improve their lesson plan. Step 5. Presentation of the revised lesson plan/the second live lesson The student group present the revised lesson plan/the second live lesson that integrates comments and suggestions as well as self-reflection, and present the pros and cons of the revised plan/live lesson. The instructor and other students discuss and compare the difference between the two lesson plans/live lessons and draw out lessons learnt. 131 Step 6. Key takeaways Once the deliverables have met basic requirements, the instructor and students draw out key takeaways in terms of knowledge, skills, and teaching competencies necessary for in-class teaching, which focus on the expected outcomes to be achieve with the instructions of the teacher. However, if the deliverables are not qualified, the class can return to Step 4 and conduct the teaching and reflection again. 2.2. According to Bakhtin’s dialogic theory, the teaching process is not merely a vertical interaction between teachers and students but also a horizontal interaction between students and students. Lesson study allows teachers to evaluate their teaching activities in both dimensions, and the weight is always on the learners regardless of the dimensions. The incorporation of lesson study in the Literature Teaching Methodology module allows students to directly experience activities of their future profession. The current duration of 3 credits and limited class size of under 25 students allows students to practice their profession efficiently. The material Practice Teaching of Literature in General school with elaborated modules also contributes to providing orientation for learning activities, and helping student to faster approach techniques for lesson plan. Lesson study here are not as of high quality as in the professional development sessions, but have strongly reflected the reality. However, there are some challenges in applying lesson study in practice class. The learners are played by the students, which makes it difficult to reflect the motivation, needs, awareness, and understanding of the lesson completely as the reality. In the third semester at the university, students will practice teaching in general schools to gain more professional experience. However, the number of practice lessons is very limited. The small number of students of the same faculty in one school and limited practice teaching time do not allow trial and errors for students to study the lessons in-depth. That lessens the effective application of lesson study in the Teaching Methodology module. 3. Evaluation and conclusion Lesson study is a relatively simple concept. A teacher who wants to improve his/ her skills can collaborate with other teachers for lesson plan, observation, and reflection (Lewis, 2002). Equipping such collaborative skills for undergraduates of teacher training schools prepares students for such win-win collaboration. Based on the expected outcome for student of Literature Education, the subject Practice teaching of Literature at Secondary and High Schools in general and the topics under the module Literature Teaching Methodology aims at getting students exposed to practical experience, and providing students with opportunities to practice their professional skills in the most LESSON STUDY AND APPLICATION EXPERIENCE LESSON STUDY TO BUILD CAPACITY FOR STUDENTS... PROCEEDINGS OF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE EDUCATION FOR ALL KỶ YẾU HỘI THẢO QUỐC TẾ: GIÁO DỤC CHO MỌI NGƯỜI 132 dynamic manner. Despite some objective difficulties, what has been done is a guarantee that students are well-equipped before they practice teaching and start working. Learning outcomes assessed by written test and video of live lesson on a unit of knowledge that was analyzed several times in the classroom show that students of Literature Education proactively take ownership in lesson planning and flexibly utilizing modern methods and techniques. Experience in integrating lesson study in professional development sessions in general schools and in the module Literature Teaching Methodology in Hanoi National University of Education shows that if exposed to this model, students will be well- equipped to develop collaborative, creative and professional competencies. At the same time, the deeper connection between schools and teacher training institutions contributes to narrowing the gap between theory and practice for students. References 1 Carlgren, I. (2012). The learning study as an approach for clinical‘ subject matter didactic research. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 1(2) 2 Cheng E., Lo L. (2012). The approach of learning study: its origin and implications. OECD.org 3 Fernandez, C. (2002). Learning from Japanese approaches to professional development: The case of lesson study. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(5) 4 Khoa Ngữ văn, Trường ĐHSP Hà Nội (2012). Chuẩn đầu ra cho sinh viên tốt nghiệp ngành Sư phạm Ngữ văn (Code: D140217) 5 Lewis, C. (2002). Does Lesson Study have a future in the United States? Nagoya Journal of Education and Human Development, 1 6 Lewis, C., Perry, R., & Hurd, J. (2004). A deeper look at lesson study. Educational Leadership, 61(5) 7 Lewis, C., Perry, R., & Murata, A. (2006). How should research contribute to instructional improvement? The case of lesson study. Educational Researcher, 35(3) 8 Pham Thi Thu Huong, ed. (2017). Practice Teaching of Literature in General school. University of Education Publishing 9 Stigler, J., & Hiebert, J. (1999) The teaching gap: Best ideas from the world’s teachers for improving education in the classroom. NY: The Free Press. 10 Watanabe, T. (2002). Learning from Japanese lesson study. Educational Leadership, 59(6) 133 NGHIÊN CỨU BÀI HỌC VÀ KINH NGHIỆM VẬN DỤNG NGHIÊN CỨU BÀI HỌC ĐỂ PHÁT TRIỂN NĂNG LỰC CHO SINH VIÊN NGÀNH SƯ PHẠM NGỮ VĂN TS. Trần Hoài Phương1 Tóm tắt: Nghiên cứu bài học là mô hình phát triển nghề nghiệp giáo viên được sử dụng rộng rãi ở Nhật Bản hơn một thế kỉ qua và hiện đã được giới thiệu, vận dụng ở nhiều quốc gia trên thế giới. Đó là cơ hội để tạo ra một cộng đồng nơi các giáo viên cùng lập kế hoạch, chia sẻ tài nguyên và nghiên cứu cải tiến hoạt động dạy học đối với bài học cụ thể ở nhà trường, giúp nâng cao chất lượng giảng dạy và học tập. Bài báo trình bày khái lược về nghiên cứu bài học và kinh nghiệm vận dụng nghiên cứu bài học để phát triển năng lực sư phạm cho sinh viên ngành sư phạm Ngữ văn, Trường ĐHSP Hà Nội. Qua đó khẳng định cần tăng cường nội dung này trong chương trình đào tạo để tăng cơ hội trải nghiệm thực tiễn của sinh viên. Từ khóa: nghiên cứu bài học; phát triển năng lực dạy học 1 Đại học Sư phạm Hà Nội; Email: phuongth@hnue.edu.vn; ĐT: 0947.694.698.