Lesson Study method: application and improvement. Teachers’ reflection

Abstract

The paper presents the results of a study in which grade 4 pupils (aged 10-11 years) were taught cooperatively and the educational process was organised on the basis of the Lesson Studymethodology. The aim of the study is to show how the application of the Lesson Studyin the educational process has led to the improvement of the methodology, to the improvement of the students' learning and to the development of the teachers' own reflection on the experience. The study was carried out between 2019 and 2021 in a primary school in Vilnius, Lithuania. The paper presents significant data showing the change in the educational process that occurred when analysing and comparing data from Cycle 1 and Cycle 3. A team of teachers and researchers worked on improving the educational process by reflecting on and analysing the data from specific activities, and we present insights that have contributed to the change. The development of the evaluation criteria for student performance, which include aspects of cooperative learning, has been a major focus of the development process, and this paper presents the evaluation criteria and their changes. We believe that these criteria are an added value of our research. The empirical part contains fragments of video analysis, students' and teachers' thoughts and comments, which demonstrate the elements of quality cooperative learning and the benefits of such activities for the mastery of educational content.