effect of integrating lesson study approach in the preparation of
TRANSCRIPT
EFFECT OF INTEGRATING LESSON STUDY
APPROACH IN THE PREPARATION OF
PRESERVICE CHEMISTRY TEACHERS
MARYAM HJ SULAIMAN
UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA
2013
EFFECT OF INTEGRATING LESSON STUDY APPROACH IN THE
PREPARATION OF PRESERVICE CHEMISTRY TEACHERS
by
MARYAM HJ SULAIMAN
THESIS SUBMITTED IN FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES
UNIVERSITI SAINS MALAYSIA
DECEMBER 2013
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am thankful to Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, for His grace and
blessings that I could finally complete this thesis.
My journey towards my PhD was filled with fond memories, some enjoyable and
some unpleasant. I was lucky to find myself surrounded with people who love to learn
and gain knowledge. My supervisor, Professor Zurida Hj Ismail provided me with most
invaluable support. She strengthened me with her beliefs, she provided me space, and
she pushed me with her high expectations, with her determination, finally she made me
develop into what I am today. I could find no words to express my indebtedness to her.
Thank you Professor Zurida.
To my cosupervisor, Associate Professor Balakrishnan Muniandy, you are so full
of commitment, and your high discipline has always inspired me to work hard and
become well-organized. I owe my success to you too. Sir, please accept my sincere
thanks.
Many others have assisted me through my rough times in my journey; too many
to mention them all. However, these people have been so wonderful to me that I cannot
go without mentioning them here: Dr. Nooraida Yaacob, Associate Professor Dr.
Nordin Abdul Razak, Professor Lim Chap Sam, Associate Professor Dr. Kamarul
Kabilan, Associate Professor Dr Hairul Nizam Ismail, and Associate Professor Dr. Hazri
Jamil. I was also lucky to have obtained invaluable help through my international
linkages. Dr. Silvija Markic provided the measurement instrument, Dr. Abdul Aziz
Azrilah advised me on the Rasch model, Dr. Sumar Hendayana and his colleagues gave
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me early training with the Lesson Study workshops. And, last but not least, Prof. Gilbert
Onwu guided me in many ways during my research. These wonderful intellectuals made
me feel so small in this field of knowledge.
On the softer side of things, I also cannot forget these special colleagues of mine;
Salha, Yusni, Suzihana, Nurrihan, Mashita, both Rosli, Bridgette, Linda, Thean, Sheva,
Marriappen, Thila, Kannama, et al. Salmila and Kak Amna, I will always remember you
for your inputs in our discussion about qualitative research.
Finally, I cannot simply discount the contribution of my family members in this
endeavour. To all in my family, please accept this success of mine as a sweet gift from
me for your patience in dealing with my idiosyncrasies while I was struggling with my
study. To my late parents, thank you for being so loving and caring. To my husband
Othman Mohd Nor, thank you for your never-ending support and motivation. To my
lovely ten children; Aazhimah, Aazeez, Aarifah, Aadibah, Muhd Kamil, Muhd Akmal,
Afiah, Aazizul Zaim, Aazfariah and Aazizul Zainal, thank you for being my inspiration
and for being so understanding. To my “nenek,” you have been a wonderful matron,
thank you for your excellent housekeeping and for taking care of the children while I
was away.
Finally, to my stakeholder, MARA without your support none of this success
would be achieved. Thank you for providing the financial assistance. Finally, to those
who have a chance to read this humble thesis, I welcome you to give your comments.
Surely, your comments would enhance the importance of this small contribution to
knowledge.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS iv
LIST OF TABLES x
LIST OF FIGURES xii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS xv
ABSTRAK xvi
ABSTRACT xviii
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
1.0 Overview 1
1.1 Background of the study 2
1.2 Problem Statement 9
1.3 Rationale of the study 10
1.4 Purpose and Objective of the Study. 11
1.5 Research Questions 13
1.6 Research Hypothesis 15
1.7 Significance of the study 16
1.8 Limitation and Delimitation of the study 17
1.9 Operational definitions 18
1.10 Conclusion 20
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CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW
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2.0 Overview 21
2.1 What is Lesson Study? 22
2.1.1 Lesson Study from North American Cases 24
2.1.2 Lesson Study within Asia Pacific 27
2.1.3 Fernandez‟s (2010) Microteaching Using Lesson Study (MLS) 31
2.1.4 Integrated Lesson Study for the Chemistry Preservice Teachers 33
2.2 Learning to Teach 37
2.3 Mental Models in Teaching and Learning Science 40
2.4 Beliefs of Preservice Teacher about Teaching and Learning Science 44
2.5 Science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs of Preservice Teachers 48
2.6 Methodological Issues 57
2.7 Theoretical Framework 63
2.8 Conceptual Framework 68
2.9 Conclusion 72
CHAPTER 3 - METHODOLOGY
3.0 Overview 73
3.1 Research Design 73
3.2 Research Participants 80
3.3 Experimental Design: One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design 81
3.4 Research Instruments 82
3.4.1 Draw-A-Science-Teacher-Test Checklist (DASTT-C) 83
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3.4.2 Science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs Instrument (STEBI) 87
3.4.3 Lesson Study Performance Assessment Form (LSPAF) 89
3.5 Assumption and Problem within the Design 91
3.6 Threats to Validity of Research 92
3.6.1 Internal Validity Threats 91
3.6.2 External Validity Threats 95
3.6.3 Threats to Statistical Conclusion Validity 95
3.6.4 Threats to Construct Validity 96
3.7 Summary of Data Collection for Experimental Design Study 96
3.8 Case Study Research Design 97
3.8.1 Organizing the Case Study Protocol 97
3.8.2 Integration of Lesson Study in the Methods Course 102
3.8.3 Qualitative Content Analysis. 112
3.9 Summary 114
CHAPTER 4 - DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS
4.0 Introduction 117
4.1 Descriptions of the Participants 119
4.2 Beliefs about Teaching and Learning Science 120
4.2.1 Evaluation Pattern and Interrater Agreement 120
4.2.2 Illustrative Example within the Sample 123
4.2.3 Evaluation of Illustrative Example for Different Beliefs in
Science Teaching and Learning 126
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4.2.4 Evaluation of Beliefs in Three Categories for
All Participants 129
4.2.4.1 Beliefs about Classroom Organization 131
4.2.4.2 Beliefs about Teaching Objectives 135
4.2.4.3 Epistemological Beliefs 137
4.2.5 Combination Codes to Represent the Overall Beliefs
Categories 143
4.3 Science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs (STEB) 151
4.3.1 Normality of the Data 151
4.3.2 Descriptive Statistics 152
4.3.2.1 Paired-Sample t-test 153
4.3.2.2 Personal Science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs (PSTEB) 156
4.3.2.3 Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy Beliefs (STOE) 167
4.4 Assessing the Teaching Performance of Preservice Teachers during
Teaching Phase 177
4.5 Lesson Study Learning Experience as Apprenticeship in Learning
to Teach Chemistry 188
4.5.1 Participants 189
4.5.2 Implementation of Integrated Lesson Study Group Task Assignment
within 14 Weeks of a Chemistry Teaching-method 193
4.5.3 Chronology of Integrated Lesson Study Learning Experience Through
Consecutives Planning, Teaching and Evaluation of Each
Participant 195
4.5.3.1 Defining Problems or Learning Outcomes 195
4.5.3.2 Narration of Participant Experience in their Planning and
Teaching 196
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CHAPTER 5 - DISCUSSIONS SUMMARY, IMPLICATIONS,
RECOMMENDATIONS, AND CONCLUSION
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5.0 Introduction 266
5.1 Discussions 270
5.1.1 Beliefs about Teaching and Learning Science 270
5.1.2 Science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs (STEB) 277
5.1.3 Lesson Study and the New Mental Model in Teaching and
Learning Chemistry 283
5.1.4 The Reflections about Findings of Quantitative Study 289
5.1.5 Assessing the Teaching Performance of Preservice
Teacher 290
5.1.6 Lesson Study Learning Experience as Apprenticeship in
Learning to Teach Chemistry 292
5.1.6.1 Beliefs about Content Knowledge and Pedagogical
Content Knowledge (PCK) 292
5.1.6.2 Skills Necessary for Producing Effective Chemistry
Teaching 297
5.1.6.3 Questioning Skills 299
5.1.6.4 Beliefs about Practices of Good Teaching 301
5.1.6.5 Beliefs about Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy 306
5.1.7 Effects of Integrating Lesson Study in the preparation of preservice
chemistry teachers 308
5.2 Implications of the Study 310
5.3 Suggestions for Further Research 312
5.4 Conclusion 314
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REFERENCES 315
APPENDICES 328
APPENDIX A THE DASTT-C INSTRUMENT 329
APPENDIX A1 THE DASTT-C INSTRUMENT PRETEST SAMPLE 333
APPENDIX A2 THE DASTT-C INSTRUMENT POSTTEST SAMPLE 337
APPENDIX A3 THE DASTT-C INSTRUMENT PRETEST DATA 341
APPENDIX A4 THE DASTT-C INSTRUMENT POSTTEST DATA 342
APPENDIX B SCIENCE TEACHING EFFICACY BELIEF
INSTRUMENT (STEBI) 343
APPENDIX B1 THE HISTOGRAM AND NORMAL Q-Q PLOTS FOR
PRETEST MEAN VALUES (STEBI) 345
APPENDIX B2 THE HISTOGRAM AND NORMAL Q-Q PLOTS FOR
POSTTEST MEAN VALUES (STEBI) 346
APPENDIX C LESSON STUDY PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT FORM 347
APPENDIX D REFLECTIVE JOURNAL (ONE EXAMPLE) 349
CURRICULUM VITAE 357
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS 358
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LIST OF TABLES
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Table 2.1 The Summary of Different Versions of the Lesson Study Model
Showing Characteristics and Limitations 34
Table 2.2 Teaching Methods Based on Principles of Cognitive Apprenticeship 64
Table 3.1 Research Design Framework 78
Table 3.2 Description of Categories 85
Table 3.3 Evaluation Pattern for DASTT-C 86
Table 3.4 Time Line of Data Collection for Experimental Design Study 96
Table 3.5 Time Line Table Shows Researcher Task and Preservice
Teachers‟ Task within 14 Weeks Course of Chemistry Teaching
Method 100
Table 3.6 Research Questions, Data Source, and Analysis Instrument 102
Table 4.1 Selected Characteristics of the Participants in the Study 119
Table 4.2 Measurement For The Index Of Interrater Reliability For The
Two Raters On The Coding Of Evaluation Patterns In The Study 121
Table 4.3 Overview of the Frequencies for the Pre-Lesson Study and
Post-Lesson Study 129
Table 4.4 Overview of Code Combination Frequency for the Three
Categories Coding for All Preservice Science Teachers During
the Pre-Lesson Study (Pretest) and the Post-Lesson
Study (Posttest) 145
Table 4.5 Mean Values for PSTEB, STOE and STEB at Pre-Lesson Study
(Pretest) and Post-Lesson Study (Posttest) 154
Table 4.6 Values of Standard Deviation (SD) and p-value for Paired Sample
t-test of PSTEB, STOE and STEB (N = 42) at Pre-Lesson
Study (Pretest) and Post-Lesson Study (Posttest) 155
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Table 4.7 The Distributions of Mean and Standard Deviation for Each Item
Score in PSTEB During Pre-Lesson Study (Pretest) and
Post-Lesson Study (Posttest) for All Preservice Teachers 157
Table 4.8 Range Distributions for categories of improvement as Low,
Moderate or High in PSTEB Posttest according to Pretest Mean
(M) and its standard deviation (SD) after treatment with
Integrated Lesson Study for all PSTEB items 158
Table 4.9 Growth Percentage for PSTEB Items Ranked from the Highest to
the Lowest at Pre-Lesson Study (Pretest) and Post-Lesson
Study (Posttest) 159
Table 4.10 Descriptive View of Task Accomplished According to PSTEB Item
and the Percentage Growth (%) of PSTEB in Ascending Order 164
Table 4.11 Distributions of Mean (M) and Standard Deviation (SD) for
All STOE Items During Pre-Lesson Study (Pretest) and
Post-Lesson Study (Posttest) for All Participants 168
Table 4.12 Range Distributions for categories of improvement as Low,
Moderate or High in STOE Posttest according to Pretest Mean
(M) and its standard deviation (SD) after treatment with
Integrated Lesson Study for all STOE items 169
Table 4.13 Percentage Growth for STOE Mean of Each Item Ranked From the
Highest to the Lowest at Pre-Lesson Study and Post-Lesson Study 170
Table 4.14 Descriptive View of Task Accomplished According to STOE
Item and the Percentage Growth (%) of STOE in Ascending Order 174
Table 4.15 The Evaluation of Teacher Performance Using LSPAF for
8 Integrated Lesson Study Groups of Preservice Teachers 177
Table 4.16 The Analysis of Integrated Lesson Study Group Teaching
Performance of Teaching Chemistry. Summary of 8 Groups
Measured 179
Table 4.17 The Analysis of Integrated Lesson Study Group Teaching
Performance of Teaching Chemistry. Summary of 33 Items
Measured 180
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Table 4.18 The Item Measure Table 183
Table 4.19 Item Category Distractor Measure Order 185
Table 4.20 Person Measure Table (Lesson Study Group = 8 group) 186
Table 4.21 Overview of the Participants Conceptions and Beliefs Before
and After Lesson Study Learning Experience (N=5) 192
Table 4.22 The Lesson Study Cycle, Time Line, Activities , Duration
and Participation 194
Table 4.23 Overview of the Lesson Plans Learning Objective, Learning
Outcomes and Instructional Tool 196
LIST OF FIGURE
Page
Figure 2.1 A typical Lesson Study cycle 23
Figure 2.2 How Lesson Study results in instructional improvement:
Two conjectures 25
Figure 2.3 Version of Lesson Study used in New South Wales and Malaysia 28
Figure 2.4 Version of Lesson Study model used with preservice
mathematics teachers. 29
Figure 2.5 The version of Fernandez‟s Microteaching Lesson Study 32
Figure 2.6 Learning to teach in community 39
Figure 2.7 Self-efficacy Theory Bandura summarized 49
Figure 2.8 The rationale of choosing mixed-methods research design 59
Figure 2.9 Embedded experimental model or concurrent nested
mixed-methods design 61
Figure 2.10 Conceptual framework of mental models of teaching and
learning in the study 70
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Figure 2.11 Conceptual framework of how Lesson Study provide preservice
teachers to acquire knowledge in shaping their mental model 71
Figure 3.1 The graphical representation of the Research Design Framework 78
Figure 3.2 One-group Pretest-Posttest design with causal variable across time 82
Figure 3.3 Overall time line for the study 100
Figure 3.4 Integrated Lesson Study Frameworks and Situated Learning
Theory 114
Figure 3.5 The implementation of study and design 115
Figure 3.6 Vee diagram to summarize the methodology of the study 116
Figure 4.1 Example of the preservice teacher‟s drawing 124
Figure 4.2 Example of a chemistry preservice teacher‟s drawing 125
Figure 4.3 Example of the preservice teacher‟s drawing at pre-Lesson Study
(Pretest) and post-Lesson Study (Posttest) 127
Figure 4.4 Example of the preservice teacher‟s drawing at pre-Lesson Study
(Pretest) and post-Lesson Study (Posttest) 128
Figure 4.5 Visualizations of the codes for Beliefs about Classroom
Organisations for all preservice teachers at pre-Lesson Study
and post-Lesson Study 131
Figure 4.6 Visualizations of the codes for Beliefs about Teaching Objectives
all preservice teachers at pre-Lesson Study and post-Lesson Study 135
Figure 4.7 Visualizations of the codes for Epistemological for all preservice
teachers at pre-Lesson Study and post-Lesson Study 138
Figure 4.8 Visualizations of the codes for all preservice teachers
comparatively at pre-Lesson Study and post-Lesson Study 143
Figure 4.9 Joint representations of the data from the three dimensions within
one 3D-diagram for all the preservice teacher at pre-Lesson
Study 146
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Figure 4.10 Joint representations of the data from the three dimensions
within one 3D-diagram for all the preservice science teachers
at post-Lesson Study 148
Figure 4.11 Distribution of mean for all PSTEB items during
pre-Lesson Study (Pretest) and post-Lesson Study (Posttest)
for all participants 161
Figure 4.12 Distribution of growth percentage for PSTEB item ranging
from highest to lowest at the x-axis after treatment with
Integrated Lesson Study 163
Figure 4.13 Distribution of mean for all STOE items during pre-Lesson
Study (Pretest) and post-Lesson Study (Posttest) for
all participants 172
Figure 4.14 Distribution of growth percentage for all STOE items ranging
from highest to lowest at the x-axis after treatment with
Integrated Lesson Study 173
Figure 4.15 Item map Lesson Study of teachers‟ performance 181
Figure 4.16 Person map (8 groups of Lesson Study Group) 187
Figure 4.17 Development of instructional skills strategies during the
first step of the lesson plan for the three consecutive cycles. 265
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
BPG Bahagian Pendidikan Guru
DASTT-C Draw-A-Science-Teacher-Test Checklist
GT Grounded Theory (GT)
KBSM Kurikulum Baru Sekolah Menengah (New Curriculum for Secondary
Schools)
LSPAF Learning Study Performance Assessment Form
PCK Pedagogical Content Knowledge
PSTEB Personal Science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs
SEM Structural Equation Modelling
SPSS Statistical Package for Social Sciences
STEBI Science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs Instrument
STEB Science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs
STOE Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy
USM Universiti Sains Malaysia
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KESAN MENGINTEGRASI PENDEKATAN LESSON STUDY DALAM
PERSEDIAAN GURU KIMIA PRAPERKHIDMATAN
ABSTRAK
Tujuan utama kajian ini adalah untuk mengkaji keberkesanan model Cognitive
Apprenticeship melalui pendekatan Lesson Study untuk menyedia guru praperkhidmatan
memperoleh pengetahuan dan kompetensi dalam pengajaran Kimia. Penyelidikan ini
telah dijalankan menggunakan rekabentuk mixed-methods dinamakan model
„Concurrent Embedded Experiment‟, yang menggabungkan kutipan data secara
kuantitatif dan kualitatif. Sampel terdiri daripada 43 orang guru sains praperkhidmatan.
Instrumen yang digunakan dalam kajian kualitatif adalah Draw-A-Science-Teacher-Test
Checklist (DASTT-C) dan dalam kajian kuantitatif ialah Science Teaching-Efficacy
Beliefs Instrument (STEBI). Hasil dapatan kajian kualitatif menunjukkan terdapat
perbezaan dalam Kepercayaan Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains guru
praperkhidmatan. Kepercayaan mereka adalah setara dengan teori pengajaran dan
pembelajaran terkini. Kajian kuantitatif pula menggunakan analisis ujian-t berpasangan
bagi membandingkan min PSTEB, STOE dan STEB, sebelum (ujian pra) dan selepas
(ujian pasca) Lesson Study. Hasil dapatan menunjukkan bahawa terdapat perbezaan
yang signifikan dalam skor min untuk PSTEB (t = 2.754; p .05), STOE (t = 2.947;p .05)
dan STEB(t=3.533;p.05). Kaedah penyelidikan menggunakan kajian kes turut
dijalankan bagi memahami hasil keberkesanan proses perlaksanaan Lesson Study.
Kesemua 43 orang responden telah dibahagikan kepada lapan kumpulan dengan
bilangan ahli terdiri antara 5 hingga 6 orang berdasarkan subjek jurusan mereka.
Instrumen yang digunakan dalam kajian kuantitatif adalah Lesson Study Performance
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Assessment Form (LSPAF), suatu borang rubrik penilaian bagi menilai prestasi guru
dalam kemahiran pengajaran mereka semasa pemerhatian pengajaran mikro yang
dijalankan dalam tiga kitaran. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa semua kumpulan
yang terlibat telah mencapai prestasi pengajaran yang dijangkakan. Kajian kes telah
membincangkan secara menyeluruh dapatan kajian kualitatif. Analisis isi kandungan
jurnal individu bagi satu kumpulan responden yang terdiri daripada 5 peserta guru
praperkhidmatan dalam jurusan pendidikan kimia turut dijalankan. Hasil dapatan telah
menemukan lima tema, iaitu kepercayaan terhadap pengetahuan isi kandungan dan
pengetahuan isi kandungan pedagogi (PCK), kemahiran yang diperlukan bagi
menghasilkan pengajaran kimia yang berkesan, kemahiran menyoal, kepercayaan
terhadap amalan pengajaran yang baik, dan kepercayaan terhadap jangkaan hasil
pengajaran sains. Hasil dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa guru praperkhidmatan ini
telah membentuk mental model yang baru dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran kimia
setelah memperluas pengetahuan mereka dalam isi kandungan subjek. Namun begitu,
tiga kitaran Lesson Study masih belum mencukupi bagi memupuk kepercayaan mereka
dalam menjalankan pelajaran inkuiri dalam kalangan guru praperkhidmatan.
Berdasarkan dapatan ini, adalah disyorkan supaya program pendidikan guru turut
mengintegrasikan isi kandungan mata pelajaran dalam kursus metodologi bagi
meningkatkan pengetahuan isi kandungan pedagogi serta pengetahuan pedagogi dan
pengetahuan kandungan. Kesimpulannya, pengintegrasian Lesson Study telah
menyokong pemupukan kemahiran pengetahuan isi kandungan pedagogi, imej inkuiri
dalam pengajaran sains, dan peningkatan kepercayaan guru praperkhidmatan dalam
pengajaran subjek kimia dalam tempoh 14 minggu.
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EFFECT OF INTEGRATING LESSON STUDY APPROACH IN THE
PREPARATION OF PRESERVICE CHEMISTRY TEACHERS
ABSTRACT
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Cognitive
Apprenticeship model through Lesson Study approach to prepare preservice teachers to
acquire appropriate knowledge and competencies in teaching Chemistry. This research
was conducted using a mixed-method research design known as Concurrent Embedded
Experimental model, which incorporated both quantitative and qualitative data
collection. A sample of 43 preservice science teachers participated in this study. The
instrument used in the qualitative study was the Draw-A-Science-Teacher-Test Checklist
(DASTT-C) and in the quantitative study was the Science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs
Instrument (STEBI). Findings in the qualitative study revealed that different changes
were observed in the Beliefs of Teaching and Learning Science with the preservice
teachers beginning to show their beliefs in line with current teaching and learning
theories. Findings in the quantitative study using paired sample t-test analysis to
compare the mean PSTEB, STOE and STEB before (pre-test) and after (post-test)
Lesson Study showed that there was a significant difference in mean scores for PSTEB
(t= 2.754; p .05), STOE (t= 2.947; p .05) and STEB for (t=3.533; p .05). The case study
method was also conducted to study the implementation process to explain the
outcomes. The 43 participants were divided into eight Lesson Study groups comprising 5
to 6 members based on their major subject. The instrument used in the quantitative study
was Lesson Study Performance Assessment Form (LSPAF), a rubric assessment form as
observational tool for assessing teacher performance in their teaching skills during the
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microteaching observation conducted in three cycles. Findings revealed that all the
groups involved in the study met the expected teaching performance. The case study
discussed comprehensively the content analysis of the individual reflective journal of
one group consisting of five participants who were chemistry majors. The findings
identified five themes, i.e. beliefs about content knowledge and pedagogical content
knowledge (PCK), skills necessary for producing effective chemistry teaching,
questioning skills, beliefs about practices of good teaching, and beliefs about science
teaching outcome expectancy. The findings indicated that preservice teachers have
obtained a new mental model of teaching and learning chemistry through the broadening
of content knowledge in the subject matter. However, three Lesson Study cycles were
considered insufficient to develop confidence in conducting inquiry lessons among
preservice teachers. Based on the findings, it was recommended that teacher education
programmes should integrate subject content in the methodology courses so as to
enhance their PCK as well as pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge. In
conclusion, integrating Lesson Study had supported the nurturing of pedagogical content
knowledge skills, the inquiring image in science teaching, and the enhancement of
teaching confidence of preservice teachers in teaching chemistry within the 14 week
period.
1
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.0 Overview
Cognitive Apprenticeship based on the situated learning theory suggests that
skills be acquired through authentic contexts and by communicating with peers and
experts about those contexts. It is a model of instruction that makes learners‘
thinking visible (Collins, Brown, and Holum, 1991) through a process of carrying
tasks to be learned and easily observed. In situated approaches, students collaborate
with one another and their instructor toward some shared understanding. Learners
are usually challenged with tasks slightly more difficult than they can accomplish on
their own and must rely on assistance from and collaboration with others to achieve
these tasks. In the present research, Lesson Study is integrated as a task activity in
the chemistry teaching-method course offered to the preservice chemistry teachers in
the teacher education programme of Universiti Sains Malaysia.
This study is an effort to propose Cognitive Apprenticeship through Lesson
Study termed as Integrated Lesson Study as an approach to prepare the preservice
teachers to acquire appropriate knowledge and competencies in teaching chemistry
before the teaching school practicum. The use of Integrated Lesson Study in the
methods course is an intervention to affect the mental models, teacher‘s beliefs, and
science efficacy beliefs in teaching and learning, in view of the fact that those
constructs are related to the common problems of learning to teach by preservice
teachers. This chapter will describe the background of this study, specifies the
problem statement, explains the rationale of study, describes the purpose and
2
objectives of the study, states the research questions and the hypotheses to be tested,
highlighting the significance of the study and indicating the limitation of the study.
Finally, the chapter elaborates the operational definition to be used in the study.
1.1 Background of the study
The study in the preparation of preservice teacher is considered critical in
creating teacher preparation pedagogy to enable teachers to acquire the knowledge,
skills and dispositions which will allow preservice teachers to succeed in their
profession. Although there is no single best way to organize teachers‘ learning
experiences in a preparation programme, there are still some common considerations
that can be encountered.
There have been more than twenty years since teacher education has been
reformed to produce programme designs in representing more integrated, coherent
programmes that emphasize a consistent vision of good teaching. In Malaysia
generally, the initial teachers‘ education programme is aimed to focus the future
teachers‘ development. The programme customizes teachers to be professionals in
terms of academic as well as their personnel development (Molly, 2002). The
current model of teacher education programme has to be based on the blue-print of
―Standard Guru Malaysia‖ (Bahagian Pendidikan Guru, 2009), to provide teachers
with an image of effective educational experience. Some challenges suggested need
to be overcome by teacher educator are the transforming of ingrained belief, values
and biased perception of teaching and the actual training of teachers (Goh, 2011).
Effective teacher training are associated with the overcoming the challenges of
the problem of learning to teach during the teacher education preparation
3
programme. The common problem of learning to teach is identified as the
misconceptions or preconceptions about teaching, the problem of enactment and the
problem of complexity (Darling-Hammond and Baratz-Snowden, 2007). All these
three problems need to be addressed to equip the teacher with teaching skill,
especially the beginning teachers, with the ability to continue to teach (Darling-
Hammond and Baratz-Snowden, 2007). It has been clear from the literature that
knowledge, skills and attitudes to promote optimal teaching could not be fully
developed in preservice teacher education programmes (Hammerness et al., 2005).
Therefore, the new teacher needs to be trained for lifelong learning foundation,
helping them to acquire teaching with the impact on the quality of teaching inside the
classrooms (Stigler and Hiebert, 1999). Classroom teaching was identified as the
most important resource in improving students' school achievement. Classroom
teaching is seen as a "system" linking many different ways to enable learners to
learn.
Classroom teaching relies heavily on beliefs teacher hold within a
philosophical approach and a psychological frame (Richardson, 2003). Beliefs and
actions in classroom teaching has been well documented (Richardson and Placier,
2001; Richardson, 2003, p.5). In preservice teacher education, within the
psychological frame, the beliefs of how learners should learn resulting from teacher
experience during their early education as students‘, could have created an image of
teaching (Calderhead and Robson, 1991; Thomas, Pedersen, and Finson, 2001). This
image of teaching, also termed as ―teaching as cultural activity‖ or ―mental version
of teaching patterns‖ (Stigler and Hiebert, 1999, p.87), evolve over long periods of
time and help maintain the stability of cultural teaching systems over time.
4
Reviewers and researchers see this teaching image or mental model in teaching
as critical (Thomas et al., 2001), since what and how teachers‘ beliefs do give
tremendous impact on their behaviour in the classroom teaching (Pajares, 1992;
Richardson, 1996). In the context of preservice science teachers, the mental model
in teaching and learning science relies heavily on beliefs in science teaching and
learning, and science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs, to acquire good skills for effective
teaching. Preservice teachers need to inquire beliefs about science teaching and
learning, according to the current educational theory (Markic, 2008) to meet the
diverse needs of current science students. At the same time, to be competent and
functioning (Bandura, 1997), the preservice teacher needs to acquire good sense of
science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs to teach science (chemistry in the case of this
study) effectively. High efficacy as a science teacher is an important factor for the
teacher to be confident and fully optimistic during the real teaching situations (Hoy
and Spero, 2005), as well as showing good professional value in teaching practice of
the high-quality science teacher (Van Driel, Beijaard, and Verloop, 2001).
Most of empirical studies on learning to teach highlight the tension between the
hopes and expectations of teacher educators and the experience of beginning teachers
(Wideen, Mayer-Smith, and Moon, 1998). Most research highlights that traditional
programmes of teacher education have little effect upon the firmly-held beliefs of the
preservice teachers. The successful programmes are those that feature the built-up
beliefs in a systematic and consistent long-term support in collaborative settings
(Wideen, Mayer-Smith, and Moon, 1998). Method course with the potential to
influence those teachers' beliefs (Hart, 2002; Wilkins and Brand, 2004) with the
component of the course implemented to specify a new image of
teaching-methodology for effective and good teaching. Another theory posits that the
5
improving design in training should have focused on a systematic way of learning to
teach, studying one‘s own practice and the experience of others, to create and to
increase knowledge for both teaching and teacher education (Hiebert, Morris and
Glass, 2003).
One possible way to develop teacher preparation programmes that have been
practised for a long time, but less noticed in the literature, is to make preservice
teachers to learn from teaching (Hiebert, Morris, Berk, and Jansen, 2007), with the
purpose of teaching to support student learning. The idea of preparing to learn to
teach within contexts to the learning situation means knowing how to learn from
classroom teaching experiences from one‘s own experience and share experience by
creating environments for generating knowledge for teaching (Hiebert et al., 2003). It
means planning these experiences in a way that affords learning and then reflecting
on the outcomes in order to maximize the benefits that can be gained from the
experiences (Artzt, 1999). Rather than attempting to produce skilled teachers upon
graduation, preservice education should prepare teachers to learn from teaching when
they enter the profession (Hiebert, et al., 2007; Hiebert, et al., 2003). Preparation
programmes can be more effective by focusing on helping preservice teachers to
acquire the tools they will need to learn to teach rather than the finished
competencies of effective teaching (Hiebert, et al., 2003).
A given component of the method courses shall be implemented is suggested to
hopefully build new image of teaching-methodology as well as providing the
confidence of the preservice teachers before they go for teaching practicum in the
final year. Programmes designed to change the beliefs of preservice teachers may
involve short- and long-term deliberate interventions. These interventions may range
6
from single courses defined as short-term intervention to full-length programmes
which frequently included student teaching (Wideen et al., 1998).
The short-term preparation programme intervention seems to have little effect
upon the firmly-held beliefs about teaching (Weinstein,1990; Ullrich,1992); and
studies report that beginning teachers aimed to survive (Maistre and Paré, 2010 )
rather than learn from the experience (Munby and Russell, 1994). One of the
approaches which suggest creating dissonance in prospective teacher‘s beliefs about
teaching and learning science (Dana, McLaughlin, and Freeman, 1998) helps to
change their beliefs, as later proven by Richardson (2003). These studies suggest a
process of plan-teach-access-reflect cycles in the field. They found that dissonance
between initial beliefs and results (and no results) in a structured field experience
created dissonance that compelled students to examine and change their beliefs. In
sum, conjugating theory and practice within short-term intervention -- incorporating
the elements of content of teacher education (to acquire a cognitive map of teaching),
learning process and learning context by situating learning in productive contexts and
learning in professional communities -- are some of the elements in designing
teacher education programmes to overcome the problem in learning to teach
(Darling-Hammond et al., 2005).
Lesson Study similarly involves a process of plan-teach-access-reflect cycle
(Richardson, 2003) in its framework. Lesson Study with its focus on high quality
classroom teaching is much accredited to the bestseller book -- Teaching Gap --
written from the conclusions of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science
Study (TIMSS) (Stigler and Hiebert, 1999). According to Stigler‘s and Hiebert‘s
(1999) view, ―teaching is the next frontier in the continuing struggle to improve
7
schools. Standard set the course, and assessments provide the benchmarks, but it is
teaching that must be improved to push us along the pass to success (p.2). Teaching
requires that teacher impart knowledge and see that pupils learn (Buchman, 1984). It
demands principled and strategic thinking about ends, means and their consequences.
However, according to Stigler and Hiebert (1999), the teaching profession does not
have enough knowledge about what constitute effective teaching, and teachers does
not have means to successfully share such knowledge with one another. Lesson Study
(Stigler and Hebert, 1999; Hiebert, Morris, and Glass, 2003; Hiebert, Morris, and
Jansen, 2007) is an especially promising mechanism for such preservice teacher
preparation model because it fits well the learning goals proposed for preservice
teachers, and as will be seen shortly, it fits well the knowledge generation and
continuing improvement processes proposed for teacher preparation. Furthermore
Lesson Study has also been reported by the literature as a method of professional
development that summarizes the various features of the high quality of educational
development (Perry and Lewis, 2008; Darling-Hammond, 2009).
Lesson Study is a form of long-term professional development in which a small
group of teachers systematically and collaboratively conduct research on teaching
and learning in classrooms (Darling-Hammond, Wei, Andree, Richardson, and
Orphanos, 2009; Perry and Lewis, 2009). A Lesson Study cycle generally involves a
group of teachers collaboratively planning lessons based upon research,
implementing the lesson in a classroom, collecting data by observing others teach the
lesson, collecting student assessment and observation data, reflecting upon and
discussing the data, examining quality of student work, and developing a record of
their activity to improve their practice and seek new solutions. Darling-Hammond
(2003) states: ―Teachers learn best by studying, doing, and reflecting; by
8
collaborating with other teachers; by looking closely at students and their work; and
by sharing what they see‖ (p. 278).
This study proposed Cognitive Apprenticeship model incorporated with Lesson
Study termed as Integrated Lesson Study as a process to acquire knowledge and skills
in learning how to teach chemistry by the preservice teachers. The task given
according to Cognitive Apprenticeship model through Lesson Study integrated to the
teaching-method course are predicted to provide apparatuses for preservice teachers
with apprenticeship to scaffold new knowledge in learning to teach as new
knowledge in their mental models about teaching and learning. A good quality
mental model about teaching and learning science is a process of acquiring
knowledge to be articulated, reflected and explored, to further cultivate good quality
mental models about teaching and learning. Thus, throughout the process of learning
in Integrated Lesson Study, the preservice teachers will attain a quality mental model
which demonstrates greater learning outcomes about teaching and learning science.
The main problem associated to the problem of learning to teach (Carter, 1990;
Darling-Hammond and Baratz-Snowden, 2007) among the preservice teachers are
predicted in concerned to beliefs or vision of teaching (Hammerness et al., 2005)
explained as early conceptions of teaching (Lam and Kember, 2006). These teaching
conceptions or mental model are also described as beliefs that are highly correlated
with specific, intense memories of the students‘ own learning experience in
elementary, high school and college science courses (Thomas et al., 2001) have been
highlighted by many researchers prior to entering programmes of preservice teacher
education (Markic and Eilks, 2010; Pajares, 1992; Richardson, 2003; Tanase and
Wang, 2010; Taylor, 2003). These early beliefs are also seen similar to the problems
9
of ―apprenticeship of observation‖ (Hammerness et al., 2005; Lortie, 1975) which is
widely documented. How and what teachers beliefs have a tremendous impact on
their behaviour in the classroom (Pajares, 1992; Richardson, 1996).
1.2 Problem Statement
Teachers` beliefs influence how teachers‘ present science in their classrooms
and the kinds of opportunities they provide for students to learn science (Roth et al.,
2006). Therefore, research on teachers‘ beliefs has been considered as essential in
science education. The preservice teachers` beliefs which are deeply held, and often
unexamined, need to be sought out by teacher educators to provide preservice
science teacher with ample opportunities to develop a teaching and learning science
classroom that are aligned with current reforms. The preservice science teachers‘
beliefs need to be developed into the direction that science should be taught
accordingly within the recent context. Fenstermacher (1979) argued that one goal of
teacher education is to help young teachers transform tacit or unexamined beliefs
about teaching, learning and the curriculum into objectively reasonable or
evidentiary beliefs. Thus, understanding the individual preservice science or
chemistry teacher beginning and end of teacher education courses would help teacher
educator to transform new beliefs consistence with the science educational theories.
As teachers` beliefs connects to teacher‘s practices (Richardson, 1996).
Therefore, the belief teachers hold ought to influence their classroom judgements and
actions. Hence, better understanding about teachers` beliefs is essential to improve
teaching practices (Pajares, 1992; Richardson, 1996) since teacher‘s belief provides a
true window to look at their decision making and instructional practices (Nespor,
1987; Pajares, 1992). Beliefs also may act as a filter through which preservice
10
teachers acquire and interpret new knowledge (Pajares, 1992; Lundeberg and Levin,
2003, p.23).
This focus of the study is on Cognitive Apprenticeship through Lesson Study
namely as Integrated Lesson Study as one of the components of the teaching-
methods course to contextualize learning within the professionalism aspect to
overcome the problem of learning to teach in chemistry which takes a 14 weeks‘
period time.
1.3 Rationale of the study
There is also study showing that new teachers are becoming less optimistic
when they faced with actual teaching assignments at school (Woolfolk Hoy, 2000).
These problems of learning to teach are anticipated to relayed by the teacher mental
model on the understanding of problem of enactment (Kennedy, 1999) and
complexities in teaching (Hammerness et al., 2005). The understanding of the
individual preservice teacher beliefs at the beginning of the teacher education courses
may assist teacher educators in the process of enhancing and consolidating teachers‘
sense of efficacy beliefs, especially the personal Teaching-Efficacy. Bandura (2001)
postulated perceived self-efficacy as the important prerequisite of successful
teaching. Teaching particularly in chemistry requires confidence in the teacher‘s own
abilities and competence to teach, these are indicated by a high level of personal
Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs. Understanding the individual preservice science teacher
beliefs at the beginning of the teacher education courses may assist teacher educators
in the process of enhancing and consolidating teachers‘ sense of efficacy beliefs,
especially the personal Teaching-Efficacy in promoting teaching confidence.
11
Development of knowledge understandings or new mental model by beginning
teachers on teaching practice through conceptual and practical tools (Grossman et al.,
1999) includes the learning of variety instructional activities to promote student
learning, carry out lesson plan as well assessment and understand; when, where, how
and why to use the practice approaches. This knowledge is assumed to be influenced
by the nature of the preparation or training of the preservice teachers. Chee (2008) in
his study suggested beginning teachers still need to improve their strategies to
motivate students in teaching and learning (T&L), stimulate students‘ thinking
during T&L and learn to create the classroom atmosphere with fun learning. The
needs of training for the preservice teachers for being creative in science instruction,
updating knowledge in the application of science and technology in everyday life,
updating knowledge of innovations in science instruction, updating knowledge in
evaluating teaching effectiveness, and understanding the goals of the syllabus also
have been reported for teacher preparation concern (Kamariah and Rohani, 1994).
The training of the preservice teachers is seen needed to be strengthened, in helping
the preservice teacher to identify what difficulties in teaching performance there are
facing, the challenges and problems before the school teaching practicum.
1.4 Purpose and Objective of the Study
This study is an effort to investigate the effect of integrating Lesson Study
approach to the preservice teachers‘ mental models in teaching and learning. The
research aims to seek the changes of preservice teachers‘ mental model referring to
the representations or assumptions of their beliefs in teaching and learning science
and their science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs in teaching and learning science. The
Integrated Lesson Study is an apprenticeship approach to transfer knowledge in
12
shaping the preservice mental models in terms of beliefs in teaching and learning
science and their science efficacy teaching beliefs in teaching and learning. This
study will be carried out through the chemistry teaching-method course, a
compulsory teaching-method course for the entire preservice teachers in the science
teacher-education programme. The teaching-method course is conducted in the
course of one semester at the School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains
Malaysia.
The study focuses primarily on the use of Lesson Study approach as a
component in a method course in learning to teach chemistry and acquiring the
appropriate skills in teaching.
Specifically the objectives are:
Research Objective 1:
To identify the effect of Integrated Lesson Study on the preservice teachers‘
mental model of teaching and learning chemistry.
Research Objective 1.1
To identify the difference in Beliefs of Science Teaching and Learning before
and after the Integrated Lesson Study approach was conducted. To specify the
evidence to show there are changes.
Research Objective 1.2 (a)
To identify the difference in the Personal Science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs
(PSTEB) of the preservice teacher after Integrated Lesson Study was conducted
compared with before the treatment.
13
Research Objective 1.2 (b):
To identify the difference in the Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy
(STOE) of the preservice teacher after the Integrated Lesson Study was conducted
compared with before the treatment.
Research Objective 1.2 (c):
To identify the difference in the overall Science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs
(STEB) of the preservice teacher after the Integrated Lesson Study was conducted
compared with before the treatment.
Research Objective 2 (a):
To determine the extent of any improved performance in teaching skills of the
preservice teachers for all Lesson Study group in the three consecutives cycles.
Research Objective 2 (b):
To investigate or explore how the learning experiences during planning,
teaching and evaluation of the Lesson Study reflected as the apprenticeship in
learning to teach chemistry.
1.5 Research Questions
Based on the goals and objectives, this study will answer the following
questions:
Research Question 1:
What is the effect of Integrated Lesson Study on the preservice teachers‘
mental model of teaching and learning chemistry.
14
Research Question 1.1
Is there any difference in Beliefs of Science Teaching and Learning before and
after the Integrated Lesson Study was conducted? If there are changes, is there any
evidence that shows those changes occurred?
Research Question 1.2 (a):
Is there any significant difference in the Personal Science Teaching-Efficacy
Beliefs (PSTEB) of the preservice teachers after the Integrated Lesson Study was
conducted compared to before the treatment?
Research Question 1.2 (b):
Is there any significant difference in the Science Teaching Outcome
Expectancy (STOE) of the preservice teacher after the Integrated Lesson Study was
conducted compared to before the treatment?
Research Question 1.2 (c):
Is there any significant difference in the overall Science Teaching-Efficacy
Beliefs (STEB) of the preservice teachers after the Integrated Lesson Study was
conducted compared to before the treatment?
Research Question 2 (a):
Is there any improved performance in the teaching skills of the preservice
teachers for all Lesson Study groups through three consecutive cycles of Integrated
Lesson Study intervention?
15
Research Question 2 (b):
How were the learning experiences during the planning, teaching, and
evaluation of the Integrated Lesson Study reflected as the apprenticeship in learning
to teach chemistry?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
The research hypotheses stated below are for research question:
Research Question 1.2 (a)
Ho1: There is no significant differences in the preservice teachers‘ Personal Science
Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs (PSTEB) before and after conducting Integrated Lesson
Study at significant level p <0.05.
Research Question 1.2 (b)
Ho2: There is no significant difference in the preservice teachers‘ Science Teaching
Outcome Expectancy (STOE) before and after conducting Integrated Lesson Study
at significant level p <0.05.
Research Question 1.2 (c)
Ho3: There is no significant difference in the preservice teachers‘ overall Science
Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs (STEB) before and after conducting Integrated Lesson
Study; at significant level p<0.05.
16
Research Question 2 (a)
Hypothesis 1: All Lesson Study groups had improved the performance in teaching
skills after the three consecutive cycles of Integrated Lesson Study intervention.
1.7 Significance of the study
The significance of the study will be discussed according to its contribution in
terms of education and research in education. Among them are the following:
The interest to understand the elements of mental models in terms of beliefs in
teaching and learning science as well as the Science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs will
provide knowledge and information to understand the participants‘ problems of
learning to teach that is common among teachers especially the preservice teachers.
In learning to teach in chemistry, those teachers will learn how to combine the
content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to teach in the
classroom and science laboratory.
Knowing the beliefs would benefit the participant teacher candidates, giving
them reflections about knowledge and skills need to be developed and strengthened.
The study would also benefit other science or chemistry teacher candidate about
understanding insight beliefs that is inconsistence with new reforms in science
education teaching and learning
Besides, teacher educators need to understand the preservice teachers‘ thinking
and the diversity of beliefs that may influence their action and behaviour in teaching
in the classroom. The knowledge gained may help teacher educators to plan their
strategies and come out with an effective course for teaching-methods. The
17
teaching-method courses are seen to provide a sustainable manner in improving
teachers‘ professionals‘ skills, thus improving their confidence in teaching and
learning science particularly the chemistry subject for upper secondary school.
The findings from the study may also help teacher educators to understand the
factors that can influence the changes experienced by preservice teachers particularly
in terms of teacher self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977), that has proven to be a major
influence on learning and motivation of students. In addition, the findings of this
study will also provide knowledge to see the impact of the Lesson Study process as a
component to the situated learning environment within its context.
The analyses on impact of Integrated Lesson Study on the preservice teacher
education programme may be visible through case-studies analyses. The case-studies
analyses will contribute toward the understanding of how the Lesson Study process
helps those teachers to build their knowledge base of teaching, PCK and strengthen
their conception of teaching chemistry in secondary schools.
1.8 Limitation and Delimitation of the study
This study involve only a small group of preservice teachers in year three of
teacher education programme who enrolled in the chemistry teaching-method course
in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). These teachers have not attended the student
teaching practicum; therefore, the results will not represent the whole population of
the preservice teachers in the university or other university. The Integrated Lesson
Study approaches only involve the chemistry group of teachers as a case study
research; thus it could not be generalized for the whole preservice chemistry teacher
in the country but can generalized to those groups with the similar situation.
18
1.9 Operational definitions
1. The term preservice teachers refers to the undergraduate student teachers, who
are studying in universities and teaching institutions, and have not yet served as a
qualified teachers in the school. In this study, the preservice teachers refer to the
preservice teachers studying at USM for the academic year 2010.
2. Lesson Study is a model (framework) that involves preservice teachers in
collaborative planning of teaching goals, teaching strategies, making observation in
the classroom, analysing and evaluating teaching, reviewing and revising the
teaching, and documenting the process of planning and teaching. This study
conducted Cognitive Apprenticeship model through Lesson Study, also termed as
Integrated Lesson Study is a model (framework) that involves steps of
implementations process of Lesson Study i.e. define the problems or learning
outcomes, plan the lesson, simulated microteaching, analysing and evaluating the
teaching, review and revise teaching and documenting the process and material in
portfolio.
3. The mental models in teaching and learning science are cognitive construct that
describes a preservice teacher‘s understanding in teaching and learning chemistry.
The mental models refer to the representations or assumptions on beliefs which the
preservice teachers hold about how the world around works (teaching and learning
science), therefore influencing a person‘s judgment and decision making. It includes
the internal representations of reality that the preservice teachers use to understand
specific phenomena.
19
4. The Science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs (STEB) is defined as the confidence of
the preservice teacher to teach chemistry effectively and influence the performance
of their participating students. STEB consists of two independent dimensions, i.e.
Personal Science Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs -- PSTEB (the confidence on the ability
to teach science) and Science Teaching Outcome Expectancy -- STOE (the
confidence to influence student performance).
5. Belief in teaching and learning science refers to the preservice teacher beliefs
about classroom organisations, teaching objectives and Epistemological Beliefs. The
three categories of beliefs are also viewed as traditional/ teacher-oriented or modern/
student-oriented.
6. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is defined as part of the knowledge base
of teaching. PCK blends the content and pedagogy into an understanding of how
particular topics, problems or issues are organized, represented, and adapted to the
diverse interests and abilities of learners and presented for instruction.
7. Learning to teach is defined as how preservice learn to teach by combining the
content knowledge and the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to teach in the
classroom. The preservice teachers learn to be teachers through courses and practical
training. During the course of their teacher education they learn to teach through
micro-teaching and simulated teaching as part of the coursework requirements.
8. Teaching performance is defined as skills of teacher candidate in teaching and
learning science such as implementing inquiry lesson, developing scientific skills,
ability to develop constructivist environment, using appropriate teaching and
learning strategies, questioning skills in developing student scientific learning
20
2experiences and considering the appropriate responses to what the students
simulated contribute to the lesson. Teaching performance is measured using a rubric
assessment; Lesson Study Performance Assessment Form (LSPAF).
1.10 Conclusion
This study attempts to explore Cognitive Apprenticeship through Lesson Study,
also termed as Integrated Lesson Study as one component in the Chemistry
teaching-method course in the science teacher-education programme. The approach
is an effort to provide the preservice teachers with formative experience prior to
teaching at the school through discussion and reflection on teaching and learning
methods that are effective and in-line with the actual classroom. The study aims to
investigate whether the promising Integrated Lesson Study approach may provide
knowledge in shaping a good mental model of teaching science particularly affecting
their beliefs in teaching and learning science as well as building their science
Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs.
21
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0 Overview
This research aims to investigate the influence of Lesson Study as one of the
apprenticeship approaches for preservice chemistry teachers to overcome problems
in learning to teach chemistry. This research examined changes in mental models of
preservice chemistry teachers that could influence their teaching action and
behaviour during their planning and decision-making in the process of learning to
teach. The term mental model in this study refers to teacher assumptions about the
beliefs of teaching and learning of science and Teaching-Efficacy Beliefs of the
preservice teachers in teaching chemistry. This study postulated that the Lesson
Study approach provided a tool for helping teachers to develop new knowledge in a
new form of mental model in teaching and learning chemistry within a 14 week
teaching-method course. This is because the new knowledge needs to be articulated,
reflected and explored, to be developed as a mental model of good quality, especially
in the teaching and learning of chemistry.
The literature review discusses the related area of research, survey of
methodology and findings of past research. All related theories, concepts and themes
related to the variable are explained. The chapter begins with a review of related
literature and empirical studies related to the research, a conceptualization of all the
variables, as well as the theoretical and research frameworks.
22
2.1 What is Lesson Study?
Lesson Study, specifically known as a collaboration-based teacher professional
development approach, originated from Japan (Fernandez and Yoshida, 2004; Lewis
and Tsuchida, 1998; Murata, 2011; Stigler and Hiebert, 1999). It is highly valued
among Japanese teacher educators (Stigler and Hiebert, 1999). Lesson Study is a
translation of the word Jugyuokenkyu: Jugyuo means instruction or lesson and
kenkyu means research or study (Yoshida, 1999). The term Jugyokenkyu
encompasses a large family of instructional improvement strategies (Lewis, 2000).
Lesson Study incorporates many characteristics of effective professional
development programme identified in prior research: it is site-based, practice
oriented, focused on student learning, collaboration-based, and research oriented
(Murata, 2011). It includes cycles composed of several phases: collaborative
planning, lesson observations by colleagues and other knowledgeable advisors,
analytic reflection and on-going revision (Lewis, 2002b; Stigler and Hiebert, 1999).
As part of the process, Lesson Study groups develop a written reflective report of
their work (Fernandez and Yoshida, 2004; Lewis, 2002a).
Lesson Study as a professional development approach places teachers at the
centre of the professional activity. It is developed based on teacher interests and
their desire to better understand student learning based on their own teaching
experiences. The steps of a typical Lesson Study are outlined with a research lesson
(live lesson observation) as the centrepiece of the study process (Fernandez and
Yoshida, 2004; Lewis, 2002b; Lewis and Tsuchida, 1998). The Lesson Study
process begins by identifying a lesson goal and throughout the process the teacher
plans a lesson. The goals can be general at first and further increasingly refined, as
23
the process goes. The teacher designs a teaching approach to make student-learning
visible, keeping their lesson‘s goal in mind. The main purpose is not to plan a perfect
lesson, but to test a teaching approach in a live context to study how students learn
(Murata, 2011). As they plan, they will anticipate students‘ possible responses and
craft the details of the lesson. During planning, teachers also have the opportunity to
study curricular materials, which can help teachers‘ content-knowledge development.
During the lesson, a teacher attends to student thinking and takes notes on
different student approaches. In the debriefing session, the teacher discusses
student- learning based on the data they have collected during the observation. The
main strength of Lesson Study, apart from other professional development
programme, is the live research lesson. The live research lesson creates a unique
learning opportunity for teachers such as shared classroom experience that expose
―teachers‘ professional knowledge‖ that is not easily shared among teachers (Murata,
2011). A summary of the process is outlined in the following Figure 2.1.
Figure 2.1. A typical Lesson Study cycle.
Adapted from Murata, A. (2011). Introduction: Conceptual Overview of Lesson Study in
Figure 2.1. A typical Lesson Study cycle.
Adapted from Murata, A. (2011). Introduction: Conceptual Overview of Lesson Study in
Lesson Study Research and Practice in Mathematics Education (1-12)
24
Henceforth are additional perspectives or views from North American,
Australian and Malaysian cases, including this university.
2.1.1 Lesson Study from North American Cases
Catherine Lewis first heard about Lesson Study while observing classrooms in
1993 for her book ―Educating Hearts and Minds‖ (published in 1995). She terms
Lesson Study as ―research lesson‖, the actual classroom lessons with special
characteristic features (Lewis and Tsuchida, 1998). She proposed Lesson Study as
being critical to support educational change and innovation in Japan (Lewis and
Tsuchida, 1998) and bringing about Japan‘s evolution of effective mathematics and
science teaching (Lewis, Perry, and Murata, 2006). Lesson Study research was
brought to the United States and Lewis published the first scholarly article on Lesson
Study in the United States: ―A Lesson is Like a Swiftly Flowing River‖ in 1998
(Lewis and Tsuchida, 1998).
After a decade of research and dissemination in North America, a theoretical
model of Lesson Study was proposed as an improved approach to instruction and
connected to student teaching (Lewis, Perry and Hurd, 2009). Lewis argues that
Lesson Study provides the mechanism to improve instruction by developing teachers‘
knowledge (content, pedagogy and student thinking), by building teachers‘
professional community and by improving teaching materials (not just improved
lesson plans). Figure 2.2 presents how Lesson Study results in instructional
improvement: two conjectures explain the mechanism of how Lesson Study produces
instructional improvement (Lewis et al., 2009; Lewis, Perry, and Murata, 2006).