Student Empowerment

A relatively unexpected additional outcome of this project was a change that teachers re- ported in relation to issues of student empowerment and ownership of student learning as a result of participating in the lesson study. Four participants indicated increased attention to these issues, as evidenced by their reflections:

We realized that what we were really looking for was student autonomy. We were really looking for how to empower the student as a learner.

My goal, along with math, is self-esteem, empowerment. I put the kids’ folders together and showed them back to them. I had kids grinning from ear to ear!

We are giving them more opportunities to talk about what’s happening, helping them take ownership in their learning.

Instead of repeating [a student’s answer], I ask that same student to repeat it, making sure that everybody hears it come from the student so that it is still the student’s idea. The student still has the ownership, they have the confidence that their idea was valued by the class rather than it was the teacher’s idea.

Summary and Conclusions

Qualitative data was gathered from lesson study team members throughout this year-long project through notes and audio recordings of planning meetings and through reflections shared during standardized exit interviews with five participants. Through analysis of the data, it was found that this lesson study project promoted the creation of a professional development learning community. Teachers reported multiple benefits of the lesson study process in promoting such a learning community, including regular collaboration and com- munication among team members; planning, observing, reflecting upon, and revising les- sons; and having shared instructional goals.

This lesson study project also led to changes in teachers’ awareness of the value of using formative assessment to gain insight regarding their students’ instructional needs in math- ematics, including changes in teachers’ thinking about formative assessment; changes in teachers’ use of formative assessment; and changes in teachers’ instructional practices based on formative assessment data. These changes were evidenced by teachers’ increased use of formative assessment data when planning and implementing lessons.

Moving Forward

As the PFES lesson study team has reflected upon its experiences with this project, it has also

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Virginia Educational Leadership

Vol. 7 No. 1

Spring 2010