A Case Study of Implementing Lesson Study for Pre-Service Training for Education in Myanmar

This article explores two models of non-state education provision in Myanmar (Burma), in order to draw conclusions regarding templates for ethnic education regimes in this fast-changing country. Ethnic Armed Groups in Myanmar have developed education systems in the context of long-running armed conflicts. This paper examines two such regimes. Karen communities struggle with few resources to educate their children. Despite great difficulties, the Karen National Union has developed a curriculum based upon one Karen dialect, which is employed in about 1,000 schools. Graduates of this education regime are mostly unable to speak fluent Burmese, or to integrate with the Myanmar tertiary education system; they are orientated towards a Karen national identity, rather than Myanmar citizenship. However, with the beginnings of a substantial peace process, Karen educators will need to re-think their implicitly separatist agenda. A comparative case study is offered by the Mon ethnic minority. The New Mon State Party has had a fragile ceasefire since 1995. Some 270 Mon National Schools provide Mon language instruction at elementary levels, shifting to Burmese at middle school. As the Mon Schools follow the government curriculum, with extra classes in Mon language and history-culture, graduates are able to matriculate and enter the nationwide tertiary education system. We argue that the Mon experience can be a useful model for education reform in a transitional Myanmar, as political and civil society leaders negotiate a more decentralised state.

Health and education are interrelated, and it is for this reason that we studied the education of migrant children. The Thai Government has ratified ‘rights’ to education for all children in Thailand since 2005. However, there are gaps in knowledge concerning the implementation of education policy for migrants, such as whether and to what extent migrant children receive education services according to policy intentions. The objective of this study is to explore the implementation of education policy for migrants and the factors that determine education choices among them. A cross-sectional qualitative design was applied. The main data collection technique was in-depth interviews with 34 key informants. Thematic analysis with an intersectionality approach was used. Ranong province was selected as the main study site. Results found that Migrant Learning Centers (MLCs) were the preferable choice for most migrant children instead of Thai Public Schools (TPSs), even though MLCs were not recognized as formal education sites. The main reason for choosing MLCs was because MLCs provided a more culturally sensitive service. Teaching in MLCs was done in Myanmar’s language and the MLCs offer a better chance to pursue higher education in Myanmar if migrants migrate back to their homeland. However, MLCs still face budget and human resources inadequacies. School health promotion was underserviced in MLCs compared to TPSs. Dental service was underserviced in most MLCs and TPSs. Implicit discrimination against migrant children was noted. The Thai Government should view MLCs as allies in expanding education coverage to all children in the Thai territory. A participatory public policy process that engages all stakeholders, including education officials, health care providers, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), MLCs’ representatives, and migrants themselves is needed to improve the education standards of MLCs, keeping their culturally-sensitive strengths.

Teacher education is the very first step for preparing quality teachers and it is crucial to provide quality teacher training. This research aims to analyze and compare pre-service teacher education policies and programs in Myanmar, the Philippines, and Japan, focusing on secondary science teachers. A case study research design was employed by utilizing Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. The result shows that TPACK components found in national education policies and programs in Myanmar were Content Knowledge (CK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), and Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). On the other hand, TPACK found in the Philippines and Japan were CK, PK, Technological Knowledge (TK), PCK, Technological Content Knowledge (TCK), and Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK). In all three countries, limited provision of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) was found. It is interpreted that provision of a balanced and sufficient knowledge of TPACK is essential to well equip pre-service teachers with required knowledge and skills considering internationalization and transnational education. This research uncovered the general patterns and trends in pre-service teacher education for science in three Asian countries as well as their uniqueness and best practices.

The Perception of Teachers and Students toward Lesson Study Implementation at Rural School of Sabah: A Pilot Study

PurposeTeachers in the USA have been conducting lesson study for more than ten years since it was introduced from Japan in the late 1990s. Although interest in conducting lesson study in the USA is still strong and greater numbers of teachers have become involved in this professional learning, there are significant obstacles to conducting high quality and effective lesson study that enhances teachers’ content and pedagogical knowledge, as well as improving their instruction and student learning in classrooms. Because of the needs of improvement in lesson study in the USA, so it can be administered effectively and sustained, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the current status of lesson study in the USA, what high quality and effective lesson study is, and what ideas might be help to improve lesson study in the USA.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, issues that are common barriers to conducting effective lesson study, such as: US teachers’ misunderstanding or lack of understanding of lesson study; teachers’ insufficient knowledge of content, pedagogical content, curriculum knowledge; lack of support from administrators for lesson study; non‐systematic approach to implement lesson study; and having short‐sighted vision to conduct lesson study will be discussed. The discussions are based on the author's 12 years of experience working with teachers, schools, and school districts in the USA, interactions and information exchanges with other lesson study educators and researchers and professional development coordinators in schools and districts in the USA, and existing research documents in the USA. Through this discussion, the author attempts to provide suggestions for improving lesson study in the USA.FindingsIn order for lesson study to be successful, teachers need to think of lesson study as a way to improve their own learning as well as student learning. Spending more time studying mathematical content and curriculum, developing a strong pedagogical content knowledge with colleagues, and establishing a professional community of learning through lesson study will help it to be effective for improving classroom teaching and learning.Originality/valueThe paper provides some helpful suggestions for improving quality and effectiveness of lesson study in order to improve: classroom teaching – teacher's content, pedagogical content and curriculum knowledge; and student learning. The paper is particularly valuable for lesson study practitioners, and administrators and staff developers who are implementing lesson study in schools.

PurposeThis study examines the experiences of five German primary schools implementing Lesson Study over a five-year period. When lesson study is to be implemented in Germany, teachers are typically skeptical and do not believe that it will work in their schools. Although four of the schools from our project consider the implementation at their school to be quite successful and report many positive effects, in this article, we focus on the difficulties and strategies for overcoming them. We also report the schools’ recommendations for other schools wishing to implement lesson study.Design/methodology/approachUsing maximum variation sampling, we conducted semi-structured interviews with ten German primary teachers and principals from five schools taking part in the nationwide LemaS project. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using qualitative content structuring analysis.FindingsThe study identified several challenges, ranging from fundamental criticism of lesson study to a lack of resources. All but one school found ways to navigate these challenges. The main themes for success included fostering motivation for lesson study and adequate support from the school leadership.Practical implicationsThis study offers examples of strategies of schools to overcome typical hurdles when implementing lesson study. We also present a list of ten recommendations derived from the interviewees that can serve as pragmatic guidelines for practitioners and researchers willing to implement and sustain lesson study.Originality/valueThis study captures the experiences of both teachers and school leaders, providing practical insight for schools wishing to implement the lesson study in a sustainable way.

Lesson Study (LS) is a methodology that enables student teachers (STs) to gain insights into their pupils' learning processes during their practicum, thereby improving their instructional practices and supporting their professional learning throughout teacher education. However, "time" has emerged as a critical factor for the successful implementation of LS, particularly within the context of a one-year university-based initial teacher education program. To address this challenge, an integrated LS model was designed and implemented within the curriculum, specifically in relation to a thesis component and the practicum experience. This model was evaluated with a focus on professional learning, with the aim of fine-tuning the conditional input factors necessary for its effectiveness. The conceptual framework of Kager guided this evaluation, identifying input factors across three levels: compositional (team level), structural (LS process level), and contextual (organizational level). STs were consulted through questionnaires, individual interviews, and focus group discussions to explore which factors at these three levels either enhanced or hindered their professional learning. In addition, a document analysis of the thesis projects was conducted to triangulate the findings. The results indicate that the three levels interact and mutually influence each other. At the compositional level, interpersonal dynamics—such as trust, dysfunctional collaboration skills, and open communication—as well as limited teaching experience, prior knowledge, and group composition, were found to impede professional learning. At the structural level, STs reported time pressure due to the duration of the entire LS cycle, and some LS groups failed to make sufficient use of the provided tools and support, suggesting a limited understanding of LS. At the contextual level, misalignments in support systems created difficulties for STs in navigating and planning the LS process. This study sheds light on the complex interplay between team composition, contextual support, and structural guidance in the implementation of LS within a one-year university teacher education program. It further provides practical recommendations for improving the integration of LS into the curriculum in order to enhance STs' professional learning and overall engagement with the LS process. Received: 21 April 2025 | Revised: 25 June 2025 | Accepted: 10 October 2025 Conflicts of Interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest to this work. Data Availability Statement The data that support the findings of this study, as well as the measurement instruments used, are openly available in Figshare at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.30149167 Author Contribution Statement Iris Willems: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing - original draft, Writing - review & editing, Visualization, Project administration. Wouter Schelfhout: Writing - review & editing. Elke Struyf: Writing - review & editing, Supervision.

The purpose of this activity is to observe the learning process in relation between learning materials, students and teachers interaction and interactions among students in learning through the implementation of lesson study. In general, this activity is a collaboration among the University of Muhammadiyah Semarang, the Regional Leadership of Muhammadiyah Central Java and all Muhammadiyah schools in Central Java from July to September 2021. In particular, this activity was held at Muhammadiyah Plus Junior High School Salatiga in August 2021. Lesson study based on The school was participated by mathematics and science teachers at Muhammadiyah Plus Junior High School Salatiga based on the following stages: (1) planning (plan), (2) implementation (do), and (3) reflection (see). Mathematics and science teachers carry out lesson plans by making chapter designs and lesson designs. The implementation of lesson study at Muhammadiyah Plus Junior High School Salatiga based on integrated learning which applied in group learning through the interaction of living things with the environment. Furthermore, there is a reflection towards implementation stages and find to solve the problem happened so that the next learning can be carried out properly.

The Covid-19 pandemic hit almost all parts of the world, including Indonesia. It has been nearly two years since the pandemic hit, impacting various sectors, including education. During the pandemic, learning was carried out online and felt less effective. Various government efforts have been made for faster recovery, especially in education. One of the government's efforts is through the KDS program (Lecturer-Teacher Partnership in Schools) through Lesson Study activities. This study aims to see the implementation of a Lesson Study carried out together with junior high school teachers in partner schools. Through KDS (Lecturer-Teacher Partnership in School) activities by implementing Lesson study, compiling, and implementing differentiated learning. The research method used is the descriptive qualitative method. The subjects of this research were students of SMP Yadika Bangil. Lesson Study stages, namely planning (Plan), implementation (Do), and reflection (See), carried out with lecturers as facilitators and teachers in partner schools as model teachers and observers, have been carried out properly by Lesson Study guidelines and the learning objectives can be archieved planned. The results of research conducted through Lesson Studies led by teachers at school by implementing differentiated learning of student learning outcomes are mostly complete.

Teachers' reflection is one important step in the implementation of Lesson Study. To enhance the professionalism of teachers, lesson study has become an important practice in the implementation of the Professional Learning Community (PLC) in Malaysia. "Video Critique" and "Lesson Study" are some of the tools in the implementation of PLC. As Lesson Study is newly introduced in 2011, teachers are still in the learning stage of implementing it. Among the problems teachers face is ways of making good reflections during classroom observation. Thus, this study aims to explore the ways in which excellent teachers reflect as well as their reflection level by looking at a video of teachers teaching at a school in Negeri Sembilan. The study was conducted using qualitative methods. The study participants were 17 excellent teachers, including two lecturers. Data was collected using reflective observations, documents of the participants, and recordings of the video critique sessions. Data was analysed using reflective dialogue session video documents analytical technique that has been transcribed. It was found that there are four stages of reflections: Descriptive, Dialogue Reflective, Descriptive Reflective and Critical Reflective. A majority of the excellent teachers reflected at the stage of Dialogue Reflective. Some of the excellent teachers made Descriptive Reflective, and only a few teachers succeeded brilliantly at Critical Reflective. Originality/value - This study implies a need for exposure to reflective practice during the process of observation so that teachers receive deep and meaningful feedback through practice in community learning.

This paper describes development, implementation and teacher change in a Lesson Study project with eight third-grade teachers. In Part 1 of this chapter we discuss how we adapted Lesson Study to fit the special circumstances of the school system. We describe how we implemented Lesson Study over the course of a summer and school year, and how two outside facilitators stimulated teacher thinking with math explorations and probing/what if questioning during planning and debriefing sessions. In Part 2, we describe our research. Using a framework from Fernandez et al. (Teaching and Teacher Education 19:171–185, 2003) in which they identified three critical lenses necessary for rich lesson study work, we engaged in enumerative analysis of video data from the first and last lesson study cycles to determine if the teachers developed (or failed to develop) those critical lenses. After one year, the eight participating teachers demonstrated a qualitatively richer student lens and curriculum developer lens.

The Covid-19 pandemic hit almost all parts of the world, including Indonesia. It has been almost two years since the pandemic hit and has had an impact on various sectors including education. During the pandemic, learning was carried out online and felt less effective. Various government efforts have been made for faster recovery, especially in education. One of the government's efforts is through the KDS program (Lecturer-Teacher Partnership in Schools) through Lesson Study activities. This study aims to see the implementation of Lesson Study carried out together with junior high school teachers in partner schools. Through KDS (Lecturer-Teacher Partnership in School) activities by implementing Lesson study, compiling and implementing differentiated learning. The research method used is descriptive qualitative method. The subjects of this research were students of SMP. Lesson Study stages, namely planning (Plan), implementation (Do), reflection (See) which are carried out with lecturers as facilitators and teachers in partner schools as model teachers and observers have been carried out properly in accordance with Lesson Study guidelines and the learning objectives can be achieved planned. The results of research conducted through Lesson Study conducted with teachers in schools by implementing differentiated learning of student learning outcomes are mostly complete

Understanding what knowledge mathematics teachers develop during lesson study is crucial for improving teaching practices and student learning outcomes. Despite widespread use of lesson study as a professional development approach, limited research has explored the specific types of teacher knowledge that emerge through this collaborative process, especially in secondary education contexts. This study explores the types of knowledge developed by mathematics teachers during the implementation of Lesson Study. Using a qualitative case study design, data were collected from three Lesson Study cycles involving four junior secondary school mathematics teachers. Data sources included classroom observations, video recordings of planning and reflection sessions, and teaching documents. Transcript-based lesson analysis was employed to examine changes in teachers’ knowledge across three key domains: mathematical content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and awareness of student thinking. Findings indicate that participation in Lesson Study encouraged deeper conceptual understanding, more deliberate instructional decisions, and greater sensitivity to students’ learning processes and misconceptions. These outcomes highlight the transformative potential of Lesson Study in fostering collaborative, practice-based professional growth. The study concludes by recommending the strengthening of school–university partnerships and the institutionalization of Lesson Study as an effective and context-responsive approach to mathematics teacher development in Indonesia.

Lesson study was introduced to school districts in Florida in the United States as part of the federal government’s Race to the Top Program in 2010 to scale improvement in instruction and student learning. However, little is known about what district policy and leadership characteristics are associated with the level of lesson study implementation. Based on a mixed methods study of a statewide survey and interviews of district professional development directors, we found that district requirement of lesson study, funding provision, and future sustainability plan were significantly and positively associated with a broader implementation of lesson study within the district. The interviews revealed that the districts that implemented lesson study districtwide first internalized lesson study through communicating and funding a districtwide expectation of job-embedded, inquiry-based professional development. Following this internalization, the district leaders institutionalized it by supporting school ownership and leadership in organizing and embedding lesson study into the school organizational structures and routines. Implications for educational leaders at local educational agencies are discussed.

This study sought to determine if, how, and the extent to which, the implementation of lesson study with preservice teachers facilitates reflection in its participants. The lesson study reports of 20 preservice teachers were analyzed qualitatively along three dimensions to determine what lesson study reports revealed about their reflections. More specifically, the analysis sought to determine what preservice teachers wrote about in their lesson study reports, and if it showed signs of reflectivity. The analysis revealed that the reflections of the participants, as evidenced within lesson study reports, resided at the lowest levels, thus supporting existing literature on the reflective abilities of preservice teachers. It also highlighted the difficulty of determining the degree to which individuals engage in reflective thinking. The results point to several considerations for those who wish to implement lesson study with preservice teachers, and identify numerous questions that warrant further investigation.