Perceptions and practice of primary school English teachers in lesson study to improve their classroom practices

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception and practices of primary school English teachers on the role of lesson study (LS) in improving classroom practices in Bahir Dar City Administration, Ethiopia. To attain the purpose of the study, a mixed methods research approach with an embedded quasi-experimental design was used. Questionnaires, interviews, and observations were used to collect data pertinent to the study. Data collected through these methods were analyzed quantitatively using percentage, descriptive statistics, paired and independent sample t-test and qualitatively through description and narration. After 6 weeks of intervention, the results of the study showed that primary school English teachers’ perceptions in LS and classroom practices have improved. The results also showed that those teachers who took part in lesson study performed better in preparing, enacting, and reflecting on their content plans. In addition, the paired sample t-test showed that there is a significant difference in mean value in the post-test (44.912) and the pre-test mean value (21.33), revealing that the post-test preferences are better. The independent sample t-test also showed a significant difference in the post-test results of the control and experimental groups. Thus, it is possible to conclude Lesson Study fostered collaboration work with colleagues improves teachers’ competence.

Keywords:

• Lesson study
• classroom practice
• primary school English teachers
• collaboration

1. Introduction

Teachers need to develop their life-long professional practices together with their peers, school community by contextualizing, shaping and translating the theoretical philosophy of curricular goals into effective classroom practices (Broad & Evans, 2006). By building capacity of teachers’ classroom practices, student achievement can be succeeded (Darling-Hammond, 2009) since teacher’s competence is the single greatest determinant of student achievement (Dudley, 2014; Ministry of Education (2018, 2020, 2021). To this point, Darling-Hammond (2000) in her study found that 40–90 percent of the difference in students’ test scores is attributed to teacher competence.

Effective classroom practices for teachers are attributed to personal characteristics and professional practices (Ministry of Education MoE, 2021). Teacher’s effectiveness in classroom practice is significant and has a value-added contribution to students’ learning (Ono & Ferreira, 2010). Teachers’ classroom effectiveness is contingent upon teaching variables of characteristics, dispositions, qualities and methods of teaching (Pretorius, 2013). For effective classroom teaching, three core features (content, knowledge, and teaching methods) should be considered (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development-OECD, 2020). Teachers’ professional competence will be effective and sustained when teachers involved collaboratively in their teaching practice with the same or similar subject areas (Darling-Hammond, 2009).

Accordingly, Suratno (2013) providing content-rich and collegial learning opportunities through school-based training for teachers can improve their classroom practices and interpersonal relationships. Herbert and Rainford (2014) also showed capacity development of teachers through collaboration learning among colleagues is one method of encouraging teachers for more classroom practice effectiveness. Collaboration is a new paradigm for teacher professional development and classroom practice improvement. It allows teachers to collaborate in planning lessons and share experiences through constructive reflection of feedback. This could lead teachers to improve their classroom practices for students learning and collegial relationship among themselves (Stigler & Hiebert, 1999). Collaboration of teachers’ professional development is important to update content knowledge and pedagogical skill, values and experiences that lead teachers’ confident and provide opportunity for discussion on instructional interventions within their everyday practice (Rock & Wilson, 2005).

The need to produce competent teachers is the prerequisite for the 21^st century. The rise of constructivism to learning is leading to an alternative paradigm of professional development, like lesson study (Dudley, 2014). Lesson study process is helpful for teachers to improve the lessons not as an end in itself, but a way to deepen their own content knowledge and pedagogy. It is not only about discovering the one right way to teach a lesson, but also building of knowledge for many teaching strategies and habits of observation, inquiry and analysis of practice (Lewis & Hurd, 2011). Lesson study opens the black box of the classroom – provides teachers with new eyes that can observe and see in great detail the micro-level, inter-relationships between their students’ learning and their own teaching and shared experiences (Dudley, 2015). The shared attempt at lesson study creates teachers to take risks and learn with each other from their students in classroom practices (Dudley, 2015). It also fosters collaboration and self-reflection (Fujii, 2013; Hart & Carriere, 2011), deepens content knowledge (Olson et al., 2011), improves professional practices (Leavy & Hourigan, 2016) boosts teacher’s self-efficacy (Lee & Madden, 2019).

Moreover, Fernandez (2002) also noticed in their study that lesson study contributed to supporting student-focused methods allowing students to be the core throughout lessons in classroom practices. It is a comprehensive and well-structured process for promoting the development of teachers’ classroom practice (Fernandez, 2002) in which teachers plan the instruction process as a group and make evaluations by carrying out the teaching practice process together (Fernandez & Yoshida, 2004). As Stigler and Hiebert (1999) pointed out, lesson study is as in-service continuous professional development enables teachers to learn from their own teaching experiences and examine practices in their own school-context setting. Lesson study capitalized context based, teacher led, student focused and collaborative professional development which enhance teachers’ classroom practices and learning experience (Daipi, 2009).

In this regard, in Ethiopia, policy documents like, General Education Quality Improvement Package [GEQIP] (2008), Education Strategic Development Plans ⌠ESDP Ⅵ, 2020] (MoE, 2022), the new education and training policy (The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, 2022) also acknowledged the need for competent teachers to move toward the national quality educational objectives. For instance, the Education Sector Development Program (ESDP- VІ, 2022) has placed in-service training of teachers through continuous professional development is a priority agenda. The approach to continuous professional development must conceptualize at school level, context-based, peer-led collaboration, student focused, and reflective activity for individual’s values and experiences of teachers (p58).

In the lesson study process, developing a research lesson is vital. In research lessons, teachers in collaboration discuss and share experiences about goals, contents, and pedagogy to the actual classroom teaching (Yee, 2012). A research lesson is an actual classroom lesson, taught to one’s own students in class. It focused on a specific teacher-generated content problem, goal, or pedagogical practice (Lewis, 2002). First, the identified content teachers plan in collaboration with colleagues, second observed by other teachers focused on students’ learning engagement in the classroom, third reflection, and discussion by the team members (Lewis & Tsuchida, 1998). This involves groups of teachers meeting over a period in lesson study steps. Each lesson study step comprises where teachers begin by studying the curriculum to decide on the research theme, planning a research lesson, implementing and observing the research lesson in the classroom, and reflecting (Lewis et al., 2006).

2. The problem statement

Despite the fact that new pedagogical paradigms (learner-centered, collaborative work, reflective debate, etc.) are advocated in different countries, the education system remains entangled with its quality problems. Research findings in developing countries (Ethiopia is the one), (Abadzi, 2006; Desalegn, 2014; McKeachie et al., 2010) show that teaching practices are too teacher-centered, under-developed in problem-solving skills and use of teaching aids, lack of effective classroom organization and management and addressing strategies to individual needs. McKeachie et al. (2010), in her study, pointed out that students are unlikely to make systematic progress in their thinking skills since they were not allowed to develop habits of reflection about their experiences, failures and their plans of choices. Desalegn (2014) also added in his finding that there was poor collaborative work among teachers and teachers were poor at their mastery of content knowledge, pedagogy, language fluency and low teaching efficacy and willingness.

The quest for quality teachers in Ethiopia has also remained an unresolved national educational agenda. For instance, the reports by (2020, 2021) showed that performing school teachers were not adequate compared to the standards of teachers’ competence objectives. Similarly, according to some studies (e.g., (2018); Ashebir, 2014, Esayas & Rao, 2021, Dadi, 2015, Tadesse & Sintayehu, 2022) indicated many challenges have engulfed the practice of teachers’ continuous professional development in Ethiopia which resulted in poor classroom practices. Teachers are less autonomous to decide on the focus of their learning needs resulted in discontinuous professional learning practice partly because of the disparity between the school’s learning needs and those of the teachers’ needs (Esayas & Rao, 2021). Similarly, the study by Dadi (2015) pointed out that teacher professional development which resulted poor teachers’ classroom practices in Ethiopia is characterized by drawbacks:

Ethiopian teacher professional development, during the training session much attention is paid to academic courses than professional courses. Pedagogical content knowledge was not given attention as far as teacher professional development is concerned. Ethiopian teacher professional development no formal program of induction, induction still occurs as an informal process of on the job learning from practice and norms of the school settings. Workshops and seminars for teachers’ competence improvement are very short and limited. Most of the time, what teachers discussed in the programs were issues of politics rather than issues of teaching - practices and learning process (P.9).

In addition, (2020) mentioned, primary school graduate teachers lack competence, basically, English teachers need intervention for their proficiency and skills. Japan international cooperation agency (JICA),(2016) also pointed out that ‘Mathematics and Science primary school teachers are under the necessary facilitation skills of discussion, demonstration, planning lesson plan. Continuous assessment techniques and student-centered methods are not in place, action research is not part of school culture and facilities are scarce for effective teaching practice at primary schools (Mulualem et al., 2023). This resulted in children’s failure to master basic skills of learning at the completion of the first cycle (MoE, 2020). Learning outcomes from many primary school children have not yet reached the minimum expected standards (Dawit, 2020) unsatisfactory national students learning assessment results (Ethiopian National Learning Assessment ENLA, 2016; USAID, 2019) in Ethiopia.

Studies of in-service teacher continuous professional development strategy to its implementation were unsuccessful to change teachers’ classroom pedagogy. It lacks linkage with context, collaborative and reflective practices, teacher-led, student-focused teaching methods and assessment techniques (Ministry of Education MoE, 2020, 2022). The practice and its execution are stalled and hated and teachers are less active to engage in the process. Teachers assumed it is politically imposed and making them busy (Ashebir, 2014; Ministry of Education MoE, 2020).

Due to the above-mentioned problems and the rise of constructivism to date, the researchers believe that there should be an intervention which aims at introducing better initiatives for teachers’ classroom practices. Teachers need to possess certain personal values that allow them to act as in collaboration with colleagues for the better initiative of classroom practices. This is the fact that lesson study practices emphasizes critical aspects of collegial learning process viewed among teachers experiential perspective in constructing meaningful professional competence. When teachers are continuously engaged in lesson study process, they can construct, organize, share and refine their practices in discipline-specific content knowledge and pedagogy (Lewis, 2012) and can explore and create the development of more meaningful exploration of the teaching process through classroom observation (Chassels & Melville, 2009 Fenandez, Patton, 2002). Taking this in to account, the researchers aspired to investigate primary school English teachers perceptions and practices in lesson study to improve their classroom practices. For this purpose, the present study focuses on the following research question:

1. How do primary school English teachers perceive and practice lesson study to improve their classroom practices?

2. Is there a statistically significant difference observed between the control and experimental group respondents?

3. Conceptual framework

The constructivists view point emphasize that lesson study is used as a specific type of teacher professional development for teachers’ content knowledge and skills improvement. According to Gulamhussein (2013) and Wei (2009) research findings, lesson study as teachers’ professional development process influenced teachers’ classroom practice. Lesson study added new subject knowledge and skills through reflection over time working with collaboration with colleagues for teachers’ classroom practices improvement (Darling-Hammond, 2009). Other scholars believed lesson study in the theoretical perspective has positive effect on teaching practices and student achievement (Lewis, 2002). Lesson study approach has been found the main contributor of classroom practices improvement (Somma & Yüzbaşıoğlu, 2016).

When teachers engage in the lesson study process, they are collaboratively examining their classroom practices. This is confirmed by the results of Bayram and Bıkmaz (2018). For this study, lesson study gives chance to teachers to work together as an effective tool to improve classroom practice as well as supporting teachers’ professional development. Lesson study helps teachers to engage and form communities of practices through lesson planning (research lesson), doing, and reflection. When teachers are continuously engaged in LS stages, they construct, organize, share, and refine their practices (e.g., discipline-specific content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), values, and experiences (Lewis, 2012).

During lesson planning (research lesson) preparation, teachers predict how students will react to specific content activities and objectives. This requires teachers to discuss and assess their classroom practices. In content implementation and observation in the classroom, the research lesson leads to changing insights and practices (Bakkenes et al., 2010) and observation practices in the light of the expected outcome and the reflection further stimulate teachers’ classroom practices. As it is shown in the cyclical diagram below, it is believed lesson study process stages impact content knowledge (CK) pedagogical knowledge (PK), values, and experiences of primary school English teachers results improved classroom practices.

Figure 1 above indicated that lesson study process is cyclical and has three phases; planning (research lesson), doing (implementing) the lesson/s in the classroom, reflection (discussion) after implementing the lesson/s. In each phase of lesson study, teachers are discussing on their content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, values and experiences for their classroom practices improvement. Teachers will continue in such a way practicing Lesson Study process.

Figure 1. Conceptual framework of lesson study process of the study.

4. Methods

4.1. Research approach

In this study, a mixed methods research approach that involves both quantitative and qualitative data is used. This is based on the philosophical and theoretical assumptions of the pragmatist research paradigm. The approach involves the use of rigorous methods, i.e., methods of data collection, data analysis, and interpretation of both quantitative and qualitative data (Creswell, 2018). In this research, quantitative data were used to test the “independent variable” that influenced teachers’ subject content knowledge, pedagogical skills, values, quasi-experiment, and experiences. The qualitative data was embedded within the quantitative data after the intervention. Qualitative data, on the other hand, were used to explore the contribution of LS to teachers’ classroom practices.

4.2. Research design

This study employed an embedded experimental design. The experiment the study employed was a quasi-experiment. In the quasi-experiment, the experimental group and the control group were assigned. Both groups took a pre-test and a post-test. Only the experimental group receives the treatment. The researchers underwent controlling certain variables. This was to allow the researchers to identify causal relationships observed under controlled conditions and see the effects of changes in the variable (Creswell, 2012). The cause-and-effect relationship in this study is based on the activity theory of causation (Creswell, 2008; Cook & Shadish, 2002). In this embedded experimental design, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. In other words, the qualitative data was embedded to supplement the quantitative data.

4.3. Sample respondents

According to the statistics of the 2021/2022 academic year of Bahir Dar City Administration education department, there were 41 primary government schools. In these schools, there were 1239 primary school teachers (455 males and 772 females). Out of this number, 200 were English language teachers who were trained in the cluster and linear modalities. To be specific, 89 of them (41 males and 48 females) were trained in the linear modality, while the remaining 111 (38 males and 73 females) were graduates of the cluster modality. Among the 41 primary schools of the city administration, 13 of them had three and above English teachers who teach in Grades 5–8. These schools had 54 cluster and 58 linear English teachers. Out of the 13 primary schools, four of them having more than three and above English teachers teaching in Grades 5–8 were selected using random sampling (lottery) technique (Creswell, 2018). The primary schools selected in this manner were Teyma, AddisAmba, Shimbitand EwuketFana.

The above four sample schools had a total of 264 (90 male and 174 female) teachers. Of this number, 29 (13 males and 16 females) were English language teachers teaching in Grades 5–8. These teachers were, therefore, the target population of the study. From this number, a total of 24 English teachers (9 males and 15 females), six teachers from each school, were selected using simple random sampling technique. The reason chosen six teachers in schools each in school was LS needs a team of 3–6 teachers with similar teaching interests to practice in schools (Cerbin & Kopp, 2006).

4.4. Data sources and instruments

As already indicated, the data sources of this study were 24 primary school English teachers who were teaching in Grades 5–8. From these teachers, data were collected through questionnaire, interview, and observation.

4.5. Questionnaire

Questionnaire allows gathering large amount of data from respondents in a minimal amount of time and helps respondents to respond at their convenience (Bryman & Creswell, 2012). The quantitative data, the researcher collected data through close-ended questionnaire with the purpose of examining primary school English teachers’ perceptions and practices of lesson study in improving their classroom practices. Therefore, teachers' perceptions and practices on the impact of LS in improving teachers’ classroom practices developed by Webster-Wright (2009) and further used by Yadeta and Assefa (2018) the necessary the questions have been updated to better fit the research questions pertinent to this study. The review of literature for further updating and adapting of questionnaires was also used. The questionnaire that deal with teachers’ perceptions in lesson study contained six closed items with five-point Likert scaled ranged from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). And the questionnaire included 12 closed items with four-point Likert scaled ranged from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree) were about lesson study impact in improving teachers’ classroom practices. Questionnaires administered to both groups two times, i.e., before and after the treatment.

4.6. Validations and reliability test

The initial version of the questionnaire was given to two Curriculum and Instruction PhD candidates to check its face and content validity. They provided important comments and suggestions that were useful in improving the last version of the questionnaire. Similarly, the training manual’s effectiveness was evaluated after the implementation of the training. The data for this purpose was collected through a questionnaire from the teachers who participated in the training. In the questionnaire, teachers were asked to rate their response either “High (3)”, “Medium (2)”, or “Low” (1). In line with this, 76% and 24% of the respondents rated “high” and “medium”, respectively. No respondent rated the training manual “Low”. The language of the initial version of the training manual was also checked by the two PhD candidates.

In order to check the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach’s Alpha reliability test was used. To this effect, the questionnaire was piloted in Dona Ber primary school, a school that was not selected for the actual study. It was administered for 20 teachers who were teaching in Grades 5–8. All of the questionnaires were returned and the reliability coefficients of items of perception were found to be acceptable as their alpha values were not less than 0.967 (Creswell, 2012; Larson-Hall, 2010).

5. Interviews

Interviews allow the researcher to enter into the perspectives of those participating in the study (Patton, 2002) and enabling participants to discuss their interpretations and express how they look upon situations from their own point of view (Cohen et al., 2007). Since the current study investigates perceptions and practices of English teachers of the lesson study from their perspective, interview is also obtained as the appropriate tool for this research purpose. Individual face-to-face verbal interchange, which is the most common type of semi-structured interviewing, was employed. In order to understand the feelings of participants for both the perceptions, practices of LS, all interview questions were asked during the interview to the participants.

Semi-structured interview with five items were developed and adapted from literature. Six interviewee from the experimental group participated in the interview process. Each respondent took 23–35 min for interview. Semi-structured interview was used because of the nature of the research design and the intent of the researchers to gain in-depth understanding and practice of lesson study through respondents own voices and words (Creswell, 2018).

6. Observation

It is another instrument used to collect data for this study. The researchers conducted observation because the lesson study focuses on what happens among the teams or group members working together and demands actual observation of the practice of teaching using an observation checklist. The classroom practice observation checklist (the classroom practices observation sheet) was devised from lesson study as a tool to improve teachers’ content knowledge and pedagogical skills. The observation checklist contained the criterions “method, students” participation, mastery of the subject, communication skills in the classroom, using teaching learning aids, lesson progression, and lesson planning criteria. The criteria have detailed components each. This was to measure how primary school English teachers addressed content and skills in the classroom. We recorded the clear and not clear aspects in the blank space column for the description (anecdote note) of each observed aspect. For its consistency and thrust worthiness of the observation data, we observed each teacher two times, which took 40 min in a period. While doing observation remarks, the researchers recorded each component as an anecdote note in the column. We observed each experimental group of teachers after 6 weeks of practice of lesson study procedures in their English language lesson study team. After doing observation, the researchers summarized the average data for interpretation.

7. Data collection procedures

The study was conducted on 24 primary school English teachers working in four public schools in Bahir Dar City Administration, Ethiopia. The teachers participated in lesson study intervention program for 6 weeks in their schools. Data were gathered two times, i.e., before and after the treatment. Before treatment, the experimental group was given inventory (preliminary) pre-test questionnaires. Then, the result was collected and analyzed quantitatively. After 6 weeks of treatment in the experimental group, the same questionnaire was given as a post-test. The researcher participated in the investigation as a participant-observer by facilitating the introduction of the lesson study to the experimental group. Participants involved in the lesson study process exhibit collaborative planning, observation, and reflection. The interview was conducted using sound recording. It was held when respondents were free in classroom teaching. Classroom observation was also conducted using the time schedule of lesson study in each school. The data collected through observation were recorded for the necessary description and analysis of each observed component sheet.

8. Data analysis

In this study, both quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis were employed. In order to understand the impact of LS in improving teachers’ classroom practices, the pre-test and post-test scores were analyzed using percentage, descriptive and inferential statistical methods. To check the difference between the pre-test and post-test results of the groups, percentage, descriptive and paired sample t-test results of the pre- and post-test mean scored value were compared. Independent sample t-test was also used in order to see the difference between the control and experimental group results. In doing so, the SPSS version 26 was used.

The data obtained through semi-structured interview and observations, on the other hand, were analyzed qualitatively. While analyzing the qualitative data, the tasks of coding and transcription were made. Such specific techniques as description, narration, and verbatim citation were used in analyzing these data.

9. The experiment procedure

To clarify the purpose of this experimental study and to obtain the consent of the participants, the researchers had conducted a brief discussion with the research participants. All of them were volunteers to take part in the research. Then, a pre-test questionnaire with six items focusing on English teachers’ perceptions in lesson study and 12 questionnaire items focusing on teachers’ perspective in the practices of lesson study vis-à-vis their classroom practices was administered to both respondents. A brief discussion on the purpose of this research was held, and all participants were volunteers to be part of the research.

After the pre-test, a training manual to the experimental group, with five parts, was prepared. Then, a two-days training was organized to familiarize participants with the major theoretical and practical aspects of lesson study. In the training, teachers practiced the major procedures and activities of LS before they went to its actual practice in their respective schools. In order to get the support of school leaders, principals were also invited to participate in the training. Following this, the experiment was implemented for six consecutive weeks. In doing so, the participants of the experimental group went through the four major steps of lesson study. After the intervention, the pre-test questionnaire item was administered to both groups once again as a post-test.

10. Results

10.1. Background information of respondents

In order to understand the respondents’ background information, some items focusing on sex, educational level, and year of experiences were included in the questionnaire. The result obtained in this regard is summarized in Table 1.

Table 1. Demographic characteristics of respondents

Category		Number	Percent
Sex	Male	9	37.5
	Female	15	62.5
	Total	24	100
Qualification	Diploma	16	66.7
	Bachelor Degree	8	33.3
	Total	24	100
Teaching Experience	≤10 Years	2	8.3
	11–20 Years	11	45.6
	≥21 years	11	45.8
	Total	24	100

Table 1 presented the sex, educational level and teaching experience of the respondents. Accordingly, 9 (37.5%) and 15 (62.5%) of them were males and females, respectively. Regarding their qualification, 16 (66.7%) were Diploma holders while the remaining 8(33.3%) were Degree holders. This indicates that most respondents had the minimum educational qualification to the level. As far as their teaching experience is concerned, 2(8.3%) of them had less than or equal to 10 years of experience while 11 (45.8%) and another 11 (45.8%) of them had a teaching experience of 11–20 and above 20 years, respectively. This indicates that most of the respondent (91.6%) had a teaching experience of more than 10 years. Cerbin and Kopp (2006) argued that the professional growth of teachers will take place through increasing years of service in educational institutions working with students and colleagues. Increasing years of service enables teachers to practice different teaching skills and to integrate new knowledge and skills with current practice.

10.2. Perceptions of teachers in lesson study

Both control and experimental groups were asked to point out their perceptions about lesson study. The questionnaire was comprises closed questions that require answers provided by respondents selecting point Likert scale is a scale of 1=Strongly Disagree (SD), 2=Disagree (D), 3 =Not Sure (NS), 4=Agree (A) to 5=Strongly Agree (SA). The pre-test post-test results data analyzed using a simple percentile analysis to get the perceptions of primary school English teachers about lesson study.

The percentage data about LS perceptions of primary school English teachers in Table 2 above showed the pre-test posttest result. The pre-test result data for both respondents is summarized. Accordingly, 16.6% strongly disagree, 33.3% disagree, 50.0% of the non-treatment participants were not sure LS increases teachers’ pedagogical skills, whereas, among treatment participants, 8.3% strongly agree, 41.6% disagree, 50% were not sure whether or not lesson study increases teachers’ pedagogical skills. In their perception of non-treatment and treatment participants, 33.3% of them disagree that LS helps to improve classroom practices while 58.3% and 50% of the non-treatment and treatment participants, respectively, were not sure whether LS improve their classroom practices or not. 8.3% in the non-treatment group and 16.6% of the treatment participants strongly disagree that LS is the best approach to improve teachers’ classroom practices.

Table 2. Perception of teachers’ in lesson study Pre-test post-test response results

Items	Resp. type	N	Response
			Pre-test					Post-test
			SD N(%)	DN(%)	NS N(%)	A N(%)	SA N(%	SD N(%)	DN(%)	NS N(%)	A N(%)	SA N(%)
LS increases teachers pedagogical skills	Control	12	2 16.6	4 33.3	6 50.0		-	1 8.3	5 41.6	6 50.0	-	-
	Exp.	12	1 8.3	5 41.6	6 50.0	-	-	-	-	-	2 16.6	10 83.3
LS improves classroom practices	Control	12	1 8.3	4 33.3	7 58.3		-	-	4 33.3	8 66.6	-	-
	Exp.	12	2 16.6	4 33.3	6 50.0		-	-	-	-	1 8.3	11 91.6
LS improves teachers teaching confidence	Control	12	3 25.0	4 33.3	5 41.6	-	-	2 16.6	4 33.3	6 50.0	-	-
	Exp.	12	2 16.6	6 50.0	4 33.3	-	-	-	-	-	2 16.6	10 83.3
LS helps to know students learning	Control	12	-	5 41.6	7 58.3	-	-	1 8.3	5 41.6	6 50.0	-	-
	Exp.	12	1 8.3	6 50.0	5 41.6	-	-	-	-	-	2 16.6	10 83.3
LS increases teachers’ content knowledge	Control	12	2 16.6	3 25.0	7 58.3	-	-	2 16.6	4 33.3	6 50.0	-	-
	Exp.	12	1 8.3	5 41.6	6 50.0		-	-	-	-	-	12 100
LS is carried out in collaboration with colleagues	Control	12	3 25.0	4 33.3	5 41.6	-	-	3 25.0	5 41.6	4 33.3	-	-
	Exp.	12	2 16.6	6 50.0	4 33.3	-	-	-	-	-	-	12 100

Note: Control group = non-treatment participants; Experimental group= treatment group.

In Table 2 also showed that 25% strongly disagree, 33.3% disagree and 41.6% of the non-treatment groups were not sure that lesson study helps in improving their confidence. While the treatment participants, 16.6% strongly disagree, 50.0% disagree, 33.3% not sure that LS improves teachers’ confidence. Among the non-treatment group, 41.6% disagree, 58.3% not sure whereas in the treatment groups, 50% disagree, 41.3% not sure, 8.3% strongly disagree LS is the best approach to teachers know students learning.

As depicted it in Table 2, 25% disagree, 58.3% not sure in the treatment group while 41.6% disagree, 6 50% not sure in the treatment members that LS is a helpful approach in increasing teachers’ content knowledge. A 16.6% of the non-treatment participants and 8.3% of the treatment participants strongly disagree in their belief that LS is helpful to increase teachers’ content knowledge. The non-treatment participants in this study pre-test result, 25% strongly disagree, 33.3% disagree, 41.6% not sure while 16.6% strongly disagree, 50% disagree, 33.3% of the treatment participants were not sure that LS is carried out in collaboration with colleagues.

After 6 weeks of treatment, the pre-test items were administered to both groups once as a post test. Therefore, the post-test data were also described. As it was shown in Table 2, in the posttest result data of the non-treatment group, 41.6% disagree, 50% were not sure, 8.3% strongly disagree while among the treatment group, 16.6% agree and 83.3% strongly agree that lesson study is helpful to the development of their pedagogical skills. Accordingly, their rate of perception of the non-treatment group, 33.3% disagree, 66.6% not sure while 8.3% agree, 91.6% strongly agree that LS is a valuable approach to improve their classroom practices.

Conferring to the respondents’ perception, 16.6% strongly disagree, 33.3% disagree, and 50.0% were not sure among the non-treatment group members that LS can improve teacher’s confidence, whereas of the treatment group members, 16.6% agree, 83.3% strongly agree lesson study is the best approach in increasing their teaching confidence and know students learning. Besides, teachers in the treatment group strongly agree that lesson study is a valuable approach increasing teachers’ content knowledge and they believed that lesson study process should be carried out in collaboration with colleagues. While 16.6% of the non-treatment group members were strongly disagree, 33.3% disagree 50% were not sure that whether LS process increases their content knowledge or not, and 25.0% of them strongly disagree, 41.6% disagree, and 33.3% not sure in their perception that lesson study process is carried out in collaboration with colleagues.

In this research, participants were also requested to rate their perspective in the practices of lesson study for the improvement of their classroom practices. The researchers used questionnaires with four-point Likert scales. Table 3 depicted descriptive data results about the practices of teachers in lesson study after they took part in the lesson study process for 6 weeks.

Table 3. Teachers’ perspective in practices of lesson study in improving classroom practices

Items	N	Min.	Max.	Mean	SD
LS is a good tool to improve my teaching practices	12	3	4	3.92	0.289
A LS has positively impacted teachers’ classroom practices to students understanding of English language skills components	12	3	4	3.83	0.389
I think practicing of LS positively impacted students test score	12	3	4	3.67	0.492
I feel more comfortable in teaching English contents with colleagues as the result of LS process	12	3	4	3.67	0.492
LS process made me more to teach English language contents in integrative and interactive way	12	3	4	3.75	0.452
LS process has improved my teaching skills of English language contents	12	3	4	3.83	0.389
Participating in LS process has improved language skills in integrated way	12	3	4	3.75	0.452
LS process helped me to teach language components in interactive manner	12	3	4	3.67	0.49
After developed alessonplan by the team, I found the observers’ comments and reflection helpful	12	2	4	3.67	0.651
Teachers in our school’s plan lessons more better than the usual due to participating in lesson study	12	3	4	3.67	0.492
I feel participating in LS process made me to see mistakes in the classroom in English language as a part of natural process	12	3	4	3.58	0.515
I plan to continue using LS steps in my teaching practices in the future	12	3	4	3.92	0.289
Valid N (list wise)	12	35	48	3.74	0.45

Note: N= Number, M= Mean, SD= Standard Deviation.

Table 3 discloses teachers’ response on the contribution of lesson study in improving English teachers’ classroom practices. Accordingly, the grand mean value score was 3.74 with standard deviation of 0.45 is greater than expected mean value 2.50. After 6-week intervention, primary school English teachers agreed in their response that lesson study improved their classroom practices. This is to say that lesson study made significant impact in instructional planning skills, knowledge of subject matter, use of appropriate teaching skills, instructional materials, understanding English language components and scoring students test results. As shown in Table 3, the mean scored values for all items included in the questionnaire were greater than the expected mean scored value of 2.50.

For this study, an independent sample t-test was also computed. The reason behind was to see the significant differences among the control and experimental groups’ pre-test posttest results. The result is presented in Table 4.

Table 4. Independent sample t-test of pretest post test results

Variable	Type	N	Result	M	SD	SE	T	P	MD
Classroom practice (CP)	Control	12	Pre-test	21.17	3.589	1.036	−.128	.899	−.167
	Exp.	12	Pre-test	21.33	2.741	.791
	Control	12	Post-test	22.25	3.018	.8714	−19.035	.000	−22.666
	Exp.	12	Post-test	44.91	2.810	.811

Note: N= Number, M= Mean, SD= Standard Deviation, MD= Mean difference

As shown in Table 4, there was no statistically significant difference in the pre-test mean score results among the control and experimental groups on the contributions of lesson study in improving teachers’ classroom practices (t=−.128, df = 11, p = .899). The same table shows the mean score value for the control group was M = 21.17, SD = 3.589 while the experimental group mean score value was M = 21.33, SD = 2.741 with t-value = −.128, MD = −.167 and P value =.899.

After intervention with the experimental group, pre-test items were administered as post-test to both groups. After 6 weeks of treatment, the calculated t-test data showed that significant statistical data difference was observed in favor of experimental group. The post-test mean score result of the experimental groups was (M = 44.9167, SD = 2.81096 with t = −19.035, p < 0.01) is greater by 22.666 mean score value than the post-test mean score result of the control groups (M = 22.25) with standard deviation (SD = 2.81096). From this data, it could be understood that the experimental group teachers got remarkable improvements in their classroom practices (CP).

In the interim, the paired sample t-test analysis in Table 5 in the pre-test and post-test results within the experimental group response was calculated. It showed that there was a significant difference in the pre-test and post-test results. The post-test mean value M = 44.92, SD = 2.7413 is much greater than the pre-test mean value M = 21.33 SD = 2.74, with t= −33.123, df = 11, p < 0.01. This result revealed that the 6-week collaboration practices of LS on the experimental groups brought significant change to their classroom practices.

Table 5. Paired Sample t-test Pre-test Post-test Result within the Experimental Group

Variable	Resp. type	Results	N	Mean	SD	df	SE	T	p
Classroom practices (CP)	Experimental	Pre-test Post test	12 12	21.33 44.92	2.74 2.81	11 11	.79137 .81146	−33.123	.000

In the semi-structured interview, the participant teachers indicated that their involvement in the lesson study team had brought significant changes in their classroom practices. They also reported that their participation in LS had a positive impact on their students’ motivation. According to some participant teachers, lesson study had helped them in increasing their confidence while teaching English lessons with colleagues. They further stated that participation in LS helped each other to teach language skills in an interactive way. The interview also depicted that during reflection, they benefited working together and positively criticizing one’s own mistake. The interaction between them resulted into a smooth inter-personal relationship. The following interviewees’ excerpts epitomize this contention.

…before practicing LS, we were not good at to communicate each other, even though one faces content difficulties in his or her teaching practices. But now, LS encouraged us to learn, communicate and share ideas to each other on subject difficulties. It results smooth collegial relationship between the team, it created a forum for finding one another (T19).

… in our school, teachers are large in number and we could not have a chance see each other, one’s presents did not concern to other staff. At this time, we are eager to see each other and to do our subject area activities together. Even other department teachers started to be eager to learn from our team collaboration activities (T9).

One of the female teachers also extended here responses that “LS is beneficial to us. This is a kind of professional development fosters our professionalism. In this way, we can learn a lot from colleagues about our subject areas. It is normal that teachers’ methodological knowledge becomes dated after a certain period of time; therefore, LS is a good way to improve our professional in turn our teaching methods” (T9).

For another respondent, “LS helped me to use formative assessments in explicit way, interactive and integrative teaching approaches. It also helped me to complete my dailylesson topic timely and effectively” (T14). “We exchanged ideas about teaching methods and did observation to each other in classroom using observation checklists. And reflect to give and receive feedback after observation. This brought unity among us to work together. It resulted in uniformity of learning for students taught by different teachers. It solved the disparity between the approaches used by teachers. He also confirmed that I saw changes in my own subject knowledge and teaching skills” (T5).

“It was great that I heard and understood that I learnt new grammar knowledge from my lesson study team members in our discussion. It was really enjoyable to sit down together and focus on alesson plan activities with the purpose of designing it to meet our students’ needs. Through collaboration, we often found that we all said things differently, but were trying to do the same thing in our lesson plan. I learned from working with more experienced teachers in our reflection how to plan contents and teach accordingly. My teaching practice in my subject area will be improved if I continue helping each other and sharing experience with my peers in our school” (T17).“Now, I realized that LS is beneficial to every teacher no matter how long he/she has been teaching. I am confident on the role LS plays in making me more skillful in teaching my subject” (T23).

From the above interview data, it is possible to deduce that those teachers were benefited in working together positively criticizing one’s own mistake during reflection. The interaction between them resulted creating smooth inter-personal relationship and created unity among them selves. Lesson study helped them share and reflect on difficult subjects. In addition, it helped them to improve assessment techniques.

During classroom observation with the experimental group, it was possible to note that the teachers were engaged in interactive teaching and they integrated group and pair works as well as individual works in their classrooms. They had prepared and depended on quality lesson plan which clearly depicted lesson progress in target for attaining the learning objectives. Students participated actively in the classroom activities. To sum up, the results obtained from both quantitative and qualitative data suggest that participation in LS programs has a positive impact in improving the classroom practice of English teachers. The teachers who took part in the 6-week LS experiment found the approach helpful not only in improving their instructional practices but also in enhancing the learning outcomes of their students.

11. Discussion

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions and practices of primary school English teachers’ in lesson study to improve classroom practices by focusing on Bahir Dar City Administration, Ethiopia. Regarding teachers’ perceptions about on lesson study, six questionnaire items were received as pre-test post-test. As it was shown in Table 2, there was no statistical difference observed between both the control and experimental groups before intervention. However, as it revealed those who took part of lesson study intervention had better perceptions in lesson study than the control group members. They also perceived lesson study enhanced their content knowledge, reflective practices and collaborative working culture which encouraged them to professional learning communities.

The findings on teachers’ perception of this research affirmed that peer reflection and feedback, specifically content knowledge and pedagogical literacy which are important to teacher development are important improving classroom practices. Teachers who took part in intervention believed that LS increased their confidence and it is carried out in collaboration with colleagues as their teaching paradigm shifts from working alone to a more effective way of planning lessons. Similar research findings of Mitcheltree (2006) concluded that the teachers’ believed that their confidences in content knowledge and classroom practices were improving during in each stages oflesson study Process. Sitton (2006) also found in teachers perception that teachers were satisfied with the lesson study process impacted on their content knowledge, teaching skills and relationship with colleagues.

The study also examined lesson study practices by the teachers an intervention approach to the better initiative for their classroom practices improvement. The findings of this research showed that the lesson study process has significant positive effects in increasing teachers teaching skills. The result indicated that lesson study helped teachers to impact new demands in their students’ needs and taking risks in their classroom settings. It helped to seek new changes to teachers about their student’s needs and take risks in their classroom settings. As Lewis et al. (2009) and Dudley (2014) pointed out, participation in the lesson study process had positively impacted classroom practices and teachers tended to build in new approaches to take “risks” in their teaching practice. The on-going lesson study practices fostered collaboration work with colleagues for those who took part of LS intervention at school settings.

After the intervention, statistically significant difference was observed in the pre-test post-test response results of respondents. The mean scored value of the paired and independent sample-tests of post-test results were greater than the pre-test mean scored values. This implied that this research took full advantage of the LS approach to shift individual work to collaborative practices on primary school English teachers’ classroom practices and networking. Engaging in LS as a tool for school-based professional development results a shift in teachers’ teaching practices from individual to collegial activity (Kriewaldt, 2012) and teachers made more use of student-entered instruction strategies in their lessons (Yoshida & Jackson, 2011).

In Ethiopia, teachers were not good at working together while they faced problem in their day-to-day classroom practices. Teachers lack networking and collegial relationships among themselves at school level. Teachers could not work in collaboration to establish professional learning culture. They were preparing their lesson plans individually. Collaboration between colleagues was poor at schools. However, this research result gives insight. Lesson study is not practiced in Ethiopia education system as collaboration teachers’ professional development strategy at school context. This study result confirmed to teachers in Ethiopia to learn themselves in collaboration through their lifetime career by themselves at schools for their classroom improvement through the lesson study process. The study is also a sign to the Ministry of Education to focus on lesson study that allowed equality in partnership and brought mutual benefits to accomplish the learning goals at the school level. This collaboration work using LS process as a professional development strategy gave an opportunity for Ethiopian teachers to have shared ideas and experiences concerning their classroom practices. Teachers created strong networks, connection of daily practice too long and short-term lesson plans and sense of efficacy through lesson study process (Perry & Hurd, 2004).

12. Conclusions and recommendations

This study was aimed to investigate the perception and practices of primary school English teachers on the role of lesson study in improving classroom practices. Data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The result showed that LS holds immense potential as a structure within which teachers can enjoy, learn from, share and reflect on their practices of teaching English contents. Participating in this study process made significant gains for primary school English teachers’ classroom practices. Participants underlined that LS practice enabled them to apply student-oriented classroom practices at their schools. This was due to practicing and understanding lesson study procedures and principles. Teachers perceive lesson study as an effective model for their professional development (PD) that enabled them for new classroom practices initiative. And, the findings also asserted lesson study improved teachers’ competence. Lesson study is a helpful approach to increasing subject teaching skills in English teachers’ profession and addressing the individual student learning needs in their classroom settings. It is also possible to conclude that lesson study provides for primary school English teachers in improving their interpersonal relationships for social activities. By recruiting a lesson study model as context-based, teacher-led, student-centered, collaborative-based, and reflective practice enhanced the betterment of teachers’ classroom practice.

Further, it is recommended to policy and decision-making education professionals, those policymakers and concerned professionals in the Ethiopian education system must consider and respond constructively to the findings of this study make lesson study an innovative school-based approach for teachers’ professional development (TPD). Intervention to the current CPD structure and strategy in Ethiopia is needed for teachers with the view to mitigate the problem in its implementation. It is important to adopt and integrate a continuous professional development approach suitable for the Ethiopian education system and clearly link instructional improvement seen in the lesson study model. The policy makers should believe and advocate continuous professional development should be teacher owned, context based, and student led like LS encourages collaborative learning by the school community. The Ministry of education and Regional Education Bureaus should consider LS is a priority and an innovative school-based teacher professional development approach for improving teachers’ competences. Teachers should be supported by school principals and should be motivated to use LS professional development approach frequently and continuously. Lesson study approach requires a lot of time and effort, so it is likely important to support teachers for the successful covering its cyclical phase. In order to do this, first, it is necessary to introduce the lesson study to the teachers at schools and to present the relevant work of others and encourage teachers to apply this approach in their lessons confidently. Finally, it is the researchers believe that additional research may be needed to document the direct impact of LS on teachers’ continual classroom practice improvement that chooses to experiment with lesson study.

13. Limitation of the study

One limitation of this research is the sample population of the study. Only four schools and 24 teachers were involved in this research, while stages of the lesson study were presented and practiced. These English teachers cannot be stated as representative of all English teachers and other subject teachers that may exist around the country. In addition, these schools were both located in urban though there were suburb area primary schools. The study is limited in government primary schools; however, there are a number of private schools that seek attention in Bahir Dar City Administration.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).