What higher education teachers talk about when they talk about their students: nature of their conversations during lesson study

ABSTRACT

Lesson study is acknowledged as a valuable practice for teachers’ professional development. Recent studies analysing teachers’ conversations during lesson study partially show that it tends to promote a student-centred approach to teaching amongst those who put it into practice. However, none has been conducted yet amongst faculty members in higher education. In this study, we conducted a multiple case study to approach this topic of research and present the content analysis of faculty members’ conversations during lesson study. We discuss the topics that were conversed in relation to students (their engagement, their thinking, their potential learning, their discourse and interactions and general ideas about them), the relative frequency of these topics within the faculty members’ conversations, how the faculty approached these topics and connected them to other topics of conversation, and the type of pedagogical actions and professional learning paths that were promoted through the discussion of these student-related topics. Findings of this research deserve to be taken into consideration when designing faculty development programmes, especially when they involve professional discussions.

KEYWORDS:

• Lesson study
• higher education
• content analysis
• teachers’ conversations
• student-related topics

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [GH], upon reasonable request.

Disclosure statement

In accordance with Taylor & Francis policy and our ethical obligation as researchers, we are reporting that there is no potential conflict of interest.

Author contributions

Author 1, Gabriel Hervas, was mainly responsible for the conception and design of the work, the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, the writing of the initial manuscript and of incorporating the revisions suggested by Author 2, José Luis Medina. José Luis Medina was also a primary contributor to the design of the work, the analysis and interpretation of the data and the revisions made to the initial drafting. Both authors have approved the final manuscript and agreed with its submission to the journal and with being accountable of all aspects of the work.

Ethical review

Ethical approval was granted from the research ethics review committees at the university sites where the study was conducted (Institutional Review Board 00003099).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness [grant reference EDU2015-63712-P - BES-2016-076824]. The funding source had no involvement in any task related to this article.

Notes on contributors

Gabriel Hervas

Gabriel Hervas is a post-doctoral researcher at the Faculty of Education of the University of Barcelona. His research revolves around faculty development programs, teachers’ training, teachers’ knowledge and reflection and lesson study. He lectures in the Bachelor of Education and in the Bachelor of Primary Education Teaching degrees at the University of Barcelona.

José Luis Medina

José Luis Medina is a tenured professor of education at the Faculty of Education of the University of Barcelona and the delegate of the Rector of Research, Improvement and Innovation in Teaching and Learning Processes at the same university. His research interests particularly pertain to the faculty development in health sciences, teaching strategies and educational epistemology.