Six school administrators (two from each of three participating schools) were invited to participate in this research. These were the head teacher and the person responsible for co- ordinating Continuing Professional Development. These two administrators at each school provided information for an in-depth understanding of the link between the school environment and lesson study in mathematics. They also provided information for the understanding of how they had interpreted the lesson study defined by the Ministry of Education for use in Zambia.
Teachers
The teachers who were invited to participate in this research were those involved in lesson study in mathematics at the participating schools. From the group of teachers observed during planning, teaching and observation of the lesson and post-lesson discussions, only two teachers at each participating school were interviewed because interviews are a time-intensive
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research instrument (Kara, 2013; Valenzuela & Shrivastava, 2002). The teachers who taught the research lessons were the ones chosen for an interview. Typically, these teachers were the ones who had previous experience in teaching a research lesson. As Ritchie, Lewis, Nicholls, and Ormston (2013) state, “Sample units are chosen because they have particular features or characteristics which enabled detailed exploration and understanding of the critical themes and questions which the researcher wishes to study” (p. 113).
3.3.2 Data sources
This section presents the sources of data for this study.
Documents
Documents were collected from the Provincial Education Office, District Education Office and participating schools. The five documents outlined below were the key documents reviewed to establish how lesson study in mathematics was being implemented.
School-Based CPD through Lesson Study/Teaching Skills Book (MOE & JICA, 2009) –
hereafter referred to as the Teaching Skills Book:
The Teaching Skills Book was based on lesson study experiences in the Central Province of Zambia. It was “aimed at not only providing appropriate teaching skills, but also to deepen the teachers’ knowledge and skills” (MOE & JICA, 2009, p. iii). It was “designed to benefit the key stakeholders such as teachers, facilitators and others who implement school- based programmes” (MOE & JICA, 2009, p. iii).
School-Based Continuing Professional Development Implementation Guidelines (MOE &
JICA, 2010b) – hereafter referred to as the Implementation Guidelines:
The Implementation Guidelines were developed in 2010 based on experiences from lesson study activities under the Strengthening Mathematics Science and Technology Education
School-Based Continuing Professional Development (SMASTE SBCPD) programme in
Central, Copperbelt, and Northwestern Provinces. These guidelines were developed for “Teachers, Senior teachers, Deputy Headteachers, Head Teachers, Facilitators and all Stakeholders at various levels of the education system to use for effective implementation and management of the school-based CPD through lesson study” (MOE & JICA, 2010b, p iii).
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School-Based CPD through Lesson Study/Management Skills Book (MOE & JICA, 2010c) –
hereafter referred to as the Management Skills Book:
The Management Skills Book was developed to help key stakeholders of the programme at various levels such as the National Education Support Team (NEST), Provincial Education Support Team (PEST), District Education Support Team (DEST), Resource Centres Co-ordinators, and school managers. The book contains information on the management skills required to support teachers implement CPD activities, especially lesson study.
Report on the Impact Assessment of the School-based Continuing Professional Development Programme in Central Province (MOE & JICA, 2010a):
This report was based on the findings from an assessment of impacts of the SBCPD programme on students’ achievement and the factors promoting and hindering the SBCPD programme in Central Province. The report provided “information that can be used by the Ministry of Education, JICA, and other donors to gauge the effectiveness of the SBCPD programme and can inform decisions about the design of future programmes” (MOE & JICA, 2010a, p 2).
Report on the Impact Assessment of the School-based Continuing Professional Development Programme: Strengthening Teachers’ Performance and Skills (STEPS) Project (MESVTEE
& JICA, 2015):
This report was based on stakeholders’ views on the impact of lesson study on learner performance, and background factors affecting its implementation. The stakeholders included Education Officers, Resource Centre Co-ordinators, head teachers, teachers, and students from three provinces. It aimed to provide information for the objectives of the Strengthening
Teachers’ Performance and Skills (STEPS) project.
The goal of the current STEPS Project was the improvement of science and mathematics education, and the overall objective was to ensure that students’ learning process in science and mathematics is improved through enhancing teaching skills under lesson study. (MESVTEE & JICA, 2015, p. vi)
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Additional documents that were collected include the new school curriculum and lesson plans for the mathematics research lessons from each participating school. Table 3.2 summarises the documents that were collected and shows which research questions were addressed through the document analysis.
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Table 3.2. Summary of documents collected
Source Documents Focus of information Research
questions Mi n is tr y o ff ic er s
The Teaching Skills Book (MOE & JICA, 2009)
Definition of lesson study. The way lesson study is being implemented in schools. Mechanisms for supporting lesson study at district level
SQ1, 3 & 4
The Implementation Guidelines (MOE & JICA, 2010c)
Definition of lesson study. The way lesson study is being implemented in schools. Mechanisms for supporting lesson study at the district level.
SQ1, 3 & 4
The Master Plan 2010– 2023 (MOE & JICA, 2010b)
Definition of lesson study. Mechanisms for supporting lesson study at national and provincial levels
SQ 1 & 2
Report on the Impact Assessment of the School- based Continuing
Professional Development Programme in Central Province (MOE & JICA, 2010b)
Changes in students’ performance
SQ 3 & 4
Report on the Impact Assessment of Lesson study in Zambia (MESVTEE & JICA, 2015)
Changes in students’ performance
SQ 3 &4
Grade 12 national
examination results for three years before and three after the introduction of lesson study at participating school. (Examination Council of Zambia)
Changes in students’ performance
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Source Documents Focus of information Research
questions Par ti ci pa ti n g Schoo ls
School Curriculum Definition of lesson study Mechanisms for supporting lesson study at school level.
SQ 1 & 2
The Teaching Skills Book (MOE & JICA, 2009
Definition and interpretation of lesson study. Mechanisms for supporting lesson study at district level.
SQ 1, 2 & 4
Mathematics lesson plans Content of the research lesson. The way lesson study is being implemented in schools. Challenges
SQ 3
Interviews
Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from participants from the In- service providers, school administrators, and teachers. Appointments were made to conduct the interviews on suitable dates. For ethical reasons, questions that might involve over-sensitive information were avoided, and data collected remains protected from access by third parties, with all interviewees identified by pseudonyms. The interviews were conducted in English, which is the official language and language of instruction in Zambia. Interviews were held during hours convenient to respondents at their official places of work. Each interview lasted approximately one hour and was audio recorded and transcribed.