Lesson Study is a structured, collaborative professional development intervention that has shown evidence of improving mathematics instruction among K-12 teachers. Despite a lengthy history of use internationally and in elementary and secondary schools in the United States, Lesson Study has rarely been implemented in higher education. This project, conducted in partnership with Education Northwest (EdNW), tested the usability of Lesson Study among instructors teaching developmental mathematics at three community colleges in Oregon.
Faculty at community colleges in Oregon implemented a new quantitative literacy course designed to prepare non-STEM students for Liberal Arts Math. This redesigned course required faculty to teach new content in new ways, for example, enhancing emphasis on real-world applications and problem-solving. Under the guidance of Lesson Study implementation experts from EdNW, teams of college faculty and administrators developed an adaptation of Lesson Study specifically designed for the community college context. CCRC conducted implementation research during the development period and provided feedback to strengthen refinement. CCRC also conducted a pilot study to assess the promise of Lesson Study for improving teaching and learning in developmental mathematics.
This project was funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences.