Education Commons^™

Critical Turning Points During Lesson Study: Student Misconceptions Spark Teacher Learning, Krystal A. Barber

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

During lesson study teachers collaborate to design, teach, observe, and reflect on a lesson with the overarching goals of improving instruction and increasing student learning. This article examines how a 6th grade mathematics lesson study project challenged teachers’ ideas and assumptions about their students’ understanding of fraction concepts. Significant misconceptions were revealed during the teaching of the lesson, prompting teacher learning and changes to instruction. The results highlight critical turning points during the process where evidence collected during lesson observations revealed student struggles and changed how teachers supported their students’ thinking moving forward. This article also documents one teacher’s journey …