Theoretical Background of Teacher Collaboration

What are Lesson Studies? Lesson Studies represent a collaborative approach in teaching, primarily aimed at exploring and enhancing educational methods. This process involves a group of teachers who work together to design, implement, and then reflect upon STEM lessons. The key focus is on professional development, fostered through direct peer feedback. While valuable, it's important to note that Lesson Studies are not intended as a permanent teaching method, but rather as a tool for continuous improvement and innovation in educational practices.

What are the Benefits? Lesson Studies enable teachers to improve their pedagogical skills through collaborative learning and sharing experiences. They provide a platform for the practical exploration and testing of new teaching methods and approaches directly in the classroom.

What are the Requirements? The main requirements for conducting Lesson Studies are:

• A group of committed teachers willing to collaborate and learn from each other on an equal footing.
• Willingness to jointly plan, observe, and analyse lessons.
• Supportive school management that provides the necessary resources and time.
• The most important point is the work on an equal footing. It's not about evaluating individual teachers, but about a collective form of professional development. Participation should not have negative professional consequences. A Lesson Study with superiors must be precisely coordinated.

What is the Time Commitment? The time commitment for Lesson Studies can vary, depending on the depth and scope of the project. It includes planning the lesson unit, conducting the lessons, observations, and the subsequent discussions and reflections. This can span several weeks or months.

What are the Advantages?

• Improvement of teaching quality through reflective learning and exchange of experiences.
• Promotion of professional development for teachers.
• Contribution to school development through collaborative learning and cooperation.
• Opportunity to test and implement new pedagogical approaches.
• Strengthening of the teacher community through common goals and cooperative working methods.
• Partially interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary perspectives.

How do Lesson Studies Work? The process of a Lesson Study is divided (depending on the literature) into three to five phases:

1. Planning Phase: Teachers meet to jointly plan a lesson unit, focusing on a specific learning objective or challenge in the STEM area. They discuss various teaching methods, didactic approaches, and develop a detailed lesson plan.
2. Teaching Implementation: A member of the group conducts the planned lesson, while the others act as observers. The observers focus on how students respond to the teaching methods and how effectively the educational objectives are achieved.
3. Observation and Analysis: After the lesson, all participants meet to analyze the session. They discuss what worked well and where improvements are possible, especially in terms of understanding and motivation of students in the STEM area.
4. Reflection and Improvement: Based on the analysis and discussions, suggestions for improving the lesson are developed. This may include revising teaching methods, materials, or approaches to conveying certain STEM concepts.
5. (Optional) Repetition: The improved lesson is taught again, often by a different member of the group, and the process of observation and analysis is repeated. This allows for continuous improvement and adaptation of teaching practices.
   
    

References:

• Yoshida, N., Matsuda, M., & Miyamoto, Y. (2021). The landscape of lesson study: A methodology for teachers’ professional development and educational research. In J. Kim, N. Yoshida, S. Iwata, & H. Kawaguchi (Eds.), Lesson Study-Based Teacher Education: The Potential of the Japanese Approach in Global Settings (pp. 29–50). Routledge.
• Ding, M., Huang, R., Pressimone Beckowski, C., Li, X., & Li, Y. (2023). A scoping review of mathematics teachers’ learning and professional growth through lesson studies. Asian Journal for Mathematics Education, 2(4), 492-510. https://doi.org/10.1177/27527263231213406
• Xu, H., & Pedder, D. (2014). Lesson study: An international review of the research. Lesson study, 29-58.
• Fernandez, C., & Yoshida, M. (2012). Lesson study: A Japanese approach to improving mathematics teaching and learning. Routledge.

What do Open Schooling Projects Bring? Project-based learning in schools is usually a challenging and time-consuming endeavour for teachers. In particular, more complex projects in areas such as environment, technology, or health present significant organizational and professional challenges to teachers, while they alone bear the responsibility for the success of the projects.

Open Schooling projects offer a participatory educational approach that provides learners from various backgrounds with valuable STEM experiences. They aim to initiate new collaborations between schools and their communities. By opening learning spaces for all citizens, they promote communal learning. This not only supports teachers in implementing complex projects but also helps alleviate the responsibility of project management.

Requirements for Open Schooling The requirements include strong collaboration between schools, local communities, and external stakeholders such as companies, associations, or external individuals, as well as a changed role for teachers as co-learners and contributors.

Time Commitment The time commitment varies depending on the scope and depth of the project. The projects are often long-term and require continuous involvement of all participants to achieve sustainable results.

Benefits of Open Schooling

• With support from external individuals, teachers feel more capable of carrying out complex projects with students, as they have experts for consultation and support, thus the responsibility does not solely rest on them.
• Promotion of key competencies such as collaboration, critical thinking, self-confidence, and integrated problem-solving skills.
• Strengthening engagement and responsibility towards society.
• Raising awareness of important topics such as sustainability, health, and technology, as well as developing decision-making and communication skills.

Process of Open Schooling Projects The process includes collaboration between students and community members (family, academic or non-formal educational providers, NGOs, companies, etc.) on an environmental issue directly affecting their community. Together, they develop regionally feasible solutions and share the knowledge gained with the community.

 

References:

• STEM and Open Schooling for Sustainability Education. Proceedings of the 4th ‘Educating the Educators’ Conference. Michiel Doorman, Elena Schäfer & Katja Maaß (eds.) 978-3-95987-273-7 , Conference Proceedings in Mathematics Education, Volume 11, Münster 2024. https://doi.org/10.37626/GA9783959872744.0
• International examples can be found at: https://icse.eu/international-projects/most/

What is Team Teaching: There are various team or co-teaching approaches, which can be essentially summarized into four categories: Mutually supportive, parallel, complementary, and classic team teaching. In mutually supportive team teaching, one teacher takes the main responsibility, while other teachers provide support by offering individual assistance as needed. Parallel team teaching occurs when several teachers work with different student groups in different areas of the classroom. Complementary team teaching involves additional teachers supplementing the teaching of another by providing alternative explanations or systematic observation of the students. Finally, in classic team teaching, two or more teachers jointly plan, teach, and evaluate, sharing responsibility for all students. They share the leadership and enable students to benefit from the expertise of each teacher.

What Does Team Teaching Bring in STEM Education?

1. Interdisciplinary teaching units: Team teaching allows for addressing complex STEM topics that require expertise from multiple disciplines.
2. Diversity of teaching methods: Different teaching styles and approaches enrich STEM education and offer students a more comprehensive learning experience.
3. Individualized support: With several teachers, students in STEM subjects can be supported more specifically.

Requirements for Team Teaching in STEM Education

1. Interdisciplinary collaboration: Teachers from different STEM subjects must communicate and cooperate effectively.
2. Joint planning: Coordinated planning is crucial to ensure that all aspects of STEM are covered in teaching.
3. Openness to interdisciplinary learning: Teachers must be willing to learn and teach outside their specialization.

Time Commitment The time commitment can be higher due to the need for coordination and planning. It also depends on the scope of the learning unit. However, teaching units can also be divided so that only one teacher takes over the planning and responsibility, while the other(s) provide support.

Benefits of Team Teaching in STEM Education

1. Interdisciplinary learning experiences: Students benefit from the combined expertise and different perspectives of the teachers.
2. Increased student engagement: The variety of teaching methods can increase interest in STEM subjects.
3. Professional development of teachers: Teachers expand their knowledge and skills through collaboration.

Process of Team Teaching in STEM Education

1. Planning Phase: Teachers from various STEM subjects jointly plan to set the interdisciplinary learning objectives.
2. Implementation Phase: The teaching is conducted jointly, with each teacher bringing their specific expertise.
3. (Optional) Reflection Phase: Teachers reflect on the teaching to improve future practice.
   
    

References:

• Barkley, E. F., Major, C. H., & Cross, K. P. (2014). Collaborative learning techniques: A handbook for college faculty. John Wiley & Sons.
• Peterman, F. P. (Ed.). (2005). Designing performance assessment systems for urban teacher preparation. Routledge.
• Stewart, T., & Perry, B. (2005). Interdisciplinary Team Teaching as a Model for Teacher Development. TESL-EJ, 9(2), n2.
• Creasy, M. A., & Otte, N. (2014, June). Team-Teaching Secondary STEM Courses. In 2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition (pp. 24-1176).
• Wu, Y., Cheng, J., & Koszalka, T. A. (2021). Transdisciplinary approach in middle school: A case study of co-teaching practices in STEAM teams. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science, and Technology (IJEMST), 9(1), 138-162. https://doi.org/10.46328/ijemst.1017