Teacher change through Lesson Study collaboration

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to measure teacher change in attitudes and beliefs among college teachers and school teachers who participated in Lesson Study projects. The authors investigate the answers to the question Does the collective design of a single lesson contribute to noteworthy and lasting teacher change and student achievement? Design/methodology/approach The authors surveyed a group of college and school teachers on several aspects central to the Lesson Study mission. The authors performed a formal statistical analysis of the survey results. The authors also utilized the analysis of student performance data of the same group of schoolteachers. These teachers come from a school district in the western USA and conducted Lesson Study as professional development. Findings The findings show significant and lasting change in attitudes and beliefs of teachers as a result of their Lesson Study experience. In addition, evidence suggests a strong connection between collaboration and teacher change. The authors also present evidence of the noteworthy influence that teachers who participated in Lesson Study had on a historically under-performing student population. Practical implications The findings show evidence of lasting and beneficial effects of teacher collaboration. The authors believe that our research is appealing to a vast audience and should inspire teachers toward collaboration. Originality/value The study contributes to the growing body of research on professional development of teachers by demonstrating the positive effects of Lesson Study on teachers in both college and school environments.