2019 Reports

Adapting Lesson Study for Community College Mathematics Instruction: Early Observations

Bickerstaff, Susan E.; Raphael, Jacqueline; Zamora, Diana E. Cruz; Leong, Melinda

Lesson Study (LS) is a structured, collaborative professional development approach that gives instructors a framework for actively investigating how to improve student learning in their classrooms. Despite evidence of LS improving teacher practice and student learning in K-12 settings, there have been few documented examples of its use among instructors in higher education. The Adapting Lesson Study for Community College Mathematics Instruction project is investigating whether the model can be feasibly implemented by community college mathematics faculty and will eventually document whether and how it influences instructors’ pedagogical practices and student outcomes. In this short report, we describe LS and provide a rationale for its implementation in the community college context. We then report on activities from the first year of the project and share some early observations about LS implementation that could have implications for the effectiveness and sustainability of LS in community colleges.