Original Research

Mathematics teachers’ reflective practice within the context of adapted lesson study

Barbara Posthuma
Pythagoras | Vol 33, No 3 | a140 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/pythagoras.v33i3.140 | © 2012 Barbara Posthuma | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 17 November 2011 | Published: 19 November 2012

About the author(s)

Barbara Posthuma, Faculty of Education Sciences, North-West University, South Africa

Abstract

There seems to be paucity of research in South Africa on mathematics teachers’ reflective practice. In order to study this phenomenon, the context of lesson study (in an adapted form) was introduced to five mathematics teachers in a rural school in the Free State. The purpose was to investigate their reflective practice whilst they collaboratively planned mathematics lessons and reflected on the teaching of the lessons. Data were obtained through interviews, video-recorded lesson observations, field notes taken during the lesson study group meetings and document analyses (lesson plans and reflective writings). The adapted lesson study context provided a safe space for teachers to reflect on their teaching and they reported an increase in self-knowledge and finding new ways of teaching mathematics to learners. This finding has some potential value for planning professional learning programmes in which teachers are encouraged to talk about their classroom experiences, share their joys and challenges with one another and strive to build a community of reflective practitioners to enhance their learners’ understanding of mathematics.

Keywords

Mathematics teaching; reflective practice; lesson study; professional development

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Crossref Citations

1. Reflective Practices in Education: A Primer for Practitioners
Haleigh Machost, Marilyne Stains, Cynthia Brame
CBE—Life Sciences Education  vol: 22  issue: 2  year: 2023  
doi: 10.1187/cbe.22-07-0148