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Forging Sustainable Investigations Into Classroom Practice: The Use Of Lesson Study As A Framework For Professional Development In An African Context

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posted on 2025-02-04, 11:09 authored by Jocelyn K. W. Isabirye

The aim of this thesis is to explore the use of lesson study (LS) for developing the professional capacity of teachers of English as an additional language in an African primary school context. The main data sources for this qualitative case study research were LS teacher meetings which were analysed to reveal LS’s potential to develop teacher learning, and semi-structured interviews with ten teacher participants to identify their evaluations of LS in meeting their needs. The intended contribution of this study is to expand the descriptive knowledge base about LS in the context of teachers grappling with the introduction of a new curriculum. The need for this study stems from the fact that the particulars of LS use in defined school contexts in Africa are not well documented. The difference in culture and structural systems between Japan and Kenya, coupled with constrains such as large class sizes, unstable educational policies, and insufficient support for CPD in Kenya’s schools, make it difficult to implement Japanese LS with fidelity. While fidelity need not be the goal, the adaptation of LS to suit local contexts needs clear articulation to avoid superficial compliance while omitting the critical elements needed for teacher growth. This study reveals that while LS appears to be a simple idea, its process is complex, particularly as regards developing the reflexivity and collaboration required to support teacher learning. Rather than simple characterisations of emerging LS as deficient as is implied by the international literature on LS, it should be recognised that these skills evolve over time and require supportive, context specific structures to develop. The main contribution of this study is to draw attention to contextual factors that may inhibit LS’s potential in this context, and to recommend how these can be addressed to strengthen the practice of LS in Kenya.

History

Supervisor(s)

Jim Askham

Date of award

2025-01-09

Author affiliation

School of Education

Awarding institution

University of Leicester

Qualification level

  • Doctoral

Qualification name

  • PhD

Language

en

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