Exploring the use of lesson study approach to enhance teaching and learning of mathematics in a secondary school in Tanzania through an action research in Runwe district; Tanzania

Date of Award

10-2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

First Supervisor/Advisor

Peter Kajoro

Second Supervisor/Advisor

Mussa Mohamed

Department

AKU-East Africa

Abstract

In a bid to maintain quality of teaching practice, continuous professional development is inevitable worldwide so as to keep on refining teachers’ capabilities. In Tanzania, workshops, seminars and short courses are conducted to teachers as professional development programmes. However, few teachers get these training and in addition, there is little in sharing of knowledge, experiences and skills gained in these in-service programmes to a large number of mathematics teachers.

Participatory action research was used to study how Lesson Study (LS) can be used as a professional development to enhance teaching and learning of mathematics in AA secondary school in Rungwe District in Tanzania. Multiple methods of data collection were used such as entrance and exit interview, document analysis which included: syllabus, schemes of work and lesson plan of the collaborating teachers, lesson observation and reflective journals to allow justification of the results.

From the study, it appeared that isolated teaching practice predominates, which favoured teacher-centered approach to teaching and learning process. However, Lesson Study was found to be the best intervention to challenge the practice in use, by improving teaching practice through continuous collaborative professional development to achieve active learners’ engagement, interactive and explorative learning.

Further findings revealed that Lesson study minimizes challenges of hard to teach topics through collaborative teaching, facilitates teachers’ use of teaching and learning resources, develop collaboration and teamwork, and builds confidence in teaching. Due to this, teaching and learning has become a friendly environment for meaningful learning to take place for both, teachers and learners. It is therefore recommended that the Lesson study be introduced and conducted in schools to promote teachers’ collaborative professional development.

This document is available in the relevant AKU library

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