A survey about Lesson Study in 4 countries

A total of 131 VET teachers in four countries — Austria, the Netherlands, Hungary and Malta — were surveyed by higher education institutions collaborating in the project LS4VET — Teachers’ Collaboration through Lesson Study for Improving the Quality of Vocational Education and Training. 

The objectives of the research were the following:

• to assess the knowledge, scope and potential of the Lesson Study method,
• to identify differences between countries' vocational education and training systems,
• to get an idea of the emphasis placed by teachers and trainers in VET institutions in the partner countries on their own professional development and how the institutions themselves support this,
• to assess the extent to which teachers and trainers are willing to work collaboratively and as a team, and what they perceive as the barriers to this in their institutions.

The survey was conducted in three phases: a desktop survey, face-to-face interviews and a detailed online questionnaire.

Based on the results, the project participants can design a specific Lesson Study model for use in vocational education and training as the first stage of the project.

Some conclusions from the survey of institutions and teachers in the four countries:

"While in general all of our partner schools are open to innovation and renewal (which is, indeed, a reason why they joined in our project), there are some differences between the schools regarding the extent of this openness and in their practices, but there are just as many (if not more) differences within the schools themselves, between individual teachers and teacher teams. Nevertheless, it seems that in any school there is only a minority of the teachers who are the active agents in any school innovations."

"There are several types of formal and informal collaboration among teachers of the same department/team as well as among those in different departments/teams, though the former is more typical. Teacher departments/teams are the primary places of teacher collaboration, but the logic of the organisation of these teams varies between the four partner countries and is probably VET system-dependent.”  

"In the Hungarian and Austrian schools collaboration is particularly widespread among VET teachers teaching the same or related subjects and include co-designing curricula, teaching content and materials and co-planning. The same can be said to Malta..."

„In some of the partner schools there are different activities in which the teachers collaborate with each other. For example, organization of school events – not necessarily academically or VET oriented school activities –, or homeroom teachers’ activities, or for example in the Austrian partner school the yearly professional development program.”

"However, many forms of  teachers’ deeper professional collaboration are missing or not typical, or not formalized in the schools. Eg. co-teaching, or observing each other’s classes and providing feedback, shared lesson planning and similar activities are not typical or not formalized”

„Overall, it seems that teachers can be effectively motivated to take part in innovative activities such as LS, if they see the added value of those activities, and they feel they can use what they learn in their practice.”

(Lesson Study is a widespread method of educational development originated from Japan that is based on the collaboration of teachers.)