Case Study of the Lesson Study Activity for Primary School Science Supported by Web-based Evaluation Assistance System in the Undergraduate Teacher Training Course (1)

Abstract

In this paper, we describe an approach to lesson study activity for primary school science instructors supported by a web-based education assistance system; we test it in an undergraduate-level teacher-training course at our university and present its effects on students. Five trial lessons were conducted with one group of student teachers teaching the class and the others acting as schoolchildren; lesson study was held after each trial lesson. After every trial lesson, students input responses to the questionnaire and comments on the lesson using their own mobile phone or computer; results were displayed on a big screen in the classroom and on each student’s mobile. Then, the class discussed the science lesson with reference to these results. After that, we administered another questionnaire about the students’ views of science lessons before and after a series of lesson studies. As a result, the students’ views changed on many points regarding how children learn, for example, “Children change their own ideas’, ‘Children become aware of their own ideas,” “Children explain natural events and phenomena in words,” and “Children persuade other children holding different ideas.” We therefore find that this approach is effective for teacher training, helping student teachers develop metacognitive views of science education.