Investigation of the roles of mathematics teachers, students and researchers in the lesson study model

The aim of this study was to examine the roles of middle school mathematics teachers, students, and the researcher in the lesson study model. In this context, the current study was conducted using action research design, one of the qualitative research methods. The participants of the study were two mathematics teachers who work in a state middle school in one of the central districts of Ankara and are selected by the convenience technique. Different data collection tools were employed in the study. These data collection tools included video camera recordings, voice recordings taken by mobile phone, lesson plans, worksheets, observation notes and charts, researcher observation and field notes, teachers' diaries for each cycle, reflection reports and final reports prepared for the whole process, the opinion form consisting of open-ended questions for Grade 8 students and semi-structured interviews with mathematics teachers. Content analysis was used for data analysis. The results of the study were presented according to the planning, implementation and evaluation stages of the lesson study model. (i) In the lesson study model's planning phase, the students' expectations from the lesson were generally fulfilled by the teachers. It was also determined that the researcher became involved in the process as an external expert in this planning process, guided the teachers, and motivated the teachers positively. (ii) In the implementation phase of the lesson study model, the roles assumed by the teachers in the planning meetings were taken into consideration. In this context, it was found that teachers generally reflected their roles in group dynamics in the implementation. Besides, it was determined that teachers with different professional experiences exhibit different roles during the implementation. (iii) In the evaluation phase of the lesson study model, the research and revised research lessons taught by the teachers were evaluated by the teachers and the researcher. The teachers preferred to evaluate the research and revised research lessons from a holistic perspective. Moreover, at the end of the process, it was observed that awareness was raised among the participating teachers regarding the purpose and importance of the evaluation meeting. On the other hand, it was observed that the researcher contributed to the process in the role of an external expert during the evaluation phase. In the light of the findings of the study, some suggestions were made to the relate education stakeholders (teachers, researchers/external experts, students).