LESSON STUDY AS AN INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPING THE PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE OF PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS

Abstract

The article provides a theoretical and practical rationale for Lesson Study as an innovative technology for developing the professional competence of pre-service teachers. In the contemporary educational environment, changing expectations of teachers require the development of their professional competence, reflective culture, research skills, and capacity for professional collaboration. In this context, Lesson Study is considered one of the effective technologies for enhancing the professional preparation of pre-service teachers.

The purpose of the study is to identify changes in the methodological, research, analytical, communicative, and reflective competencies of pre-service teachers during their participation in a Lesson Study cycle and to theoretically relate these changes to the stages of Lesson Study.

The findings demonstrated comparative dynamics between the experimental and control groups. The experimental group showed marked improvements in methodological, research, analytical, communicative, and reflective competencies, whereas the indicators in the control group remained relatively stable, with changes ranging from –2 to +3 percentage points. At the descriptive level, this difference indicates that the positive dynamics in the professional performance of students participating in the Lesson Study cycle were considerably greater than those observed in the control group. Content analysis of interviews and reflective records made it possible to interpret the quantitative dynamics in relation to the students’ experiences of planning, observation, analysis, and replanning.

The scientific novelty of the study lies in refining a structural-functional model that systematizes the proposed mechanisms linking the stages of Lesson Study with the five components of pre-service teachers’ professional competence. Within the model, collaborative planning is associated with the methodological component; systematic observation of students’ learning activities with the research and analytical components; collaborative discussion with the communicative component; and reflection and replanning with the reflective component.

The findings provide grounds for considering Lesson Study an effective approach that integrates the professional practice of pre-service teachers with research and reflective activities. Comparative results from the experimental and control groups demonstrated greater dynamics in professional competencies in the group where Lesson Study was implemented. At the same time, due to the incomplete availability of individual-level baseline data, inferential statistical analysis was not conducted; therefore, the findings were interpreted within the framework of descriptive comparative analysis.