| Summary: | The purpose of this research was to investigate how the use of lesson study will enhance
students’ conceptual understanding in Physics, Chemistry and Biology; to examine how
lesson study will develop the critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students; to
determine the extent to which participation in lesson study group will develop the
instructional ability of teachers to teach for conceptual understanding and to investigate
how lesson study will foster collaboration among the science teachers to teach for
conceptual understanding. A qualitative case study approach through an action research
design was the methodology employed for the study. Three secondary school teachers, Vice
Principal (Academics) of the school, an expert invited from outside and thirty-nine science
students in Senior Secondary School 2 (SSS 2) from a public school participated in the
study. The instruments used to collect the data were: observation notes, semi-structured
interview, teacher-made conceptual tests in Physics, Chemistry and Biology, research lesson
feedback form and lesson study feedback survey. Analysis of the data revealed that lesson
study enhanced students’ conceptual understanding in Chemistry and Biology than in
Physics. Evidence indicated that lesson study approach developed the students’ critical and
problem-solving skills. The study also revealed that lesson study approach developed the
instructional ability of the teachers that took part in lesson study process to teach for
conceptual understanding and it fostered collaboration among the science teachers.
This study concluded that every teacher who wants the best for his/her students should not
hesitate to join teams that will implement effective, creative and innovative teaching
approaches such as lesson study in order to develop students’ conceptual understanding in
all the subjects and improve their performance in every standardized examination.
Recommendation for future research was made to extend lesson study approach to all the
teachers’ classrooms in the school in order to improve students’ learning in other subjects.
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