Lesson study for vocational education and training : goals and outcomes of the adaptation of lesson study to the VET sector in the LS4VET Erasmus+ Project (2020-2023)

Abstract

This publication is the final “intellectual outcome” of the LS4VET Erasmus+ project (2020-2023, 2020- 1-HU01-KA202-078848). It provides a broad overview of the drivers, main objectives and outcomes of the adaptation of Lesson Study as an approach to teacher professional development to the sector of vocational education and training (VET). This adaptation, the development and piloting of the LS4VET Model and of the LS4VET course that prepares VET teachers to do LS were carried out in the international collaboration of universities, teacher educators and VET schools from four European countries: Austria, Hungary, Malta and the Netherlands. This ebook was designed and written with the intention to address a diverse target group, including VET teachers, VET school leaders, VET decision and policy-makers at various (school, region, country) levels as well as researchers and teacher educators, whose common interest is to learn more about Lesson Study in VET, although they might be interested in slightly different aspects of our work. In this Introduction we therefore summarise the main goals and content of the following five chapters of this ebook to assist the reader to easily locate and find the information that might be most relevant and useful for them.

Chapter 1 presents the rationale, the theoretical background, and the goals and principles of the LS4VET Model, which defined the framework for our adaptation. It includes an edited version of the final report (Khaled et al., 2021) of the project’s first intellectual outcome, the model of Lesson Study for VET, which was developed on the basis of professional discussions, desk research and extensive data collection carried out by the LS4VET partnership (Bükki & Győri, 2021; Calleja et al., 2021; Mewald et al., 2021). This chapter might be most interesting for researchers and those interested in the rationale and theory behind the adaptation of Lesson Study to VET.

Chapter 2 includes descriptions of the LS4VET course as it was adapted to and implemented in the four partner countries (Austria, Hungary, Malta and the Netherlands). The LS4VET curriculum and content of its three mandatory and two optional modules were developed by the university/teacher educator partners and piloted by small teams of VET teachers from the VET school partners in each partner country. The national versions of the learning content of the LS4VET course are published in four ebooks (Dutch, German, Hungarian and English for Malta), available from the project website (https://ls4vet.itstudy.hu/). In this ebook we describe how the national courses were adapted to local needs and circumstances and the format in which they were delivered. This chapter might be of most interest to teacher educators and those interested in how and in what formats LS for VET can be taught and learnt and how the LS4VET curriculum and modules can be adapted and used.

Chapter 3 involves two selected case stories from each partner country, mostly written by the LS4VET teams themselves, based on a common template designed by the LS4VET partnership. We asked the LS4VET teams to describe the context, goals, processes and findings of the Lesson Studies they carried out as part of their learning in the LS4VET course. The case stories include participating VET teachers’ reflections about the learning outcomes of their Lesson Studies, not only for their students but also for themselves. We believe these case stories will be very interesting and useful to anyone who wants to learn how Lesson Study in VET works in practice and what benefits it can provide to students and teachers alike.

Chapter 4 presents country analyses of the experiences of Lesson Studies carried out in each partner country, followed by a brief comparison of the similarities and differences across these four countries. Each country report begins with a short description of its VET system that describes the context for the following analyses as well as the country-specific policy recommendations in Chapter 5. The analyses are structured around the three main goals of the LS4VET Model: (1) Developing adaptive teachers through inquiry, related to which we analyse the rationale and nature of the research goals adopted set by the LS4VET teams; (2) Cross-boundary collaboration and learning, where we examine the LS4VET teams’ composition, collaboration within the teams and with knowledgeable others, and the learning resulting from their boundary crossings; and finally, (3) Sustainability, related to which we explore the participating VET teachers’ intentions and measures for continuing to do Lesson Studies. This chapter might be most interesting and useful for researchers, teacher educators and those who want to learn more about the main features of Lesson Study in VET as carried out within the framework of this project.

Finally, Chapter 5 offers policy recommendations by the LS4VET partners addressed to various levels of policy-makers (school, region and country). The country-specific recommendations summarise the significant opportunities for and major challenges of doing Lesson Study in VET and recommend tools and measures to promote and support LS in VET schools in each partner country. This chapter will therefore be most useful and interesting for school leaders and those responsible for regulating and supporting the professional development of VET teachers.

We hope this publication will provide useful information as well as encouragement for all with a stake in vocational education and training who want to learn more about Lesson Study and contribute to the wider use of this excellent tool of teacher professional development and education quality improvement in VET.