Teaching for conceptual understanding : a mathematics lesson study

Abstract

This article zooms in on a lesson study process which sees a group of mathematics teachers designing a research lesson to address the students’ prevalent reliance on rote memorisation which is overshadowing the importance of conceptual understanding. Breaking away from the traditional approach of posing a textbook question, the team chose to present a Year 10 high-ability class with an open-ended investigation, allowing free exploration of a hexagonal visual aid. To ensure a structured and guided learning process, the lesson was designed on the 5E Inquiry-Based Instructional model (Bybee & Landes, 1990), a framework that was introduced to students as well. Through this self-directed learning opportunity, students took on roles as active agents fuelling a collaborative inquiry and using their existing knowledge as a scaffold for constructing new knowledge independently. The observations of this research lesson proved to be an enriching experience for everyone involved as the shared feedback revealed various successful aspects of the lesson. This experience motivated the lesson study team to intensify their efforts towards integrating lessons promoting students’ conceptual understanding. Concurrently, the observations also shed light on the challenges of teaching for conceptual understanding, urging the lesson study team to reflect on their practices for ongoing improvement.