The Effect of lesson Study on the Way Teachers Understand What Is and What Is not Differentiation in Teaching: Results of Pilot Research in Secondary Schools in Greece

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to present the results of a research that aimed to investigate the effect of lesson study on the way in which teachers understand what is and what is not differentiation in the teaching of Modern Greek Language course of the 2nd Lyceum class. The research was qualitative, data collection and analysis techniques of grounded theory were used and was carried out from 09-22-2022 to 11-28-2022, in three schools in Eastern Attica, with the participation of four teachers and eighty students in a lesson study cycle. Data collection tools were interviews of participating teachers before, during, and after the implementation of the lesson study. From the results of the research emerged that before the implementation of the lesson study teachers were unable to answer clearly and completely what makes a task/activity or lesson differentiated, to determine which students will work with which assignments as well as to give a complete definition of differentiation. After applying the lesson study, they gained new knowledge about differentiation techniques and strategies and most gave a more complete definition of it. They all identified the elements of differentiation that were evident in the lesson designed by the team and felt that their participation in the lesson study contributed to the understanding of differentiation. They also responded better to students' needs by clarifying their misconceptions about differentiation and getting a more complete picture of what is and is not differentiation expressing their concern regarding their aspirations and performance in their own differentiation efforts.