Lesson Study and Teaching Mathematics Through Problem Solving: The Two Wheels of a Cart

Estudos de aula na perspectiva de professores formadores

“…The exploratory approach allowed teachers and future teachers to reflect on classroom teaching, while leading students to face situations for which they have no ready solution method (Ponte, 2005;Ponte et al, 2014), such as exploratory tasks. As a result, they had to work together to solve these tasks (Fujii, 2018), proposing and discussing solution strategies and communicating their mathematical ideas. Besides, teachers and future teachers faced the challenge of studying and developing open mathematical tasks, which did not have pre-defined solution methods, experiencing the exploratory approach in their formative process.…”

“…The exploratory approach also supported a collective discussion in the classroom, during the research lesson, as the teacher stimulated comparisons of and discussions on the students' solutions, and summarized their conclusions (Fujii, 2018). In this regard, both students in the research lesson and teachers and future teachers in planning sessions were encouraged to participate and investigate the exploratory tasks.…”

“…A perspective highlighted in studies carried out worldwide is structured problem-solving, which is central to Japanese lesson study approaches. Fujii (2018) emphasizes that problem-solving in the Japanese lesson study is widely valued and disseminated, although some of its aspects can have higher or lower importance.…”

Lesson Study in Matematics: Means, Aims and Obstacles

“…Participation in lesson study, therefore, has a considerable impact on mathematics teaching in general: more focus on students' independent development, communication, and justification of solutions. Thus, lesson study, and teaching mathematics through problem solving, are "two whells of a chart" (FUJII, 2018).…”

“…However, when the external support ceases -and it is always limited in time -it becomes difficult or even impossible for the teachers to continue doing lesson study. In recent years, this has been formulated as the "sustainabillity problem" of lesson study (QUARESMA et al, 2018;ØSTERGAARD et al, to appear).…”