Developing Lesson Planning and Delivery Skills of Prospective Mathematics Teachers through the Microteaching Lesson Study Approach

Abstract

In recent years, the Microteaching Lesson Study (MLS) approach has been intensively analyzed, especially in the context of working with students - future teachers - from both a theoretical and practical perspective. At the same time, peer feedback has become increasingly present in work with students, as it allows them to evaluate their fellow students' work and, after receiving comments, to reflect on their own teaching practice, which is also of great value for future teachers. This study examines the impact of MLS on the development of prospective mathematics teachers' lesson planning and delivery skills. A qualitative analysis of written lesson plans showed that students in the experimental group in which practical lessons were organized using the MLS approach had significantly fewer deficiencies in their written lesson plans than their peers in the control group who did not have the same opportunity. This improvement was obviously influenced by the strengths, weaknesses and suggestions for improvement that the students expressed to their classmates, first in peer feedback and later in the form of reflections after the delivered lesson. The results suggest that more space should be devoted to the MLS approach in the practical training of prospective mathematics teachers, as it enables them to develop teaching skills, foster a critical attitude towards teaching and develop habits of self-reflection.