TO ADD: LS papers so far

Cajkler and Wood (2016) found that adopting lesson study with trainee teachers was difficult because they weren’t always fully immersed in a teaching role or community and that meant logistical obstacles of not all cycles of the collaborative lesson study being possible. There was also concerns about being over-mentored in initial teacher training because the observations of teaching ended up being focused more on the teacher’s performance and corrective feedback rather than a focus on learners within the classroom. This was cited as a common frustration about the effectiveness of adopting lesson study with participants in initial teacher training because they lacked pedagogical experience to be able to give them full autonomy (Gurl, 2011; Marble, 2006; 2007; Cajkler and Wood, 2016). Although trainee teachers did find they developed their thinking and more awareness about their learners as the lesson study process developed (Cajkler and Wood, 2016), and it did promote reflective engagement in both planning and practice within the classroom which was deemed an asset in the study of pedagogy for initial teacher training contexts (Fernandez, 2010).

Subject experts as mentors - Vygotsky 

Using the design-based research approach and having equal stakeholder parties, such as using experienced teachers who already had a ‘shared repertoire’ (Wenger, 1998) in pedagogical practices for the lesson study process would bring the benefits of their prior knowledge as expert teacher to the fore to enhance participant input, with the mentor then primarily being the subject expert in digital accessibility awareness rather than pedagogy, allowing the more experienced teachers the autonomy to work together to make informed decisions about the research lesson and future lesson iterations.

Lesson study is a collaborative approach to the investigation of classroom pedagogy with the aim and focus of improving the quality of teaching and learning (Tui and Law, 2007; Dudley, 2011, Lewis, 2009). Lesson study embodies the ethos of socially constructed knowledge, through that of a community of practice where a group of teachers can engage in it as a ‘joint enterprise’ (Wenger, 1998, p.73), and work together in a process of ‘mutual engagement’ (Wenger, 2000) to develop a shared understanding of practice as well as build a shared repertoire of ideas, resources: experiences, stories and tools (Lewis, Perry and Hurd, 2004) within a specific situated learning context such as in a classroom (Lave and Wenger, 1991; Cajkler and Wood, 2016). From the perspective of socially constructed knowledge lesson study brings together teachers to construct new understandings and meanings for classroom practice. Many studies in Japan show that lesson study provides teachers with opportunities to reflect on and develop their own teaching practice through the social process of collaborating with other teachers, making it an established and productive means of learning how to improve their practice (Oshima et al, 2006). 

Lesson study begins by examining existing textbook and standards (Lewis 2002; Yoshida, 1999) and identifies the essential concepts and skills that need to be learned, what the students might already know, and how they might respond to a planned lesson (Lewis, Perry and Hurd, 2004). Teachers then work together to plan a ‘research lesson’ on the identified topic or challenge, they teach the lesson with peers as observers with a focus on learner reactions and evaluate lessons as a group to refine and reteach it to another group (Dudley, 2015; Cajkler and Wood, 2016).

Talk about the blocker of the subject and perceptions of DA- SC papers (perceive the subject) - the value of a topic swayed by social perception (socially constructed from societal beliefs or values put on the topic (Shaughan - paper) - perception versus reality (Carlson)

Lewis, Perry and Hurd (2004, p.21) explain that many attempted instructional improvements can fail to take hold because educators perceive them to be incompatible with their beliefs, values or priorities.

The subject of digital accessibility awareness is no exception, with many studies highlighting the shared preconceptions that its a complex subject to teach (ref), it’s the responsibility of someone else such as specialists or those in technical disciplines (ref), or the fact it touches on aspects of disability and makes people initially uncomfortable (ref).

By clarifying and incorporating teachers’ individual beliefs, values and priorities during the planning phase of lesson study it can circumvent any common roadblocks to improvement (Lewis, Perry and Hurd, 2004). In this study therefore it would be vital to ascertain if any prior knowledge or shared perceptions exist about the subject of digital accessibility in order to identify the support needed to overcome these challenges in the future.

The teaching profession requires teachers to possess a variety of knowledge and skills, that include knowledge of the subject matter, pedagogical knowledge for teaching and epidemiological aspects of knowing ways that students understand what they are taught (Oshima et al (2006).

Cajkler and Wood (2016) found that with a leading mentor was an effective way to help groups of trainee teachers grow together as individuals and build confidence in lesson study.

To mitigate problems of any lack of subject knowledge the introduction of a knowledgeable other to scaffold the process of introducing and supporting the subject knowledge. In this case the researcher would be the subject matter expert in the field of digital accessibility awareness and negotiate the learning journey collaborating with other participants for this topic to be taught in the school classroom context. Experienced teachers as experts from the pedagogical perspective would then complement the input of subject matter knowledge as co-researchers from the perspective of pedagogical content knowledge (Shulman, 1987). 

As digital accessibility awareness will likely be a new and unfamiliar topic for the teachers, this study will adopt the theory of Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development (year) to explore at what point during the collaboration participant teachers take more autonomy from their peer network to construct lesson improvements than rely on the subject matter expert to steer the teaching. In a similar study, Oshima et al (2006) found that a participant teacher shifted his attention from subject matter knowledge in the first iteration, to the more to epistemological issues over time. 

Adding in a subject expert - Vygotsky ZPD

People in previous studies- didn’t need as much support in subject in later cycles. (Oshima et al, 2006).

Post study feedback that it was a positive experience to learn about disabled people, after initially feeling uncomfortable.

In terms of collection and dissemination, quantitative data from the positivist paradigm still directs and influences much contemporary educational policy (Adams, 2006). In the terms of scientific measurements it is considered as providing reliable, predictable and replicable data at scale and a preferred (EdD paper). One example, is the data collected about educational performance such as Standard Attainment Tests (SATs) that are predetermined and moderated assessments with clear and agreed marking criteria on standards of performance. Adams (2006) argues that using such means to observe learning misses two fundamental points, firstly that aspects of learning occur in the mind, and secondly that behaviour in tests is not a reliable indicator of the cognitive processes that occur in learning, but they are as (Easen and Bolden, 2005; p.53) describe a surface manifestation of possible underlying competencies. With Ball (1999, p.204) adding that what is never asked is whether the measures used in performance data actually represent valid, worthwhile or meaningful outputs. 

To enhance the collaborative nature of lesson study is the design based research approach (Barb and Squire, 2004; Linn,Davis and Bell, 2004; Sandoval and Bell, 2004) that also helps to enhance teacher learning from a broader perspective. This brings other stakeholders into the exploration of lessons, whereby teachers and researchers work together to design lessons and teaching interventions (Oshima et al, 2006; MORE). Teacher and researcher collaboration helps to bridge the gap between research and practice and each compliment each others goals, the teachers improve their expertise in the classroom and researchers work towards their goal of examining pedagogical design principles or new educational interventions (Oshima et al, 2006). 

Design based research, otherwise known as ‘educational design research’ or ‘development research’ is an iterative framework that seeks to discover new knowledge that can inform the work of others facing similar problems (McKenny and Reeves, 2013; 2018). As an iterative framework it can be conducted in several ways, such as cumulative or iterative cycles, that combine several studies together to identify insights and theories rather than just on isolated variables, or build and develop prototypes to explore in depth each key feature that addresses an individual research question (Akker et al., 2011).  

As a structured methodology, design-based research has evolved into an accepted framework and paradigm of educational research (Sandoval and Bell, 2004; Sandoval, 2014; McKenney and Reeves, 2021). Echoing lesson study it goes through the phases of planning learning, iterative cycles of testing, refinement and reflection and as a combination of iterative studies, it will enable each phase of the pedagogical teaching process to be explored in depth, such as pedagogy as planned or intended, pedagogy as enacted, and pedagogy as experienced (Billet, 2011; Nind, Hall and Curtin, 2016) . Alexander et al (2010) describes these three phases in more detail as what is intended to be taught and learned overall (the intended or planned curriculum such as the planning of the ‘research lesson’) what is taught (the curriculum as enacted from the perspective of instructors and observers) and what is learned (the curriculum as experienced by both teachers and learners). One final phase of the design based study is reflecting on the experience to make recommendations…

Furthermore to enhance the study…. Subject mentor (in this case researcher as knowledgeable other). 

Lewis (2009) lesson study puts the teacher participants into the position of a learner to develop knowledge as well the role of a co-researcher and co-creator of the research lesson.

Lewis (2009) explains that lesson study can develop three types of knowledge in teachers, such as knowledge of the subject matter, the teaching of that subject and how students respond.

Lewis (2009) lesson study is an approach that has been widely used in Japan for decades and is often credited as improving Japanese instruction and education (Fernandez and Yoshida, 2004; Lewis and Tsuchida, 1997; 1998; Stiglet and Hierbert,1999) 

 it has gained worldwide attention since 1999 as a way to develop professional knowledge for the context of teaching and learning (Stigler and Hierbert, 1999; Yoshida, 1999, Lewis, 2009).

For example, in a study about what makes students engage by Lewis (2009) they observed several students who were usually quiet in class spoke up when the lesson required all students to participate by lifting a heavy object and record their experience. 

In lesson study team members focus on the observation of students thinking and how they participate, rather than a critique of the teaching (Lewis, 2002; 2009).

Experiences that stimulate curiosity about students thinking maybe important in generating the future benefit of motivation for similar ongoing learning techniques (Franke et al, 2001).