Investigating the Impact of Lesson Study and Pedagogical Content Knowledge on Mathematics Teaching Practices of Minority Pre-Service Teachers

Contextualized in an urban college's teacher education program and its partnership inner-city elementary schools, this qualitative study explores the impact of lesson study on the emergence of a stronger pedagogical content knowledge on mathematics teaching practices of minority preservice teachers. Aiming to raise the mathematics achievement of K-6 students by increasing the effectiveness of preservice teacher candidates, this study focuses on developing and deepening 11 prospective teachers' mathematics pedagogical content knowledge by requiring them to analyze their students' mathematics work samples and study the effectiveness of their own teaching practices during their clinical-practice/student teaching year. Findings reveal that participant preservice teachers' pedagogical content knowledge benefited with lesson study. By using the lesson study approach, they were able to change their mathematical identities and beliefs about teaching mathematics in positive ways and become more effective in teaching mathematics. Implications for urban preservice teacher education programs are discussed.