Walton, A. D. (2022). The affordances and impact of lesson study on world language teachers’ TPACK (Publication No. 29325359). [Doctoral dissertation, The University of Texas at San Antonio]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

Abstract:

“World language (WL) teachers are often at the forefront of using cutting edge technology for language teaching and learning purposes. However, as technology is ever changing, WL educators often lack adequate professional development (PD) opportunities to ensure effective technology integration while maintaining their technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) in an ever-changing digital world. Strategic PD such as Lesson Study (LS) can provide affordances that impact world language educators’ TPACK and foster technology enhanced language learning in an authentic and meaningful way. Utilizing the theoretical framework of TPACK, this study used Participatory Action Research (PAR) methods to design and analyze how PD models like LS can provide opportunities that impact world language teachers’ TPACK. Participants consisted of a community of practice of three world language teachers from an urban south central Texas school district as well as the researcher. Data collection included recordings and transcripts of Lesson Study meetings, teachers’ original, modified, and refined lesson plans, recordings of participant’s lessons as well as the associated observation instrument, semi-structured interviews, and journal entries written throughout the LS cycles. Data was stored and analyzed within the Dedoose software system on an encrypted computer. The findings demonstrate that throughout the LS cycle, teachers were provided with opportunities for collaboration, reflection, instructional design planning, innovation, and practice. These opportunities had an impact on the overarching conception, knowledge of student understanding, knowledge of curriculum, and knowledge of instructional strategies components of teachers’ TPACK. Implications in terms of research on TPACK and Lesson Study as a method for in-service professional development are discussed. This research seeks to leverage LS as form of PD to develop WL educators’ technology integration and TPACK.