英文摘要 |
Professional development is an important issue in the current research on the quality of Chinese language teachers. In recent years, lesson study was introduced as a platform for enhancing the professional development of Chinese language teachers in Singapore. A research method that originated from Japan in the 1960s, lesson study is used as a qualitative method for professional training of teachers within schools. Through the process of teachers' collective efforts in lesson preparation, observation and reflection, lesson study leads to an improvement in teaching and learning quality by promoting the knowledge construction of a professional community. However, the lack of scientific tools for recording and analysis of lesson observations often leads to highly subjective judgments in the process of lesson reflection. Differences in personal perceptions in turn results in a lack of focus during the discussions, which impacts the validity of the research. In an attempt to increase the validity of lesson study, we can leverage on classroom observation tools that originate from America. Classroom observation involves the observation, recording and analysis of lesson procedures, thereby extracting qualitative and quantitative data to develop a concrete and in-depth understanding of the teaching process in order to enhance teaching quality. In 2012, a study involving the combined use of lesson study and classroom observation methods was conducted in two primary schools in Singapore. This paper will present the aims, procedures and the use of qualitative and quantitative data in improving research validity through such methodological integration. The findings show that the combination of lesson study and classroom observation tools is an effective method for researching teacher professional communities. The integrated research method promotes teacher change and professional learning in a more focused and in-depth manner, allowing for more systematic knowledge construction of learning communities to enhance teachers' professional growth. |