Development of Chinese Teaching Theory in Middle School Course Based on Lesson Study to Enhance Students’ Teaching Skills in Chinese Reading and Writing

Background and Aims: This study explores challenges in the Chinese teaching theory in middle school course education at Zhoukou Normal University. Key issues include a lack of course principles, broad objectives, excessive content, outdated instructional strategies, and limited evaluation methods. The aims of this study were: 1) to identify key challenges in the Chinese teaching theory in middle school courses based on Lesson Study. 2) Develop a Lesson Study-based course for middle school Chinese teaching. 3) Evaluate the effectiveness of the newly developed course in enhancing students’ teaching skills in Chinese reading and writing, as well as their satisfaction with the criterion of 70%. Materials and Methods: This experimental study involved 18 third-year students majoring in Chinese Language and Literature at Zhoukou Normal University. The population included 201 third-year students (6 classes), and the sample of 18 students was selected using a stratified random sampling method, with 3 students from each class. Students’ teaching skills in Chinese reading and writing, along with students’ satisfaction, were assessed using scoring rubrics. Data were analyzed using the one-sample Wilcoxon signed-rank test due to the small sample size (Siegel, 1956). Results: (1) Students’ post-test scores in Chinese reading (M=39.61, SD=3.03) exceeded the 70% criterion (t=171, p=0.001). (2) Students’ post-test scores in Chinese writing (M=33.22, SD=2.76) exceeded the 70% criterion (t=171, p=0.001). (3) Student satisfaction (M=3.91, SD=0.59) was significantly above the 70% benchmark (t=161, p=0.001). Conclusion: Implementing a Lesson Study-based approach in the Chinese teaching theory in the middle school course significantly improved students’ teaching skills in reading, writing, and overall satisfaction.