Transition problems and lesson study in secondary school

Purpose Transition problems between institutions are well-known and sometimes difficult to address in educational research. Lesson study is often described as a professional development tool for teachers within a school institution and so would not immediately be helpful to overcome transitions between two institutions. In this article, we present the new format of “bi-institutional lesson study”, developed and experimented with to explore the potential of this amended form of lesson study to develop teachers' knowledge of transition problems, and also methods and efforts to overcome them. We report findings from a year-long experiment with the format in Danish secondary school mathematics. Design/methodology/approach We conducted a year-long experiment with the bi-institutional lesson study (BILS) format, involving teachers from Danish lower and upper secondary schools. Within this format, teachers from both institutions collaboratively planned, conducted, observed and reflected on the research lessons. Data was collected through audio recordings of planning and reflection meetings. Findings The experiment demonstrated that BILS enhanced teachers' awareness and knowledge of transition problems between the institutions. The Danish case, among other things, illustrates that teachers from upper secondary school mainly contribute knowledge about students' needs and task designs related to the algebraic skills required in upper secondary school. Lower secondary school teachers contribute by linking these needs and ideas to what 9th-grade students have been and are being taught, mainly in arithmetic. Originality/value This article introduces “bi-institutional lesson study” as a new format of lesson study, extending its use from a single school to collaboration across institutions. By engaging teachers from lower and upper secondary schools, the study presents a Danish case illustrating how BILS can develop teachers' awareness of transition problems and methods for addressing or working with them. This contribution offers both a practical model for teacher development and a novel approach to tackling the well-known transition problem between neighboring institutions.