Preparing, leading, and reflecting on a mathematics whole-class discussion in a lesson study in initial teacher education

Based on the work in a lesson study carried out during an initial teacher education program, using a comprehensive model for preparing and leading whole-class discussions, we seek to know how a prospective teacher prepared, led and reflected on such discussions. We follow a qualitative approach, and the data was collected through observations, recordings and document collection. The analysis of data is based on the proposed model for whole-class discussions. The results show that the prospective teacher managed to promote a fruitful whole-class dynamic, inviting students to participate, and intervening when necessary and analyzing the students’ work with a focus on mathematical ideas. However, she found it difficult to get most students to participate in the whole-class discussion. The work on the lesson study seems to have contributed to the participant to prepare for the discussion in a collaborative environment and to reflect on its strong and weak features.