Exploring the Effectiveness of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Through Lesson Study for Secondary School Teachers of English in Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract

Lesson Study is a problem solving process of professional development for teachers which has been practiced in Japan from as far back as 19th century and is still being implemented by teachers in Japanese schools (Jung et al, 2015). In this approach, groups of teachers regularly meet at school level to plan, implement, evaluate and improve lessons collaboratively as their Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activity. In 2005, The Ministry of Education contextualized this practice to the Zambian Primary and Secondary teaching context of Mathematics and Science (Mumba and Hama, 2014). Its successful implementation led to the Ministry of Education adapting the practice as a tool for continuing and professional growth for teachers across all subjects (MOE and JICA, 2010). Using a mixed methods study design, this study sought to investigate the views of teachers of English on the effectiveness of Lesson Study in teaching English among teachers in secondary schools of Lusaka District. The findings showed that continuing Professional Development through Lesson Study improved teaching skills and learners’ performance. However, the study showed that some respondents found the programme difficult to organize and attend because it was not time-tabled and without incentives, and that there was lack of adequate English teaching materials such as learners’ textbooks. Arising from the findings, the study recommends that school head teachers should ensure that the Lesson Study programme for teachers of English is included in the weekly timetable in order to make it easier for the teachers to gather and plan for the programme within school hours. Further, the Ministry of General Education should provide adequate teaching and learning materials to schools so as to ensure the smooth running of the programme.