What is gained from lesson study? German primary school teachers on outcomes and preconditions for implementation

This mixed-methods study examines teachers’ perceptions on Lesson Study (LS) after a five-year project with 15 primary schools in Germany. Using an online questionnaire, teachers’ (N = 37) perceptions of the usefulness and benefits of LS, of changes in their motivation, and of preconditions for implementing LS were assessed. The results show that teachers perceived LS as beneficial in many respects and indicated a slight increase in their motivation in terms of enthusiasm and self-efficacy for teaching high-achieving pupils and collective self-efficacy. The results further suggest that LS implementation requires a number of conditions, primarily time and staff resources, organisational effort, and teachers’ openness and collaboration, and thus highlight the need to improve structural conditions to enable continuous teacher participation and growth through LS.