Purpose: This study aimed to determine the expectations of students from mathematics teachers in the planning phase of lesson study (LS) in mathematics classrooms. Design/methodology/approach: This study reported only a part of large-scale action research. The participants were Grade 8 students selected by the convenience sampling method. The data…

This study investigates how self-efficacy and motivation predict students' science literacy and career expectations above and beyond their socioeconomic status. A structural equation model built on self-determination theory and self-efficacy was examined using PISA 2015 data from Finland and Japan. The study sample is 5882 and 6647 15-year-old…

In conversations about pedagogy, researchers often overlook how physical space and movement shape teacher sensemaking. This article offers a comparative case study of classroom videos using a dynamic visual method to map embodied interaction called "interaction geography." Our analysis proposes an integrative framework to study classroom…

This study examined effective means of preparatory learning for upcoming classroom instructions. In a summer seminar on history, 76 junior high school students were assigned to three experimental groups: the answering pre-questions group, the rating confidence group, and the answering and rating confidence group. The results showed that answering…

This study focused on improving students' learning mathematical of proofs and proving by using combinations of proof strategies that span different levels of understanding of proof structure; we refer to these as 'level-spanning proof-production strategies'. We analysed the level-specific proof-production strategies evident in the lessons and…

To encourage students' self-regulated learning at home, developing skills for textbook use to overcome learning-related impasses is crucial. This study examined the effects of providing mathematics class sessions that combined teacher instruction on appropriate textbook use with peer instruction, aimed at promoting students' spontaneity and…

Probability is a difficult concept, which is not always taught accurately. This study aims to clarify how experimental and theoretical probabilities are taught in Japanese 7th and 8th grades through a textbook analysis. We analyzed seven, government approved Japanese 7th and 8th grade textbooks each. Focusing on the definition and explanation of…

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 data revealed that Grade 8 science teachers in several Asian countries (Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, and South Korea) reported lower job satisfaction levels than the international average. For example, while Japanese Grade 8 students ranked among the highest in science…

In this paper, we analyse a grade 8 (age 13-14) Japanese problem-solving lesson involving angles associated with parallel lines, taught by a highly regarded, expert Japanese mathematics teacher. The focus of our observation was on how the teacher used carefully planned board work to support a rich and extensive plenary discussion (neriage) in…

This study investigates junior high school students' perspectives on improving manufactured products and their perceptions as users after participating in materials processing technology learning in Japan. Guided by recent changes in Japanese curriculum guidelines emphasizing real-world application, we conducted a web-based survey collecting 721…

East Asian students have consistently performed well in mathematics compared to their international peers. Though many researchers have attempted to explore the factors that underpin their success, most studies have focused only on a limited set of variables. Mathematics achievement, however, is a complex phenomenon, determined by multiple…

One of the main objectives of international large-scale assessments is to make comparisons between different countries, education policies, education systems, or subgroups. One of the main criteria for making comparisons between different groups is to ensure measurement invariance. The purpose of this study was to test the measurement invariance…

This study examined the efficiency of using the same rating scale categories in measuring affective constructs for students with distinctive levels of achievement. Data used in this study came from the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011, as a case, on the three scales that were designed to measure eighth graders' attitudes…

A highly distinctive and structured approach to teacher development, Lesson Study emerged in Japan but has since been adopted much more widely and now sees growing interest in the UK. Tony McConnell, Davinia Daley, Rebecca Levy, Lisa Waddell and Richard Waddington describe the process by which their school first investigated and then adopted…

This study aimed to examine the trends in grants for STEM/STEAM education in Japan as well as Japanese students' perception of science learning and future careers. The grants were addressed through analysis of chronological trends, while student perceptions were reviewed through student questionnaires on Trends in International Mathematics and…