Joy in Collaboration: Developing Early Childhood Teacher Professionalism through Lesson Study

Early childhood professionals are sometimes referenced as caregivers and other times as educators. In order to empower them as professionals, it is important to provide professional development opportunities that deepen teachers' knowledge. This qualitative case study explores the impact of Lesson Study on four early childhood teachers with no prior Lesson Study experience. Participants' teaching experience ranged from a first-year teacher to a 20-year veteran. The professional development approach engaged teachers in conversations to collaborate, plan, observe instruction, and focus on students. Group meetings were audio recorded and transcribed, and observational notes were collected during teacher meetings and during the research lesson. At the conclusion of the experience, participants wrote a personal reflection paper and individual interviews were conducted. Findings suggest that Lesson Study supported the development of early childhood teachers' professionalism through sharing of varied perspectives during student-focused collaboration. Another powerful finding is that teachers felt joy in this collaboration. They found pleasure in thinking deeply together and warmly described the trust that developed among them as they engaged in the process of improving practice through Lesson Study. Our findings suggest Lesson Study could empower a workforce that is in need of a unified professional identity.