Beyond Traditional Lesson Study: How Mathematics Studio Supports Generative Teacher Learning

In this paper, we describe the interworking of a group of middle school mathematics teachers who engaged in Mathematics Studio, an adaptation of lesson study, across three years. We use this case to illuminate specific structures, protocols, and norms of interaction within Studio that create conditions for teacher learning and incremental changes in teachers’ instruction. Our analysis revealed several discourse practices, including the adoption of a research lens, a shared language of affordances and constraints, and an orientation toward student learning that supported a culture of inquiry as teachers investigated genuine questions they had about instruction. In this paper, we elaborate on these practices and share examples of pedagogically productive talk. We claim Mathematics Studio has the potential to circumvent previously identified challenges to support generative learning and the ongoing growth in teachers’ instructional practice.