Lesson study as a lever for reading comprehension instruction in prevocational education: a multiple case exploration

Abstract

Despite ongoing efforts to enhance educational equity, students in prevocational education continue to struggle with reading comprehension and motivation, posing challenges for teachers. This study examines how Lesson Study influences teachers' dispositions towards reading comprehension and its instruction. The focus is on 7th- and 8th-grade Dutch language teachers, as well as teachers of Project General Subjects, a course integrating language, mathematics, history and science. A multiple case study design was used in four schools. Fifteen teachers and one school leader engaged in a Lesson Study cycle on reading instruction. Data were collected through group interviews and team presentations and analysed using inductive and deductive coding, complemented by a thematic analysis to trace developments in teachers' knowledge and beliefs regarding reading. Teachers broadened their understanding of reading comprehension, moving from surface to more process-oriented conceptions. They increasingly emphasised scaffolding, motivation and active learning as core elements of instruction. Other elements such as students' reading engagement and language development remained underexplored. While Lesson Study fostered short-term gains in instructional strategies and confidence, deficit views on students and low expectations persisted, and teachers' self-efficacy remained fragile, especially with struggling readers. The study extends research on teachers' professional development in prevocational education by showing both the promises and potential limits of Lesson Study. It emphasises the importance of ongoing, iterative support to enhance teachers' beliefs, confidence and knowledge, particularly in prevocational settings facing persistent challenges with student motivation and teacher self-efficacy.