Teachers’ Attitude toward the Lesson Study: A Mixed Method Study

Introduction: Lesson study is an important tool for professional development, so paying attention to this issue is necessary. In addition, elementary schools classes are divided into the monograde and multigrade. Therefore, we see the monograde and multigrade teachers in the schools. The purpose of this study was to examine both the attitude and knowledge of the monograde and multigrade teachers toward the lesson study. Methods: This is a mixed method study. All the monograde and multigrade teachers included in this study, in the Lordegan city. The methods of sampling were randomized and purposeful in the quantitative and qualitative phases, respectively. The sample size was 226 monograde and 70 multigrade teachers, in the quantitative phase. In the qualitative phase, the sample size was 10 and 7 for the monograde and multigrade teachers, respectively. In the quantitative phase, data were collected with the questionnaire and analyzed with the parametric tests. In the qualitative phase, the interviews interpreted with the content analysis method. Findings: There were appropriate knowledge and attitude towards the lesson study between the groups. In the attitude category, the beliefs about the lesson study in the professional development, the professional knowledge production, were the main concepts in the interviews. In the knowledge category, goals’ mastery and awareness, the study lesson essence and method, the determinants of the lesson study sources, the needed skills of the teachers, and the application of the lesson study, were the main concepts. Conclusion: The knowledge and attitude between both the monograde and multigrade teachers were not different. The groups can cooperate in the process of the lesson study.