How do teachers do case studies (Ⅲ) —— Development of classroom observation tools

The original People's Education Edition 20 10.23 An Gui Qing Shen classroom observation is the central link of lesson study, which provides evidence reflecting the teaching effect and is the basis for reflection and re-planning teaching. The focus of classroom observation is based on the theme of lesson study. Once the focus of observation is determined, it is necessary to select or develop appropriate observation tools. In traditional teaching and research activities, teachers' tools for classroom observation are limited to a lecture note and a pen, or even none of them. They just listen for the sake of listening. They don't know what to listen to or how to listen. After listening, they just talked about the class in a few words and got things done hastily. On the one hand, it shows that traditional teaching and research activities are too casual and lack of norms; On the other hand, it also shows that effective classroom observation tools are indispensable in teaching and research activities. Lesson study is a kind of professional development behavior of teachers. In order to improve the quality of research, effective observation tools must be used to collect evidence reflecting students' learning situation, so that subsequent teaching reflection and re-planning can be based on evidence. First, the most direct classroom observation tool of the teaching plan observation table may be the teaching plan. Because as long as we compare the teacher's teaching plan, we can understand what happened outside the classroom default, why it happened and how to improve the original design. In Japan, teachers usually use a cooperatively designed lesson plan to realize the knowledge of * * * for reference in the course of class. As shown in the following table, the teaching plan observation table is developed on the basis of the two-track teaching plan, and the two columns of "teaching activity design" and "expected behavior" are the design contents of the two-track teaching plan. "Unexpected behavior" includes students' unexpected behavior and teachers' unexpected reaction, which is the key content recorded by observers in classroom observation. "Improvement space" is based on the analysis of unexpected behavior and puts forward suggestions for classroom teaching improvement. Take the lesson fragment of "Little Tadpole Looking for Mom" as an example. When the teacher was teaching this clip, the teacher observed that a student's speech exceeded the teacher's expectation. He asked, "Why do tadpoles grow hind legs first?" The teacher paused, apparently unaware that the students would ask such a question, and replied, "This is determined by its growth law." In the after-class discussion, teachers began to reflect on whether the teachers' response to this question was appropriate. After discussion, everyone thinks that if we simply lead students to the natural order of modern science when answering their questions, it is likely to block their enthusiasm and motivation to continue exploring. Appropriate responses to students' questions can keep students interested in the questions continuously and vividly, and a witty educator can do this. Therefore, when students ask the question "Why do little tadpoles grow hind legs first", "Raising tadpoles to inspire them to observe" may be a more appropriate response. Obviously, as a tool for classroom observation, double-line lesson plans have become a strong support for learning-centered lesson plan research. The focus of teachers' teaching discussion is no longer a single "how to teach", but the students' learning situation and teachers' response to students' learning as the focus of teaching discussion. The shift of the focus of lesson study can not only enrich teachers' understanding of students, but also improve teachers' teaching wit and teaching strategies. With the enrichment and perfection of teachers' professional knowledge, teaching improvement has become a reality. As Manabu Sato, a Japanese educator, vividly said, good teaching is like catching the ball thrown by students, that is, catching every student's speech, which can arouse the thoughts of those students who are committed to throwing the ball, rather than just paying attention to their own teaching progress. Second, the observation scale In order to change the situation that teachers only discuss teaching based on impressions and feelings in traditional teaching and research activities, the lesson study group usually compiles a reasonable scale according to the observation purpose as a recording tool for classroom observation, and then makes an in-depth analysis of classroom teaching according to the "data" in the observation scale during the discussion, so as to improve the empirical level of lesson study. In the current lesson study, observation scale is widely used. After determining the observation points, the observation teachers can independently or cooperatively develop the observation scale according to their own practical experience, and then enter the classroom and constantly modify it during the trial, eventually forming a scientific observation tool. For example, teachers who want to know students' cooperative discussion skills can design the following observation scale, record the frequency of skills, understand the understanding and application of cooperative discussion skills, and put forward targeted suggestions for each group accordingly. It should be noted that the observation scale should be used very carefully. First of all, there is no observation scale suitable for everyone and all classes, and the teaching problems that every teacher faces and cares about are specific and different, so the observation scale they compiled according to their own understanding of observation points and their own teaching characteristics is also specific. When we study these scales, we must revise them according to our own needs. Just copying other people's observation scale may not realize all our observation intentions. Secondly, when explaining the statistical results of the observation scale, we should make a historical investigation of the "data" presented by it, make clear the background and conditions of these data, and prevent being confused by superficial figures and making wrong observation conclusions on classroom teaching. Thirdly, the seat map is also an important tool for classroom observation in lesson learning. Before attending the class, the teacher who observes the teaching can ask the teacher for a seating chart of the students in this class, so that the learning situation of different students in this class can be recorded with the seating chart when observing the class. The following is a seating chart of a class: in order to facilitate the observation teachers to understand the learning situation and difficulties of students at different levels, students with learning difficulties (such as "★" in the table) and students with learning difficulties (such as "▲" in the table) can be marked on the seating chart, and the observation teachers can select appropriate observation objects according to these marks when sampling students. Of course, there are many changes in the application of seating table. Some teachers record the students' reactions in the last class or the ideas and opinions expressed in their exercise books on the seating chart, while others preset the students' possible problem-solving methods or views on things on the seating chart, and mark the ways in which students with different views interact. Sometimes the seat map is combined with the two-track lesson plan: the lesson plan is in the middle and the seat map is on both sides. In this way, each student's classroom reaction and the teacher's reaction to it can be presented in more detail. The seating chart not only reflects the individual situation of students, but also clearly shows the connection and conflict of the whole class in experience and understanding and the way of interactive learning in front of the teaching and observing teachers, which provides concrete and real materials for group reflection in lesson learning. Because teachers' discussion discourse is close to the actual situation of teaching, teachers' thoughts and ideas are rooted in practice, and teaching improvement is also possible. 4. Business cards Business cards are tools used in discussion classes and are widely used in Japanese classrooms. Usually in the discussion class, the teacher will present a thing or phenomenon, which will trigger the collision of students' various viewpoints. During the discussion, the teacher will divide two areas representing different views on the blackboard, and students will stick their magnetic business cards on a certain area to show their initial position and the factual basis for choosing this position. During the discussion, students can move the name tag at any time to show their position change and explain the reasons. In the case study, teachers who teach or watch classes can also use business cards to record the changes of students' views and learning process. The following is an example of Japanese primary school social studies, from which we can find the wonderful use of name cards. In this social studies class, students have different views on "land reclamation in Gonan Bay". The teacher asked each student to show his point of view and position, so the first business card location map was formed. It is worth noting that even students who stand in the same position may have different names. As shown in the above picture, Toyama is a tough pro-faction, Uwajima is a staunch opposition, and Sasaki and others are centrists. With the deepening of the discussion, the location of the name tag will also be personalized. This movement shows that students' knowledge is changing, and the change and deepening of knowledge reflects that students' horizons are expanding. Like the seat map, the use of name plates also provides factual support for learning and discussing students' learning. 5. Observers themselves are observation tools. All the classroom observation tools mentioned above have certain structures, but we must never forget that there is a preset classification in classroom case studies-a recording method that describes observed events and behaviors in detail in language. Use the observer's own language as a tool to describe the phenomenon explored by the observer. Description can delay the simple classification of classroom teaching by observers, make the specific situation of students' learning reappear in the teaching discussion, and thus provide the opportunity for the lesson study group to talk with the situation. Although description can't directly produce answers or solutions, it can give us room for thinking. In essence, description is devoted to insight, understanding and expectation of human nature. The following is an observer's description of the teaching fragment of the lesson "Strange Rocks in Huangshan Mountain": The teacher asked the students to choose their favorite among all kinds of strange rocks and explained the reasons for their favorite. The class began to perk up. Some children like Monkey Watching the Sea because they usually like the Monkey King. Some children like "immortals drying their boots" because they like to bask in the sun ... sporadic but happy children's laughter rang out in the classroom. Speaking of the stone "the golden rooster calls the sky", a little boy stood up and said, "There are three points". He put up three fingers as he explained. "First, I like yellow; Secondly, there is no alarm clock in my hometown, and I have to rely on chickens to tell the time; And ... "Speaking of which, he couldn't help laughing and said," I like chicken, too. " Scattered laughter turned into a small piece. But the teacher was obviously a little dissatisfied with the children's answers. "Just now, when everyone said why they like rocks, many people mentioned eating or playing. We like them better because the words describe them beautifully, right? So ... "The teacher pointed to the little boy just now and said," You should say four o'clock! " The little boy sat down and reached out and slapped him heavily on the forehead. Describe the real classroom teaching scene in front of us, thus inspiring us to think about the meaning behind the phenomenon. In the above clip, students can only talk about their favorite reasons from their own experiences because they have never seen the real Huangshan Rock. Although students express the diversity and authenticity of self-knowledge, for teachers, students' answers are obviously not to the point relative to the writing intention of the text. In order to maintain the authority of book knowledge, the teacher finally imposed the so-called correct view on the students. In the face of institutionalized and authoritative curriculum knowledge, many times they will take it for granted to belittle students, take personal words as superficial articles, confidently cover students' ideas with their own ideas, and firmly believe that their ideas are deserved. In the after-class discussion, the teachers realized that this phenomenon often happened in the classroom. Everyone discussed the harmfulness of this practice, and finally characterized it as a kind of "violent" behavior against students, because the richness, complexity, uniqueness and infinite possibilities of students' minds inevitably shrank in this rude attitude and indifferent knowledge. Through the description and interpretation of this fragment, we can find that descriptive language helps to maintain the integrity and complexity of classroom teaching and helps us explore the significance of teaching situations from a wide range of contacts. Therefore, for lesson learning, structured classroom observation and unstructured classroom observation should complement each other. With the deepening of lesson study, teachers are expected to create more effective classroom observation tools.