Studying Inquiry-Based Science Learning Through Researcher-Supported Lesson Study in Malaysia: A Two-School Case Study

Lesson Study, as part of professional learning communities, has gained attention in Malaysia as a strategy for examining and refining classroom practice. This two-school case study examined how inquiry-based science learning became visible and examinable within researcher-supported Lesson Study informed by Japanese practices. Across one primary and one lower-secondary school, teachers collaboratively planned and enacted two research lessons on the lever system in each setting. Data included direct lesson observations, video recordings, lesson plan, and post-lesson discussions. Four authors independently scored the lessons using the Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP), with consensus scores used descriptively rather than inferentially. A qualitative inquiry-structure analysis examined four dimensions: problem framing, experimentation and data collection, evidence-to-explanation reasoning, and material-inquiry alignment. RTOP scores ranged from 43 to 62, while lesson evidence showed that all four lessons contained inquiry-oriented elements but differed in coherence. Lesson Study discussions surfaced recurring problems in framing investigable questions, guiding data collection, supporting evidence-based reasoning, and aligning materials with scientific purposes. The documented revision from Lesson C to Lesson D further showed how identified pedagogical problems could inform subsequent redesign of the task and materials. The study does not establish longitudinal teacher growth or student learning effects; instead, it shows how Lesson Study can make the epistemic coherence of inquiry visible for collaborative professional examination. Contextual constraints included curriculum pacing, planning time, and students’ limited familiarity with sustained inquiry.

Lesson Study, Science, Inquiry-based learning

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