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

Abstract

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.