collaborative lesson planning

This study examined the classroom and instructional management practices of new and experienced teachers and their relationship with students’ learning engagement in selected public secondary schools in Cortes District, Division of Bohol, during School Year 2026–2027. Anchored in the Classroom Management Scripts Model, Instructional Clarity Framework, Multidimensional Student Engagement Framework, and Huberman’s Teacher Career Cycle, the study employed a quantitative comparative-correlational research design. Respondents comprised 15 new teachers, 46 experienced teachers, and 278 students, totaling 339 participants. Data were gathered using a researcher-modified, validated, and pilot-tested questionnaire and analyzed through descriptive statistics, Pearson product–moment correlation, and independent-samples t-tests. Results revealed consistently high classroom and instructional management practices among both teacher groups, with no statistically significant differences. Classroom management and instructional management exhibited a strong positive relationship (r = 0.724, p < 0.001), whereas neither classroom management (r = 0.040, p = 0.760) nor instructional management (r = −0.062, p = 0.635) was significantly associated with students’ overall learning engagement. Students taught by new teachers demonstrated significantly higher overall and emotional engagement (p = 0.017), while behavioral and cognitive engagement showed no significant differences. The study concluded that teaching experience alone does not determine management effectiveness and that favorable management practices do not necessarily correspond to higher student engagement. A school-based professional development program emphasizing mentoring, collaborative lesson planning, peer observation, and instructional improvement was proposed. The study supports Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) by promoting effective teaching, inclusive learning environments, and continuous professional growth. Its educational and institutional sustainability contribution lies in providing localized evidence to guide sustained professional development and improvements in students’ learning experiences.

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are an essential mechanism for collaborative professional learning of teachers. However, evidence remains limited on the specific activities secondary school Biology teachers engage in within PLCs and their perceived contribution to competence-based teaching in Tanzania. This study investigated the PLC activities conducted by secondary school Biology teachers in Dodoma City and their perceived contribution to competence-based teaching practices. Social Constructivist Theory guided the study. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, and data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 103 Biology teachers in 60 randomly selected public and private secondary schools and analysed using descriptive statistics. The key findings show that teachers engaged mainly in practice-oriented activities: collaborative lesson planning (83.5% of respondents) and peer observation (52.4%) were the only activities reported by more than half of the teachers, whereas setting and reviewing goals (21.4%) and action research and inquiry-based learning (16.5%) were the least practised. Teachers rated the contribution of PLC activities to competence-based teaching as great on all six indicators (M = 3.99–4.18). The strongest contributions were in preparing competence-based lesson plans integrating lessons into real-life situations and involving students in classroom activities, while formative assessment received the lowest, though still high, rating. These findings imply that PLCs benefit learners by helping teachers deliver more learner-centred, contextualised, and participatory lessons, which are the classroom conditions through which competence-based learning and academic performance are improved. The study recommends strengthening inquiry-oriented PLC activities, particularly action research and the collaborative analysis of assessment evidence, so that PLCs can more fully support learners’ achievement.

This study explored collaborative lesson planning practices as part of lesson study-based supervision in selected public primary schools in Bagamoyo District, Tanzania. The study was guided by Social Constructivist Theory and employed a qualitative case study design, with Bagamoyo District as the bounded case and four selected public primary schools as embedded units of analysis. A total of 34 participants, comprising 28 classroom teachers, four head teachers, and two Ward Education Officers, were purposively selected. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, observation, and document analysis and were analysed thematically. The findings revealed that collaborative lesson planning was widely practiced in the selected schools through joint preparation of lesson plans, discussion of learning objectives and teaching strategies, development of teaching aids, and sharing of instructional knowledge and resources. Teachers reported that these practices enhanced professional learning, teaching confidence, pedagogical knowledge, and collective problem-solving. However, the implementation of collaborative lesson planning was constrained by heavy teaching workloads, limited time, inadequate instructional resources, and competing administrative responsibilities. The study concludes that collaborative lesson planning constitutes an important foundation of lesson study-based supervision and provides teachers with opportunities for continuous professional learning and improvement of instructional practice. The study recommends that school leaders and education authorities allocate adequate time and resources for collaborative lesson planning, strengthen institutional support, and minimise competing responsibilities that interfere with regular lesson study activities

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is increasingly recognised as an effective approach for promoting students' critical thinking, problem-solving, and conceptual understanding in mathematics. Although PBL is emphasised in the Ghanaian Senior High School mathematics curriculum, its classroom implementation remains limited, and empirical evidence on the role of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in supporting it is scarce. This study examined the extent to which PLCs are associated with teachers' implementation of PBL. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was adopted. Data were collected from 86 mathematics teachers and school administrators in three public Senior High Schools using a structured questionnaire (83 valid responses retained for quantitative analysis), followed by semi-structured interviews with 15 teachers. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression, and qualitative data were analysed thematically. Participants reported high levels of PLC participation (M = 3.47) and PBL implementation (M = 3.48). The five PLC dimensions jointly predicted PBL implementation, R² = .424, F(5, 77) = 11.345, p < .001. Shared Mission, Vision and Values, Collective Responsibility for Student Learning, and Collective Inquiry were significant individual predictors. Interviews indicated that PLCs were associated with collaborative lesson planning, professional dialogue, reflective practice, and teachers' confidence in implementing PBL, while inadequate time, limited instructional resources, and insufficient institutional support constrained implementation. Effective PLCs are associated with teachers' greater capacity to implement PBL in Senior High School mathematics. Strengthening PLC activities through continuous professional development, structured collaboration, and adequate resource provision is recommended to support sustained PBL implementation.

یادگیری مبتنی بر مسئله (PBL) به طور فزاینده‌ای به عنوان رویکردی مؤثر برای ارتقای تفکر انتقادی، حل مسئله و درک مفهومی دانش‌آموزان در ریاضیات شناخته می‌شود. اگرچه PBL در برنامه درسی ریاضیات دبیرستان‌های غنا مورد تأکید قرار گرفته است، اجرای آن در کلاس درس همچنان محدود باقی مانده و شواهد تجربی درباره نقش جوامع یادگیری حرفه‌ای (PLCs) در حمایت از آن اندک است. این پژوهش میزان ارتباط PLCها با اجرای PBL توسط معلمان را بررسی کرد. طرح پژوهش آمیخته تبیینی-توالی‌دار به کار گرفته شد. داده‌ها از ۸۶ معلم و مدیر ریاضی در سه دبیرستان دولتی با استفاده از پرسشنامه ساختاریافته (۸۳ پاسخ معتبر برای تحلیل کمی حفظ شد) گردآوری شد و سپس مصاحبه‌های نیمه‌ساختاریافته با ۱۵ معلم انجام گرفت. داده‌های کمی با استفاده از آمار توصیفی و رگرسیون خطی چندگانه تحلیل شد و داده‌های کیفی به صورت تماتیک مورد تحلیل قرار گرفت. شرکت‌کنندگان سطوح بالایی از مشارکت در PLC (M = 3.47) و اجرای PBL (M = 3.48) را گزارش کردند. پنج بُعد PLC به طور مشترک اجرای PBL را پیش‌بینی کردند، R² = .424, F(5, 77) = 11.345, p < .001. مأموریت، چشم‌انداز و ارزش‌های مشترک، مسئولیت جمعی برای یادگیری دانش‌آموزان و پژوهش جمعی پیش‌بین‌های معنادار فردی بودند. مصاحبه‌ها نشان داد که PLCها با برنامه‌ریزی درسی مشارکتی، گفت‌وگوی حرفه‌ای، عمل تأملی و اعتماد به نفس معلمان در اجرای PBL مرتبط بودند، در حالی که کمبود زمان، منابع آموزشی محدود و حمایت نهادی ناکافی، اجرای آن را محدود می‌کرد. PLCهای مؤثر با ظرفیت بالاتر معلمان برای اجرای PBL در ریاضیات دبیرستان مرتبط هستند. تقویت فعالیت‌های PLC از طریق توسعه حرفه‌ای مستمر، همکاری ساختاریافته و تأمین منابع کافی برای حمایت از اجرای پایدار PBL توصیه می‌شود.