THE DILEMMAS OF ADOPTING A FOREIGN MODEL INTO LOCAL CONTEXT: A CASE OF LESSON STUDY IN MALAYSIAN UNIVERSITY TEACHING

Abstract

The lesson study model was initially introduced in Japan as a core for professional development among teachers and a tool for improvement of teaching and learning. It has since become a global phenomenon and adoption of the idea was widespread across many countries (Lewis & Tsuchida, 1998; Stigler & Hiebert, 1999; Yoshida, 1999). This study aims to describe the challenges of implementing lesson study model on undergraduate English lecturers from a private university in Kuala Lumpur and a public university in Terengganu. Specifically, this article serves to address the lecturers’ dilemmas in context of lesson study model that were focused on the aspects of bureaucracy, teacher readiness and cultural conflict. This study employs a qualitative research design through observations and interviews. The findings of the study are essential in providing an insight to the considerations that need to be taken into account when appropriating a borrowed educational model into local contex.