Enhancing Mathematics Teacher Training in Higher Education: The Role of Lesson Study and Didactic Suitability Criteria in Pedagogical Innovation

The integration of Lesson Study (LS) and Didactic Suitability Criteria (DSC) presents aninnovative framework for enhancing mathematics teacher training in higher education.This study examines how LS-DSC fosters instructional refinement, professional growth,and pedagogical transformation among in-service teachers. Using a quasi-experimentalmixed-methods approach, the study analyzed data from 520 mathematics educators participatingin a six-month training program incorporating collaborative lesson planning,structured pedagogical assessment, and reflective teaching practices. Findings indicatesignificant improvements in instructional design, mathematical discourse facilitation, andadaptive teaching strategies, with post-training evaluations demonstrating a strong positivecorrelation (r = 0.78) between initial competency levels and learning gains. Participantsreported increased confidence in implementing student-centered methodologies and sustainedengagement in peer collaboration beyond the training period. The results align withprior research emphasizing the effectiveness of lesson study models and structured evaluationframeworks in teacher professionalization. This study contributes to higher educationpolicy and practice by advocating for the institutional adoption of LS-DSC methodologiesto promote evidence-based professional development. Future research should explore thelong-term scalability of LS-DSC in diverse educational contexts and its impact on studentlearning outcomes.