Exploring the relationship between reflexivity and reflective practice through lesson study within initial teacher education

 Purpose:A priority for initial teacher education is the development of reflection by pre-ser-vice teachers in preparation for transition towards qualified teacher status. Whilst much lit-erature exists on the practice of reflection, little attention has been placed on understanding and  developing  the  processes  that  inform  this  practice.  Drawing  upon  the  concepts  of Strong Structuration Theory, this paper draws attention to the role Lesson Study can play in developing pre-service teachers’ processes of reflexivity whilst enhancing their reflective practice. Methodology:Participants were two cohorts of Secondary Physical Education pre-service teachers (n=40), completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Education course (PGCE). Ac-tion  research  methodology  was  adopted  during  school  placements,  when  pre-service teacher dyads engaged in cycles of Lesson Study. Data obtained through group discussion boards, questionnaires, group and individual interviews, was subjected to inductive analy-sis, comparing key patterns to locate themes.Findings:Drawing upon illustrations collated when exploring the enhancement of their re-flective practice, the findings illustrate how pre-service teachers (agents-in-focus) were able to pre-reflectively and critically draw upon embodied dispositions and practices to engage with the external structural elements of their training programme. Such interactions enabled them to demonstrate enhanced forms of active agency and knowledge, developing practices beyond traditional support structures of the training programme.  Originality and Implications for practice: In drawing upon these illustrations, this paper ex-plores how the application of Strong Structuration Theory further enhances understanding of the underlying reflexive processes that shape pre-service teacher’s interaction with the structures of initial teacher education. Furthermore, it draws attention to the part Lesson Study  can play  in  developing  creative,  confident and  reflective  pedagogy  by  pre-service teachers. In doing so this paper contributes to the growing body of literature that illuminates how  Lesson Study  may  enhance  the  experiences  and professional  development  of pre-service teachers.