On September 29, 2025, the Center for Pedagogical Innovations and the UNESCO Chair in Action Research organized a training seminar on `A Closer Look at Lesson Study` for university mentor-researchers with invited lecturer and expert in educational psychology, Dr. Clea Fernandez.

The seminar placed strong emphasis on the role and functions of mentor-researchers as key facilitators in promoting practice-oriented research methods such as Action Research and Lesson Study across faculties.

During the seminar, participants discussed the core principles of Lesson Study, exchanged perspectives, and shared new insights:

• The focus is not the lesson itself, but the collaborative process behind it;
• Lesson Study is oriented toward learning goals and the needs of students;
• It is a collaborative research process where all participants learn from each other;
• Lesson Study is a form of practice-based inquiry grounded in classroom data.

The key idea of the seminar was to integrate Lesson Study into the capstone projects and theses of fourth-year students, as well as into the teaching practices of faculty members as an effective tool for professional and personal development.

The staff of the Center for Pedagogical Innovations, together with Dr. Clea Fernandez, will conduct facilitation sessions and consultations for all thesis supervisors, university faculty, and student teachers during their teaching practice.

The seminar became an important platform for sharing experiences, developing new approaches, and preparing mentor-researchers to further support their colleagues and future teachers.