It was an honour to present the preliminary findings of my study at the 2022 WALS conference, which was held in Malaysia from 19 to 23 September 2022. This would not have happened if my supervisor, Dr Sekao, had not encouraged me to submit a paper. The conference was attended by approximately 800 researchers, teachers, teacher educators and policymakers.

In my research, which was guided by a qualitative interpretivist case study, I explored primary school teachers’ diagnostic practices in mathematics in the context of Lesson Study. Presenting my preliminary findings at a conference of this magnitude was a real achievement for me.

It was indeed opportunity of a lifetime as I was able to meet many of the authors I had cited (eg Profs Takahashi, Lewis and Dudley), as well as other speakers who are experts in the field of Lesson Study. The presentations I listened to enhance my knowledge and opened my eyes to the endless opportunities for improvement that Lesson Study can contribute to our South African education system, in particular mathematics teaching and learning.

The PhD programme presented on 19 September 2022, a day before the main conference, was the main take-away for me. It was dedicated to PhD students whose research focus is on Lesson Study. It was enlightening to listen to PhD students from all over the world when they shared their studies and to offer inputs on the work done by others. The expert knowledge of, and inputs made by experts in the field of Lesson Study provided me with valuable information to think about when I start my PhD journey in the near future. Overall, it was an insightful conference, and I cannot wait to attend the next one in Austria in 2023.