Challenges to Importing Japanese Lesson Study: Concerns, Misconceptions, and Nuances

Abstract

Lesson study is no longer to teachers in the U.S., who are increasingly adopting the practice themselves. But, Ms. Chokshi and Ms. Fernandez are finding, they may lack the nuanced understanding that is necessary to use lesson study in the way that it was intended. RECENTLY, there has been a rapid proliferation of lesson study groups in the United States.1 Since deep knowledge about lesson study is rare in the U.S., it is likely that some of these groups have an incomplete understanding of this Japanese practice. Some may focus on structural aspects of the process of lesson study or may mimic its superficial features, while ignoring the underlying rationale for them.2 Our purpose here is to clarify some of the guiding principles behind the process of lesson study by identifying three categories of challenges that U.S. practitioners of lesson study may encounter at different developmental stages in their learning about the process. We wish to help lesson study practitioners focus on core principles and more coherently define the purpose of their lesson study work, so that they can move beyond its procedural aspects toward richer, more sustainable practice. Challenges to Launching Lesson Study: Common Concerns and Assumptions In this section, we describe cultural and logistical roadblocks that some individuals perceive when they first encounter lesson study. By addressing these concerns and false assumptions here, we hope to offer both a justification and a rationale for doing lesson study, so that interested individuals can move beyond discussing obstacles and toward actually engaging in the process. 1. Lesson study is an idea from a foreign country, so it can't be done in the U.S. Even though the formal process for lesson study was developed and popularized in Japan, there is nothing exotic about it. Lesson study not only possesses many of the features that are recommended by U.S. educators, it also organizes them into a coherent and systematic process. Specifically, lesson study is teacher-directed, since teachers determine how to explore their chosen goals and address student needs through their examination of practice. This examination of practice is concrete, because the main activities of the lesson study process are embedded in the realities of the everyday classroom. Lesson study is also inherently collaborative, since teachers work together with a common purpose and draw from one another's experience and expertise. Finally, sustained lesson study work can help teachers build a shared body of professional knowledge.3 2. U.S. teachers will not be able to find time for doing lesson study. Although lesson study is time-consuming, it can also be highly rewarding, so finding time for it is not impossible once teachers have made a commitment to the practice. According to a survey we recently conducted, a majority of U.S. lesson study groups met at least once a week, and most of these groups even found time to meet during the school day.4 However, time for conducting lesson study will always be limited, so we advise U.S. practitioners to use specific strategies in order to maximize their available time. For example, lesson study meetings can be run more efficiently by assigning roles to group members, distributing materials for feedback beforehand, and so on.5 Administrators can also play a significant role in supporting lesson study, especially with regard to scheduling, obtaining substitute coverage, and allocating funds. Some administrators have found creative ways to maximize their existing resources.6 3. We can't justify lesson study to others without proof that it improves student performance. The concern that lesson study will not allow practitioners to measure and communicate their findings about student performance is closely linked to the U.S. cultural desire for quick results (along with education policy pressures that focus on measurement by means of standardized achievement test scores). …