Abstract
New common standards for mathematics were adopted by most of the states in the US by 2010. Achieving these standards, however, is a challenge, since they require significant changes in how mathematics is taught. Lesson study (jugyou kenkyuu) is a form of professional development that has been credited for supporting profound changes in teaching in Japan, but its effectiveness outside of Japan has been uneven. From research on school-based lesson study in Japan and from the research on and experience with lesson study in schools in the US, the authors hypothesize that certain institutional structures and practices are important for maximizing its impact, but are sometimes omitted from lesson study outside of Japan. The authors introduce a new term: collaborative lesson research (CLR), defined to include those structures and practices. A three-phase model of school-based CLR, focused on implementation of the new learning standards for mathematics, is being piloted at 15 urban schools in three major school districts in the US. This paper provides details of the pilot program and preliminary results from some of the partner schools.
Highlights
In 2010, new common standards for K-12 English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics were introduced in the United States to replace the standards that individual states had developed independently
The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics comprise two parts: the content standards, which dictate the specific mathematical topics students should learn in each grade, and the Standards for Mathematical Practice, which describe eight general practices that students should learn in all grade levels
The math/science coordinator and the teachers who participated in lesson study decided early on that they wanted to improve their students’ ability to articulate their reasoning—this began before the new standards were adopted but aligned well with one of the Standards for Mathematical Practice, “Give a viable argument and critique the reasoning of others”
Summary
In 2010, new common standards for K-12 English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics were introduced in the United States to replace the standards that individual states had developed independently. The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics comprise two parts: the content standards, which dictate the specific mathematical topics students should learn in each grade, and the Standards for Mathematical Practice, which describe eight general practices that students should learn in all grade levels These Standards for Mathematical Practice are not new; they are based on the Process Standards from Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 2000), and several of them go back much further. This paper describes an approach being developed and tested in three large urban school districts, based on lesson study (jugyou kenkyuu), in which all teachers of mathematics in a school work together to meet the challenges of implementing both the content and practice standards of the Common Core State Standards. Those case study reports could not explain much about why Japanese teachers do what they do, or which parts of the process are essential and which parts could be modified
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