International Perspectives

Abstract

This special issue of Mathematics Teacher Education and Development has as its focus Japanese Lesson Study as a model for whole-school teacher professional learning. Since Japanese Lesson Study was first brought to worldwide attention through the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) video study (Stigler, Gonzales, Kawanaka, Knoll, & Serrano, 1999) and Stigler and Hiebert’s (1999) account of Japanese structured problem-solving mathematics lessons in The Teaching Gap , there has been phenomenal growth of interest in Japanese Lesson Study as a process for professional development from non-Japanese educators and researchers. Not only Western countries, such as the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom, but also Asian countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines, together with a number of African nations, are attempting to implement Japanese Lesson Study. The papers contributed to this Special Issue underscore this interest in a variety of ways. While Japanese Lesson Study is the over-arching theme of this special issue, the contributions cover two themes: papers in one theme offer support to those wishing to implement Japanese Lesson Study outside Japan, and papers in the second theme provide examples of a variety of implementations of lesson study outside Japan. One of the key features of Japanese Lesson Study is the role of the “knowledgeable other”, and this role is examined and explained in detail in Takahashi’s paper, The role of the knowledgeable other in lesson study: Examining the final comments of experienced lesson study practitioners . While this role may appear less important than the lesson plan developed by teachers, the knowledgeable other provides not only critical commentary, but also advice and thoughtprovoking questions to help further the intentions of the lesson study group. In his paper, Takahashi examines the beliefs and experiences of three experienced “knowledgeable others” and found that they agreed on three responsibilities for the person in this role—namely “bringing new knowledge from research and the curriculum; showing the connection between the theory and the practice; and helping others learn how to reflect on teaching and learning”. A different form of support for professional development through lesson study is that reported by Lewis and Perry in their paper Lesson study with mathematical resources: A sustainable model for locally-led teacher professional learning . In this paper the authors illustrate the development and use of video and written