Lesson Study Process Research Articles

Cross cultural analysis of an Iranian mathematics lesson

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine an Iranian mathematics lesson through the eyes of Japanese educators, and the critiques of Iranian teachers for raising the quality of teaching. In this paper, the Japanese lesson study process is considered as an approach to raising the quality of teaching.Design/methodology/approach– Qualitative methods including pre-lesson planning, peer observation of the lesson, post-lesson discussion, and semi-structured interviews with the participants of the post-lesson discussion meetings in Iran and Japan were employed for data collection. A detailed description and analysis of the lesson is provided for deep understanding of students’ mathematical communication in the class and teachers’ points of view in the post-lesson discussions about raising the quality of teaching.Findings– The findings are intended to clarify the significant influence that cross-cultural analysis has exerted on raising the quality of teaching and developing a culture of transnational learning that supports teachers to design appropriate learning tasks, to conceptualize mathematical phenomena, and to provide mathematical communication which encourage students to participate more in classroom activities.Research limitations/implications– This study provides a transnational learning opportunity for Iranian teachers to learn from Japanese educators how to deliver evidence-based analysis of a lesson for raising the quality of teaching in practice, look culturally and differently at what actually goes on in the classroom, and localize lesson study as a global approach to the “science of improvement.” However, issues to be considered in future studies include how such “small changes” can be linked together in local communities to expand the improvement from bottom up, and how to facilitate collaboration with the global community to expand transnational learning.Practical implications– Traditionally in Iran, there are a variety of teacher training programs but there are no examples of lesson study like those that take place in Japan as a model of practitioner inquiry for raising quality of teaching. Hence, it can be said that Japanese lesson study may provide a new approach of transnational learning in the Iranian education context for building a “science of improvement.”Social implications– In the case of Iran, especially at the elementary school level, teachers do not have enough preparation or experience. Therefore, raising the quality of teaching through lesson study that has an actual impact on teacher and teaching quality and developing a “science of improvement” has become a pressing concern in national and international contexts.Originality/value– The case study shows that the transfer of the Japanese model of lesson study plays a significant role in harnessing the potential of students and teachers as well as teachers themselves by improving teaching. Efforts by teachers to communicate and learn from each other’s strengths, in fact lead to the realizing of the students potential and thinking process. In particular, it helps supply more open-end and in-depth task learning, which anticipates student thinking, understanding, recognizing and questioning.

The prospects of lesson study in the US

Purpose – Lesson study has emerged as an approach to improving the quality of teaching in the USA. The purpose of this paper is to provide an investigation into teachers’ attitudes toward lesson study. Evidence suggests that lesson study may increase teachers’ content knowledge and their ability to anticipate student misconceptions during lessons. Nevertheless, certain issues have surfaced in the literature. Teachers may struggle with the demands of collaboration, critique of their lessons, and observation of their teaching. Moreover, lesson study may conflict with the existing mandate-monitor culture within many school districts. Understanding how teachers perceive lesson study is vital to gauging the effectiveness of the process. Design/methodology/approach – In all, 55 teachers at two elementary schools in urban Los Angeles participated in the researcher-designed survey. For the teachers in this study, participation in lesson study was mandatory, and most had participated in a version of lesson study that emphasized following the established curriculum and district-approved strategies. Data were analyzed using correlational analysis. Findings – Results yielded significant associations between teachers’ comfort levels with collaboration, lesson observation, lesson critique, and their support for lesson study. Higher degrees of control by the district over the lesson study process were linked to teachers feeling less responsible for student learning. Practical implications – The findings from this study have important implications for the prospects of lesson study as a model of teacher development in the USA. Originality/value – This paper fulfils a need to investigate factors that impede and promote the effective implementation of lesson study in the USA.

Using lesson study to assess pupils’ learning difficulties

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to make the case for the novel use of lesson study (LS) for assessment purposes, in addition to its typical use to develop teaching and for professional development. The specific use of LS for assessment in this paper is for pupils experiencing learning difficulties in order to enhance understanding of their needs. Design/methodology/approach – The paper explains briefly the origins and principles of LS and draws on evidence from various studies for why and how it can be used for assessment purposes. The key role of formative assessment in the LS process is connected to the parallel developments of dynamic assessment and the response to instruction approach to the assessment of pupils with learning difficulties. Findings – The paper concludes with an account of how the assessment use of LS can be translated into practical assessment procedures. Originality/value – The value of the paper is in the original and explicit explanation and justification of the use of LS principles for formative assessment of pupils with learning difficulties.

English

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the lesson study process on science teacher candidates’ teaching in terms of lesson plan content, pedagogy and classroom management based on expert, peer and self-evaluations. The participants of this case study consisted of 16 teacher candidates in elementary science education in their fourth year of school. Participants conducted a three-phase lesson presentation, and each phase was observed and commented on by experts, peers and the lecturers. All evaluations indicated positive changes in terms of lesson planning and design, creating a positive learning environment, engaging students with meaningful content, and assessing student learning. Keywords: case study,lesson study, science education, teacher education.

Innovating the Singapore English Language curriculum through lesson study

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to report on an exploratory study, Project En-ELT (enhancing English language learning and teaching), which used lesson study to mediate curriculum innovation to enhance student learning by engaging teachers in learning and implementing effective English language teaching strategies and formative assessment practices in seven lower secondary schools in Singapore over two years. It aims to portray how lesson study can be adapted to build teacher pedagogical capacity in carrying out the language development goals formulated in the revised national English Language Syllabus 2010.Design/methodology/approach– Project evaluation is embedded systematically into the research design from the very beginning of the pilot to in between each step of lesson study process across three consecutive cycles in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot program from the project advisors’, participating teachers’ and students’ perspectives. Both the quantitative and qualitative data were collected in and across the instructional steps and lesson study cycles to create immediate evidence-based feedback to inform continuous on-going adjustment and improvement.Findings– Findings indicate that across the three cycles the lesson study teams moved from isolated to collaborative planning; from poor understanding and mechanical execution of the retelling strategy to a more sophisticated and skilful use of reciprocal teaching. An increase was found in teacher confidence and positive attitude towards the value of the project in developing their language and teaching effectiveness. There was enhanced student engagement and collaborative participation in the lessons while assessment for learning was fostered in the classroom.Originality/value– Program evaluation provided feedback loops to ensure that each enactment stage and cycle learns from and builds on the limitations and strengths of the previous one(s) so internal consistency, continuity and coherence can be achieved for concrete implementation; different perspectives from the project officers/researchers, teachers and students were collected consistently and analyzed to gauge the accuracy of the findings; the collaboration between Ministry of Education curriculum officers, specialists and teachers, through lesson study, was able to create democratic relations rested upon interdependence, and mutual respect and trust; and it provides an illustrative case of how lesson study can be used effectively to help schools carry out national curriculum and pedagogical innovations. The project has important implications for addressing the issues of implementation and sustainability of innovative curriculum practices.

Professional learning of teachers through a lesson study process in England

PurposeThis paper aims to discuss findings from a development and research project using the lesson study (LS) method in England, which had the overall aim of improving learning opportunities for pupils identified as having moderate learning difficulties (MLD). MLD is one of the most prevalent areas of special educational needs in the UK and the project is the first UK attempt to use LS with pupils with identified learning difficulties. The contexts, mechanisms (processes) and outcomes of the lesson studies carried out at the project schools are discussed and analysed.Design/methodology/approachThe paper outlines and discusses how teachers carried out lesson studies in 14 secondary schools and evaluates the lesson study processes in their school contexts by using both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The methodology uses a realist evaluation approach which links contexts, mechanisms and outcomes in order to develop and test a programme theory.FindingsThe teachers reported positive processes and outcomes of the lesson study experience for themselves and for the pupils with MLD, but outcomes for the schools were more ambiguous. The findings raise issues about the importance of wider support for the LS process in schools for its successful implementation as well as potential difficulties that teachers may face when engaged in the process.Originality/valueThe paper shows how LS methods can be applied to the professional learning of teachers focused on teaching pupils with learning difficulties in ordinary and some special schools. In so doing, it contributes to the developing literature about Lesson Study in the West. The analysis goes beyond the description of LS practice to examine empirically how LS outcomes arise from specific processes in particular contexts. The findings are relevant to teachers, professional developers and researchers with LS interests as well as educators interested in developing inclusive practices for pupils with special educational needs.

Teacher learning in Lesson Study: What interaction-level discourse analysis revealed about how teachers utilised imagination, tacit knowledge of teaching and fresh evidence of pupils learning, to develop practice knowledge and so enhance their pupils' learning

This research examines what discourse interactions reveal about teacher learning in Lesson Study (LS) contexts as teachers plan and discuss research lessons.LS group members combined social and cultural capital resources and vivid data from research lessons. This created motivating conditions enabling collective access to imagined practice and joint development of micro practices. Improvements in subsequent teaching, and pupils' learning are reported.Iterative, collaborative LS processes enabled teachers to access tacit knowledge resources and remove filters (developed to cope with classroom complexity), unmasking hidden characteristics of pupils. This both challenged and informed teacher beliefs, motivating joint development of enhanced practices.

How Japanese schools build a professional learning community by lesson study

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to clarify the lesson study (LS) processes and evaluate their effectiveness in Japanese elementary and secondary (middle and high) schools, through a school survey by the National Institute for Educational Policy Research of Japan (NIER).Design/methodology/approachThe authors randomly selected 1,000 elementary schools and 1,000 middle schools and 500 high schools in Japan. Survey items are methods of LS, and indicators of building professional learning communities (PLC) through LSs, close communication between teachers, high quality instruction by teachers, and test scores of students of the school.FindingsBased on the school survey in elementary and middle schools, almost all schools set up a school‐wide committee, a research theme, and a schedule for LS, and LSs were implemented as part of a school‐wide lesson study from which an action research report is produced. On the other hand, in high schools, almost all the schools implemented LSs, but each LS is independent and implemented specifically for the professional development of the individual teacher who undertakes the research lesson. The authors consider LS as a way to facilitate a PLC in the school. There are correlations between the methods of LS and the indicators of a PLC in elementary and middle schools. However, the effectiveness of LS differs between elementary and middle schools. With respect to the research theme and the organization and discussion of lesson plans, LS methods in middle schools are developed into LS methods in elementary schools. The LS methods may be developed gradually both in elementary and middle schools.Originality/valueStatistical data of LS in Japanese elementary and secondary schools are presented for the first time, demonstrating the effectiveness of LS.

Lesson Planning in Primary School Using Lesson Study and Open Approach

Lesson plans are generally written in a way that helps teachers to layout and run classroom activities. Many researchers have examined how teachers go about planning. This clearly shows that instructional plans play a central role in teaching and creating effective learning environments (Clark & Dunn, 1991; Reiser & Dick, 1996; Shauelson, 1983 cited in Koszalka et al., 1999). In context of school using lesson study and open approach followed conception of Inprasitha (2010), the importance of lesson study processes is collaborative lesson planning. After that the teachers who participate in lesson study group use these lesson plans in the classroom, observe and collect students’ thought and learning processes. And in planning the lessons use problems that students encounter in everyday life, so as to stimulate students to work to achieve the objective (Fernandez & Yoshida, 2004). The data were collected by video and audio recording while the target group were planning and teaching the lessons in lesson study process, then were transcribed to the protocol and analyzed by using theoretical framework of Stigler and Hiebert (1999). The research revealed that the target group discussed during the lesson planning process detailing about exact words, problem situations, materials, the anticipated solutions, students’ thoughts and responses, time used in each part of the lesson, and how to summarize the lesson. In the lesson planning, the exact words used in the problem situations were mostly mentioned. Moreover, in lesson planning, the issue of details of introduction design was discussed a lot. There were some issues which were not discussed during the teachers-included designing of the lesson plan. However, they were discussed while the teacher was using the lesson plan in class during instructional management.

Making Connections Among Student Learning, Content, and Teaching: Teacher Talk Paths in Elementary Mathematics Lesson Study

This study investigated how elementary teachers in a mathematics lesson study made sense of student learning, teaching, and content, as related to using representations in teaching multidigit subtraction, and how changes occurred over time in their talk and practice. The lesson-study process paved a group talk path along which teacher talk shifted from superficial to deeper consideration of student learning. By providing a context in which interactions of diverse ideas drove teacher learning, lesson study facilitated teachers making connections between the craft knowledge of teaching and scholarly knowledge. Individual teacher talk paths varied within the group path, and one teacher's learning path and the interaction of different learning paths is discussed.

Extending Ideas on Improving Teaching

Thanks to the editors of the journal for inviting responses to our earlier article, and thanks to Lampert; Lewis, Perry, Friedkin, and Roth; and Zeichner for accepting the invitation and clarifying, extending, and questioning the ideas we proposed. We begin by gratefully acknowledging the responders for reinforcing a number of primary points we tried to make and for amplifying them through useful extensions. Some of these extensions suggest settings in which the work we propose for improving teaching could thrive and achieve the preferred scenarios imagined by Lampert (2012). The useful settings described by the responders include creating inquiry communities from the beginning of teacher education (Zeichner, 2012), designing guidance systems in which the work of improving teaching can occur (Lampert, 2012), and providing instructional supports that enable teachers to engage in this work (Lewis, Perry, Friedkin, & Roth, 2012). The three supports identified by Lewis et al.--high-quality teacher manuals, teacher learning within practice, and collegial learning-echo many of the points in our article and add a richness of detail by describing the lesson study process common in Japan. We hope to continue the conversation about improving teaching by focusing on two points that deserve further consideration: the willingness or motivation of teachers to engage in the work of improving teaching and the prioritizing in teacher education of improving teaching versus training teachers. The willingness of teachers to work directly on improving teaching is underdeveloped in our article, but we see our position as quite consistent with the more complete treatment given this point in the responses, especially by Lampert. We argue briefly in our article (Hiebert & Morris, 2012, p. 95) and more forcefully in Morris and Hiebert (2009, 2011) along with others (Lampert & Graziani, 2009; Lewis et al., 2012; Gallimore, Ermeling, Saunders, & Goldenberg, 2009) that working directly to improve teaching as part of a professional community provides the most authentic and rewarding intellectual challenge that can keep teachers engaged in the profession. The compelling motivation is twofold: (a) seeing the effects of improving teaching, even in small ways, on changes in students' learning (Gallimore et al., 2009; Stigler, 2010) and (b) teachers seeing themselves as contributors to a professional knowledge base from which others can benefit (Lampert & Graziani, 2009; Morris & Hiebert, 2011; Stigler & Hiebert, 1999). The key is for teachers to see themselves, along with researchers and curriculum writers, as coauthors of the methods and materials they use and continue to improve. As Lampert (2012) points out in her response, the will to teach, and teach well, is a cultural rather than individual trait. We believe the development of this culture is driven by a professional ethos that places the study and improvement of teaching in the hands of teachers. Lampert appears to support the point we have made often in this regard: shared learning goals (and associated values) create the demand to produce and to use effective teaching methods that are shared and eagerly received by other teachers. This demand arises naturally when many teachers are trying to help their students achieve the same learning goals. Excellent examples of the development of this professional ethos are found in Lewis et al.'s (2012) description of lesson study, in Lampert and Graziani's (2009) description of an Italian language school, and in the University of Delaware mathematics education group's description of their teacher preparation program (Berk & Hiebert, 2009; Hiebert & Morris, 2009; Jansen, Bartell, & Berk, 2009). The second point we want to make amounts to an elaboration of the central thesis of our article: there are significant benefits in foregrounding direct attention to studying and improving teaching, and then treating the learning of teachers as a natural outcome of this work. …

Mathematics teachers’ engaging in a lesson study at virtual settings

This study investigated how involving in a lesson study process at virtual settings impacted participating teachers’ knowledge. The two elementary mathematics teachers, teaching in two public elementary schools at distant cities and meeting occasionally face to face and regularly at virtual settings formed the sample of this study. Neither of the teachers had any math teacher collegue they can collaborate in improving their instruction or their own knowledge. Teachers developed seven reform-based math lesson plans during one semester of a school year. They followed every step of lesson study, except they had to adapt the observation phase due to long distance between them. The teachers could not observe each other’s teaching. They had to rely on the reflections of their colleagues about how the lesson went at the observation stage. The data were collected through teachers written responses to three open ended questions and written reflections after each math lesson. The data is categorized based on the commonalities of teacher statements. The results of this study suggest that lesson study is an effective professional development model in improving their knowledge even for the teachers who cannot talk face to face and observe each other’s classroom. Key words: Professional development, lesson study, teacher knowledge, elementary mathematics teacher, online communications, technology use.

Teachers Views and Perceptions towards the Lesson Study Processes

The key to professional development is inquiry. For teachers, it means that they become researchers, inquiring into their own practices for purposes of professional renewal. Lesson Study has been widely accepted as an embedded teacher professional development process. This paper reports on primary school mathematics teachers’ view and perceptions toward Lesson Study processes as a mean for their continuous professional development. After their exposure to Lesson Study processes from a four week course at RECSAM, the researchers sought their views and experiences with conducting Lesson Study. The respondents were primary school mathematics teachers and teacher’ educators who participated in courses conducted at SEAMEO RECSAM, Penang, Malaysia. The data were drawn through interview and from their project works, journals, reports, and questionnaires. This study noted that most of the teachers held positive but reluctant views on Lesson Study as a path for continuous professional development. They agreed that Lesson Study can be used as effective tool for their professional development under specific circumstance. Possible factors that support and hinder teachers to be engaged in Lesson Study were noted such as flexible time table, teacher’s experiences and supportiveschool policy.

Exploring and developing graduate teaching assistants' pedagogies via lesson study

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) teach many undergraduates in introductory science courses in the USA. Previous literature suggests that GTAs would prefer more context-dependent opportunities to learn to teach more effectively. This study explores the impact of participation in a lesson study cycle with GTAs responsible for an undergraduate introductory course in Earth Science. Data were analyzed via a theoretical perspective of situated cognition and lesson study. Findings indicate GTAs felt limited by current contexts in the degree to which they could change the laboratory, their talk about teaching largely focused on logistical issues, yet via the lesson study process they began to discuss the learner in their seminars. Implications are presented that explore the applicability of lesson study in this context, the role of a science educator as a facilitator for reform in college science teaching, and the potential impact of this process on GTAs’ relationships with other faculty.

Pre-service Teachers in Mathematics Lesson Study

This paper presents qualitative evidence to answer the questions, “What are the outcomes of engaging pre-service and in-service teachers in a collaborative lesson study experience” and “How can the outcomes of this experience inform future ways to include preservice teachers in lesson study?” The data gathered demonstrate that including pre-service teachers in lesson study can introduce them to lesson-building as a process and cross-grades teacher collaboration. It can give them opportunities to be critical thinkers in the context of mathematics education and encourages them to think as teachers. One weakness the pre-service teachers demonstrated was an incomplete understanding of the appropriate use of technology in algebra. Consideration of prior knowledge and anticipation of student responses was lacking among both pre-service and in-service teachers. Overall, the data show that pre-service teachers can contribute to the lesson study process as researchers.

Teacher collaborative learning through the lesson study: identifying pathways for instructional success in a Singapore high school

Research shows teacher collaborative learning to be a powerful vehicle to mobilise teacher instructional change and pedagogical practices, and to improve student achievement. For such undertakings to have positive impact, understanding the visible features of collaborative structures may not be sufficient to ensure sustainable practice. Instead, there is a need to identify underlying pathways that provide for successful instructional improvement. The purpose of this qualitative study is to obtain deeper insights into teacher outcomes arising from this practice and to identify aspects of the lesson study structure and processes that afford such opportunities. Three subject groups consisting of ten teachers from a Singapore high school participated in this study. Implications on staff development programs will be discussed in the light of these findings.

Calls for Manuscripts: Lesson Study

In The Teaching Gap (1999), James W. Stigler and James Hiebert describe differences between mathematics instruction in Japan and the United States. They attribute some of these differences to a commonly used method of professional development in Japan called lesson study: “The lesson-study process has an unrelenting focus on student learning. All efforts to improve lessons are evaluated with respect to clearly specified learning goals, and revisions are always justified with respect to student thinking and learning” (p. 121). Over the past decade, many groups of educators in North America have implemented various forms of lesson study.

Call for Manuscripts: Lesson Study

In The Teaching Gap (1999), James W. Stigler and James Hiebert describe differences between mathematics instruction in Japan and the United States. They attribute some of these differences to a commonly used method of professional development in Japan called lesson study: “The lesson-study process has an unrelenting focus on student learning. All efforts to improve lessons are evaluated with respect to clearly specified learning goals, and revisions are always justified with respect to student thinking and learning” (p. 121). Over the past decade, many groups of educators in North America have implemented various forms of lesson study.

Call for Manuscripts: Lesson Study

In The Teaching Gap (1999), James W. Stigler and James Hiebert describe differences between mathematics instruction in Japan and the United States. They attribute some of these differences to a commonly used method of professional development in Japan called lesson study: “The lesson-study process has an unrelenting focus on student learning. All efforts to improve lessons are evaluated with respect to clearly specified learning goals, and revisions are always justified with respect to student thinking and learning” (p. 121). Over the past decade, many groups of educators in North America have implemented various forms of lesson study.

Lesson Study with preservice teachers: Lessons from lessons

This article examines a 2-year process of integrating Lesson Study—a form of teacher-led professional development—into an introductory course on the principles of teaching for students majoring in early childhood education. The course is taught in conjunction with beginning practicum work in area schools. We describe obstacles, modifications, and outcomes as we adapted the Lesson-Study process to help preservice teachers pay closer attention to instructional strategies (such as questioning techniques, anticipating student responses, and how lesson flow affects student understanding), and become more comfortable with constructive criticism by focusing on the lesson plan rather than the teacher.