1. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Lesson Study: A Japanese Approach to Improving the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics Makoto Yoshida, Ph.D. Global Education Resources (www.globaledresources.com)

2. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved What Is Lesson Study? Lesson study is a process Japanese teachers engage in to continually improve the quality of the learning experiences they provide to their students. 授業 研究 Lesson Study

3. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Three Main Activities 1. Identifying a Lesson Study goal 2. Conducting a small number of “Study Lessons (or Research Lessons)” that explore this goal 3. Reflecting on the process (including producing written reports) Lesson study involves teachers coming together to work on three main activities:

4. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Identify and Establish Lesson Study Goal 1. What kind of students do we have and what kind of students do we want to foster 2. How do we get there?

5. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved An Example of Lesson Study Goal 1. Paterson Public School No.2 (Paterson, NJ) a. School Goal: “Creating a community of responsible learners” b. Lesson Study Goal: “To encourage, record, and share student thinking”

6. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Working on a “Study Lesson” Research and Preparation: The teachers jointly draw up a detailed plan for the Study Lesson. Implementation: A teacher teaches the “Study Lesson” in a real classroom while other group members observe. Reflection and Improvement: The group comes together to discuss the instruction witnessed and what it taught them about the goal they set out to explore.

7. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Working on a “Study Lesson” (2) Second Implementation and Reflection (optional): A second teacher teaches the “Study Lesson” in a real classroom while the other group members observe. The second implementation is followed by a group discussion on the instruction witnessed. Filing Records: The teachers produce a report of their work

8. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved A Lesson Study Cycle

9. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved 1. Planning a Research Lesson

10. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved 2a. Implementing the Research Lesson

11. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved 2b. Observing the Research Lesson

12. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved 3. Reflecting on the Research Lesson

13. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved 4. Re-Implementing the Research Lesson

14. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved 5. Reflecting on the Research Lesson

15. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Producing Lesson Plan

16. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved

18. A Year-Long Schedule for Lesson Study Group Meetings Study Lesson (1) Study Lesson (2) Group Meetings

19. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Reflecting on the Lesson Study Process 1. Reflect on and discuss the Lesson Study process at the end of year. 2. Produce a report 3. Develop a plan for the next year

20. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Research Report Booklet

21. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Publications by Teachers Education Book Section at Large Bookstores

22. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Different Ways to Conduct Lesson Study in Japan School-Based (In-School) Whole school (all subjects) Content area study groups Inter-school Regionally organized Part of mandated beginning teacher education Voluntarily organized clubs and circles Organized by educational associations and institutions

23. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Example of Lesson Study Groups DescriptionMaine Purpose In-School Lesson Study  Usually all teachers from a school participate  Establish a school lesson study goal  Form several sub-groups that engage in a lesson study cycle  Achieving systematic and consistent instructional and learning improvement in the school as a whole  Develop a common vision of education at the school through teacher collaboration District-Wide Lesson Study  Organized as an intra-school lesson study group  Usually subject oriented groups (e.g., math teachers from each school in the district gather to conduct lesson study)  Meet once or twice a month  Developing communication among the schools in the district.  Exchanging ideas between the schools.  Improving instruction and learning in the district as a whole Study-Group Lesson Study (Nation-wide)  Usually a voluntarily organized group  Group of enthusiastic practitioners with purpose of improving teaching and learning or curriculum in a certain subject  Meet once or twice after school on off- school days  Developing new ideas for teaching chosen topics.  Investigating curriculum sequences and contents.  Developing curriculum

24. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Research Lesson Participants The Lesson Study Cycle Lesson Study Group Lesson Planning Group Developing a lesson plan Revising the lesson plan Research Lesson Kenkyu Jugyo Debriefing Kenkyu Kyogikai Other Sub Groups’ Members Teachers from the other schools in the same district Teachers from the other school districts New Idea for Teaching and Learning Revising the lesson plan and examine in own classroom Reexamine the lesson in own classroom using the lesson plan

25. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Characteristics of Lesson Study (1) 1. Lesson study keeps students at the heart of the process a. Classroom teaching & learning (Become visible) b. Understanding learning process 2. Lesson study helps teachers see classroom practice (teaching and learning) in a concrete form a. Helps teachers understand new teaching ideas b. Helps teachers develop a clear image of what good teaching practice entails 3. Lesson study is a form of research a. Practice is research & teacher as researcher b. Testing hypotheses in the classroom, collecting student data, reflecting/analyzing

26. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Characteristics of Lesson Study (2) 1. Lesson study can provide a form of systematic and sustained professional development a. Driven by teachers >> Continuous PD b. Teacher collaboration creates common understanding of instruction, curriculum, goals of education, etc. >> consistent learning conditions for students 2.“ Lesson” study is not just about the lesson a. Opportunities for the teachers to partake in intensively thinking deeply about instruction, learning, curriculum, education, etc. “Becoming a life-long learner” b. Producing a perfect lesson is not the goal (Good lessons are byproduct of lesson study process)

27. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved “Lesson Study: An Introduction” Produced by Makoto Yoshida & Clea Fernandez (20 min. video on CD-ROM) To Order visit: www.globaledresources.com

28. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Useful Lesson Study Websites 1. Global Education Resources: www.globaledresources 2. Lesson Study Research Group: www.tc.edu/lessonstudy 3. Lesson Study in Japan: www.lessonresearch.net 4. Northwest regional Educational Laboratory: www.nwrel.org/msec 5. Research for Better Schools: www.rbs.org

29. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Lesson Study Videos 1.“ Lesson study: An Introduction”, Global Education Resources: www.globaledresources.com 2. “Japanese lesson study: Ideas for improving mathematics teaching” (Spring, 2001), NCTM: www.nctm.org 3. “Can you lift 100kg?” and “The secret of trapezes”, Lesson Study in Japan: www.lessonresearch.net

30. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Topics Discussed During an Effective Lesson Study (1) 1. Relationship of Unit to the Research Lesson: a. What is taught & how a textbook teaches a unit b. How other textbooks or materials teach the unit differently c. Relationship of the unit to the curriculum d. Students’ previously learned knowledge & state of learning e. Goals and important mathematical concepts in the unit f. How the Research lesson fits into the unit g. Goal of the research lesson

31. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Topics Discussed During an Effective Lesson Study (2) 1. Research Lesson: a. Problem the lesson will focus on b. How to start the lesson (engagement & interest) c. Main question that promotes student thinking d. Students’ anticipated solutions and teacher’s response to those e. Instructional tools & manipulatives f. Handouts & note taking g. Blackboard organization & media use h. Progression, flow and coherence of the lesson i. How and where to end the lesson j. How to evaluate the lesson

32. Copyright ©2003, Global Education Resources, L.L.C. All Rights Reserved Topics Discussed During an Effective Lesson Study (3) 1. Other issues: a. Handling individual differences b. Fostering various student skills to solve mathematical problems (e.g., drawing diagrams, tables, and graphs; ordering and categorizing) c. Fostering other student skills besides knowledge about mathematics (e.g., Student listening skills and presentation skills) d. Type of learning experiences that help students engage, be interested in, and want to further investigate e. Abstract issuse about mathematics education (e.g., What do we teach students by teaching the subject of mathematics?)