Educators Learning From Lesson Study

"This is a much needed book for educators who want to learn more than just the surface features of lesson study, to deepen the process and learning. Bringing together current knowledge and resources from lesson study practitioners and researchers all over the world, this book provides models and examples of how teachers can learn more deeply and how to support them to learn more in lesson study. The chapters connect current research/educational theories to classroom practices, filled with examples to illustrate how deeper learning looks like with lesson study; for example, highlighting research process, paying attention to educative talk, using of case pupils (students) as teachers' focus, doing kyozai kenkyuu well, facilitating mock-up lessons, etc. This is not a basic "how-to" handbook of lesson study, and readers can choose chapters with topics of interest to learn and use the new ideas promptly in their work. Coming from the global network of lesson study educators, the book not only provides new learning guides but also provides stories of how lesson study has been adopted in different cultures and educational contexts"--

Lesson study is a professional development process that teachers engage in to systematically examine their practice, with the goal of becoming more effective. Originating in Japan, lesson study has gained significant momentum in the mathematics education community in recent years. As a process for professional development, lesson study became highly visible when it was proposed as a means of supporting the common practice of promoting better teaching by disseminating documents like standards, benchmarks and nationally validated curricula. While the body of knowledge about lesson study is growing, it remains somewhat elusive and composed of discrete research endeavors. As a new research area there is no coherent knowledge base yet. This book will contribute to the field bringing the work of researchers and practitioners together to create a resource for extant work. This book describes several aspects of Lesson Study, amongst others: it gives an historical overview of the concept, it addresses issues related to learning and teaching mathematics, it looks at the role of the teacher in the process. The last two sections of the book look at how lesson Study can be used with preservice mathematics teachers and at university mathematics methods teaching.

"At a time when so many educational policies fail to recognize and nurture the capacity of teachers to improve instruction, we feel enormously grateful for the learning community lesson study has brought to us." -Catherine Lewis and Jacqueline Hurd It's a simple idea: if we want to improve instruction, what could be more obvious than collaborating with fellow teachers to plan instruction and examine its impact on students? Lesson Study empowers teachers to improve instruction. Unlike one-size-fits-all professional development, Lesson Study allows teachers to bring their own pressing needs to the table. They seek out answers from one another, from outside specialists and research, and from careful study of students during lessons that incorporate teachers' collective knowledge. The result is a shared vision of good instruction. Lesson Study Step-By-Step shows new groups of teachers how to begin this journey, and experienced teams how to to deepen their work. It provides guidance through each step of the Lesson Study process, from building a group and homing in on a topic to conducting and reflecting on a research lesson. Strategies and materials are provided to support you each step of the way, including: a schedule for the overall process sample meeting agendas protocols for observation and discussion of lessons templates for development of the research theme and teaching-learning plan suggested processes for norm-setting and effective group management. Additional online resources allow you to explore video of teachers engaged in a mathematics lesson study cycle. At a time when so many school districts are already suffering from reform overload, why is Lesson Study so important? Because it supplies a key missing element in reform: a means to improving teaching and learning through a shared professional knowledge base. Lesson Study, Step-by-Step shows us how to make our schools places where we will all continue to learn.

Discover how Lesson Study benefits both students and teachers. Unlike scripted curricula that strip teachers of professional decisionmaking, Lesson Study values teachers by expecting them to be agents of improvement in their own classrooms. This resource empowers readers to oppose reform efforts that minimize teacher agency by offering an evidence-based approach to teacher-led instructional improvement. The text provides structures for attending to students’ interests, knowledge, and values when planning, teaching, reflecting, and revising instruction. It also shows educators how to use Lesson Study to design culturally responsive, differentiated instruction for the K–12 classroom. Use this step-by-step guide to develop professional learning communities; increase teacher motivation, efficacy, and knowledge; and support improvement adapted to local contexts. Book Features: Guides readers through three cycles of Lesson Study, taking teacher learning deeper with each cycle. Focuses on developing student understanding that supports meaningful instruction across academic areas. Emphasizes the utility of Lesson Study for informing culturally responsive instruction. Offers examples from a variety of grade-levels and content areas, featuring both pre- and inservice teachers. Includes additional resources and prompts in each chapter to guide application.

Why do students stumble over certain concepts and ideas—such as attributing causality to correlation; revert to former misconceptions, even after successfully completing a course—such as physics students continuing to believe an object tossed straight into the air continues to have a force propelling it upward; or get confused about terminology—such as conflating negative reinforcement with punishment?This is the first book about lesson study for higher education. Based on the idea that the best setting in which to examine teaching is where it takes place on a daily basis—the lecture hall, seminar room, studio, lab, and the online classroom management system – lesson study involves several instructors jointly designing, teaching, studying, and refining an individual class lesson in order to explore student learning problems, observe how students learn, and analyze how their instruction affects student learning and thinking. The primary purpose is to help teachers better understand how to support student learning and thinking. By observing how students learn through lesson study teachers can improve their own teaching and build knowledge that can be used by other teachers to improve their practice.Lesson study grew out of the collective efforts of classroom teachers in Asia—most notably in Japan—to improve their teaching. Subsequently imported, tested, and implemented by a group of instructors of biology, economics, English, and psychology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, the process proved so valuable that the university has since established the College Lesson Study Project, of which the author of this book is Director.Focusing on a single lesson enables participants to examine in detail every step of the teaching process, from vision and goals, to instructional design, to implementation, to observation and analysis of student performance, and then evidence-based improvement. It enables faculty to explore learning problems that matter most to them, learn alternative ways to teach from one another, and co-design new course materials.This book introduces lesson study practices to college teachers, providing the necessary guidance, tools, examples, models, and ideas to enable teachers to undertake lesson study in their own classes. It also explores the underlying rationale for lesson study practices and how to realize the full potential of lesson study to advance teaching and learning.A Joint Publication with the National Teaching and Learning ForumAn ACPA / NASPA Joint Publication

"Provides readers with a compelling rationale for the process, offers experience-tested tools, and suggests ways to address commonly-occurring challenges. This book will assist teachers, and those who support them, in understanding and implementing all phases of lesson study, from initial planning through sharing with others what was learned." —Dennis Sparks, Executive Director National Staff Development Council "A powerful teacher professional development process that focuses collaborative teams directly on the classroom, and the perfect tool for teachers, professional developers, and team leaders. Gives you everything you need to use lesson study to support teachers in thinking deeply about practice." —Roberta Jaffe, Science Education Coordinator, New Teacher Center, University of California, Santa Cruz Use this team-centered approach to directly enhance teaching and learning in your school! First introduced in Japan, lesson study has gained enthusiastic advocates in US educational circles as a powerful, collaborative approach that brings teachers together as researchers into the science and craft of teaching and learning in their classrooms. Teachers work as teams to develop a lesson plan, teach and observe the lesson to collect data on student learning, and use their observations to refine their lesson. Participants build their sense of professional authority while discovering effective practices that result in improved learning outcomes for their students. This "how-to" guide provides teachers, administrators, and team leaders with practical strategies, models, and tools. The book leads a beginning team through the phases of the lesson study cycle and provides an experienced team with new perspectives. Using examples from U.S. classrooms, this handbook: Encourages educators to generate and share knowledge Inspires a teacher-researcher stance Illustrates both the process and substance of lesson study Encourages collaboration Provides guidelines for avoiding common pitfalls Leading Lesson Study is an excellent resource for both experienced and novice lesson study teams, administrators who want to start a lesson study program, and lesson study team facilitators such as instructional coaches and professional development providers.

This book introduces readers to the development of Lesson Study (LS) in the UK, making historical connections to the growth of Lesson Study in Japan, East Asia, the US and Europe. It explains how to conduct LS in schools and educational institutions, providing examples of compelling, externally evaluated impact outcomes for both primary learners and teacher learners, and vivid exemplars of LS in action across age ranges and curricular contexts. Each chapter presents international research outcomes that clearly demonstrate how and why LS has a place within teacher learning approaches that have the greatest impact and the greatest capacity building potential for creating outstanding teaching. This is supported by primary research evidence, and linked with contemporary and recent high quality research worldwide into pupil learning, teacher learning, school improvement and system improvement. The book illustrates the diverse application of LS for innovating or transferring highly effective practices in a variety of contexts to boost learning for children with a range of challenges and specific needs. Lesson Study provides a global perspective on the development of LS worldwide, exploring its impact on innovation, creativity, curricula and achievement in a variety of contexts. It will be of key interest to practitioners in schools and teacher education institutions, researchers, and policy and decision-makers at local, national and international levels. The book’s explicit focus on the leadership of local authorities will also make it valuable reading for all leaders of professional development and school improvement.

Classroom Innovations through Lesson Study is an APEC EDNET (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Education Network) project that aims to improve the quality of education in the area of mathematics. This book includes challenges of lesson study implementation from members of the APEC economies. Lesson study is one of the best ways to improve the quality of teaching. It is a model approach for improvement of teacher education across the globe. This book focuses on mathematics education, teacher education, and curriculum implementation and reforms. Contents:The Role of Lesson Study in Overcoming Challenges in Mathematics Education:Mathematics Education for the Knowledge-Based Society (Alan J Bishop)Mathematical Thinking for Classroom Decision Making (Kaye Stacey)Setting Lesson Study within a Long-Term Framework of Learning (David Tall)Lesson Study: An Essential Process for Improving Mathematics Teaching and Learning (Akihiko Takahashi)Comparative Study of Mathematics Classrooms — What can be Learned from the TIMSS 1999 Video Study? (Frederick K S Leung)The Science of Lesson Study in the Problem Solving Approach (Masami Isoda)Preparing Ground for the Introduction of Lesson Study in Thailand (Maitree Inprasitha)Perspectives on Lesson Study and Professional Development:History of Lesson Study to Develop Good Practices in Japan (Shizumi Shimizu & Kimiho Chino)What have We Learned about Lesson Study Outside Japan? (Catherine Lewis)Enhancing Mathematics Teachers' Professional Development through Lesson Study ~ A Case Study in Singapore ~ (Ban-Har Yeap, Peggy Foo & Poh Suan Soh)Using Lesson Study to Develop an Approach to Problem Solving: Adding and Subtracting Fractions (Kazuyoshi Okubo & Hiroko Tsuji)Prospective Teacher Education in Mathematics through Lesson Study (Maitree Inprasitha)In-service Teacher Education in Mathematics through Lesson Study (Soledad A Ulep)Lesson Study for Illustrating Innovative Approaches in the Classroom:Transforming Education through Lesson Study: Thailand's Decade-Long Journey (Maitree Inprasitha)Mathematics Teachers Professional Development through Lesson Study in Indonesia (Marsigit)Lesson Study in Chile (Grecia Gálvez)Initiating Lesson Study to Promote Good Practices: A Malaysian Experience (Chap Sam Lim & Chin Mon Chiew)Using Lesson Study as a Means to Innovation for Teaching and Learning Mathematics in Vietnam: Research Lesson on the Property of the Three Medians in a Triangle (Tran Vui)Lesson Study in Singapore: A Case of Division with Remainder in a Third Grade Mathematics Classroom (Yanping Fang & Christine Kim Eng Lee)Enabling Teachers to Introduce Innovations in the Classroom through Lesson Study (Soledad A Ulep)What is a Good Lesson in Japan? An Analysis (Takeshi Miyakawa)Using Lesson Study to Connect Procedural Knowledge with Mathematical Thinking (Patsy Wang-Iverson & Marian Palumbo) Readership: Mathematics educators of teacher training colleges, mathematics teachers, prospective teachers (elementary and secondary school) and undergraduate students in mathematics. Key Features:Presents the world reform movement by top researchersIncludes the challenges of lesson study and videos of model lessons in the world (lesson videos will be available on the website: http://www.criced.tsukuba.ac.jp/math/apec)Includes the Japanese teaching methods called “problem-solving approaches”Keywords:Lesson Study;Mathematics;Mathematics Education;Elementary School;Secondary School;Open-Ended Approach;Problem Solving;Teacher Education;Pedagogical Content Knowledge;Action Research;Lesson Videos;Curriculum Standards