Lesson Study FAQ

This guide to lesson study was produced by RBS in collaboration with Global Education Resources .

1. What is lesson study?
2. What does a lesson study cycle look like?
3. How can lesson study impact student learning in U.S. schools?
4. Can lesson study be done at the district level, with teachers from different schools collaborating?
5. Can lesson study be done at all levels-elementary, middle, and high school-and in other subject areas beside mathematics?
6. What schools and districts are currently implementing lesson study?
7. How can we get technical assistance to help us begin lesson study?
8. Are there Web sites with more information about lesson study?
9. How can a school start lesson study?
10. How can a district start lesson study?
11. How can schools and districts make time for lesson study?
12. How can teachers benefit from the observation process?
13. How can teachers benefit most from the debriefing process?
14. How can a school sustain and continue to improve lesson study?

1. What is lesson study?

Lesson study (Jugyokenkyu) is a form of long-term professional development, refined in Japan, in which teachers systematically and collaboratively conduct research on teaching and learning in classrooms in order to improve their teaching and enrich students' learning experiences.

A lesson study cycle generally involves a group of teachers collaboratively planning based upon a research theme , implementing the lesson in a classroom, collecting observation data, reflecting upon and discussing the data, and developing a record of their activity.

Lesson study is more than studying instructional materials and developing useful lessons. It also explores ideas for improved teaching that bring out students' thinking and thinking processes; helping students to develop mental images for solving problems and understanding the topic; and expanding those skills and abilities.

Lesson study is a comprehensive approach to professional development that helps teachers develop ways of:

• thinking about teaching and learning in the classroom
• planning lessons
• observing how students are thinking and learning and taking appropriate actions
• reflecting and discussing about teaching
• identifying and recognizing knowledge and skills necessary to improve their practice and seek new solutions.

Lesson study supports teachers in becoming lifelong learners about how to develop and improve teaching and learning in the classroom.

The Lesson Study Conference 2002 papers Overview of Lesson Study in Japan and Why Lesson Study? discuss lesson study and its process in detail.

2. What does a lesson study cycle look like?

Below are some of the concrete steps involved in a lesson study cycle, particularly in school-based lesson study (konaikenshu) settings. Following the steps alone, however, is not sufficient for understanding lesson study. Reading the conference papers provides a better sense of the purpose and promise of lesson study.

1. The process of lesson study conducted within a school begins with defining a broad, school-wide research theme that focuses on desired student characteristics. The conference paper Whole School Lesson Study as the Basis for Whole School Research discusses school-wide research themes in detail.
2. Teachers break into grade-level or subject-area study groups and select a lesson study goal that is aligned with the school's research theme but is specific to the grade or subject. (See page 2 of the Lesson Study Conference 2002 paper Overview of Lesson Study in Japan for an example.)
3. The study group often invites an outside expert (knowledgeable other) to collaborate with the group to enhance content knowledge, guide the thinking about student learning, and support the group's work.
4. Each study group selects a unit that is aligned with the lesson study goal, and within that unit, selects a lesson topic that will become the group's research lesson . Members of the group write a lesson plan based upon extensive research of the topic and related materials using a research lesson plan template .
5. One member of the group teaches the research lesson while fellow teachers and the knowledgeable other(s) observe and collect data (observation) on student learning and thinking. The observers can include teachers from throughout the entire school, and even from other schools.
6. After the lesson is conducted, the group discusses the lesson during a debriefing session .
7. Data from the debriefing session is used to refine the lesson for the next teaching. The teaching, observation, and debriefing session cycle repeats. The group can retain the same research theme for several years. Some debriefing on what the group has learned through the first cycle can help to fine-tune the research as it goes forward.
8. At year-end, the study group reflects on lessons learned and compiles a report on the findings and outcomes of this research, particularly as it pertains to the group's lesson study goal and the school's research theme.

Generally each study group completes one to two lesson study cycles per year.

3. How can lesson study impact student learning in U.S. schools?

Lesson study is a common professional development practice in Japan. It gained greater notice in the United States following the release of data from the 1995 Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), which showed higher mathematics achievement by Japanese students than by U.S. students. The TIMSS video study reported that Japanese mathematics classroom teaching is very similar to what the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) describes as the quality of teaching and learning that U.S. teachers need to develop. Other researchers reported that lesson study changed Japanese teaching styles over the last 30 to 40 years from teacher-directed to student-centered.

For more on why and how lesson study can be an effective model, see the Lesson Study Conference 2002 paper Why Lesson Study?

4. Can lesson study be done at the district level, with teachers from different schools collaborating?

Lesson study can be implemented at the district level. Study groups can draw on people from the same school or from different schools. Coordination might be more difficult, but members are likely to benefit from sharing experiences across schools. This can help foster a district-wide, systemic approach to improvement.

Lesson study can also be conducted as voluntary organized study groups outside the school setting. In Japan there are many voluntary organized study groups that consist of interested members actively engaged in lesson study.

To lean more about different types of lesson study groups and their purpose, see the Lesson Study Conference 2002 paper An Overview of Lesson Study in Japan.

5. Can lesson study be done at all levels-elementary, middle, and high school-and in other subject areas beside mathematics?

Lesson study can be done at any school level and in any subject area. In Japan, particularly in the in-school or school-based (konaikenshu) setting, lesson study is most common at the elementary level (grades 1-6) in single subject area because most Japanese teachers in elementary schools teach all subject areas. Many middle schools (grades 7-9) also engage in school-based lesson study, but to a lesser extent than at the elementary level. Lesson study is least common at the high school level (grades 10-12). However, many enthusiastic teachers seeking opportunities to improve their teaching practice conduct lesson study in different formats, such as voluntary organized study groups in and outside of schools.

Because lesson study was introduced in the United States in the context of mathematics, many think that teachers in Japan conduct lesson study only in mathematics, but it is conducted in all subject areas, including music, gym, and moral education.

For more on different types of lesson study groups and lesson study in different subject areas, see the Lesson Study Conference 2002 paper An Overview of Lesson Study and the book Lesson Study: A Handbook of Teacher-Led Instructional Change .

6. What schools and districts are currently implementing lesson study?

The Lesson Study Research Group maintains a listing of schools and districts that are undertaking lesson study, as well as a lesson study e-mail list for interested educators.

7. How can we get technical assistance to help us begin lesson study?

A growing number of educational organizations throughout the country provide technical assistance on lesson study. RBS works in partnership with a number of organizations.

8. Are there Web sites with more information about lesson study?

The Lesson Study Resources page on the RBS Web site provides numerous resources and links to other sites for readers to learn more about lesson study.

9. How can a school start lesson study?

There is no "right way" to start lesson study in a school. Paterson Public School No. 2 in Paterson, NJ found that starting with a group of informed and enthusiastic teachers was a good recipe for them, as opposed to imposing the model from the administrative level.

See the Lesson Study Conference 2002 paper Lesson Study at Paterson Public School No. 2 .

10. How can a district start lesson study?

District-level administrators/curriculum supervisors interested in implementing lesson study have found it more practical to begin with a small number of volunteers in different schools than to mandate lesson study district-wide. Districts have used different approaches to beginning lesson study:

• One district mathematics supervisor began by working with a few teachers in one school and grew the process by adding schools in subsequent years.
• Curriculum supervisors in one district began at the elementary level, facilitating the implementation of lesson study by teachers at a few grades.
• A knowledgeable other [link to glossary def.] facilitated the implementation of lesson study across schools within a district, by building upon previous content work she had done with the teachers. Volunteer teachers from different schools participated in an online discussion of the meaning and goals of lesson study. This conversation culminated with a face-to-face meeting, where study group members observed the teaching of a lesson developed by a teacher.

11. How can schools and districts make time for lesson study?

Every school's scheduling needs are different, and finding time for professional development is always a challenge. The administration of Paterson Public School No. 2 was able to make time for lesson study through a combination of teaching aides, release time, and creative scheduling.

For more information, see the RBS Currents newsletter article It's About Time: Scheduling Lesson Study at Paterson, NJ School 2.

Practitioners also may consider how lesson study can be a model that integrates other forms of professional development, thus consolidating and coordinating those efforts. For example, if inclusive education is to be the topic of a professional development workshop, it is helpful to consider how that topic can be covered through the lesson study process, rather than holding a separate workshop for it.

12. How can teachers benefit from the observation process?

Because observation is often associated with evaluation in U.S. schools, teachers might initially feel uncomfortable teaching in front of colleagues. Therefore teachers who participate need to work to overcome the discomfort of being observed in this way-and by so many people. It is important that all members of the group understand that they are there to observe the lesson and the student responses-not to critique the teacher's actions. The process should be a collaborative one in which the whole team takes ownership of the lesson and is supportive of the team member who volunteers to teach it.

Teachers who have been through the lesson study process describe tremendous feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment, and those who volunteer to teach the lesson tend to derive the greatest benefits.

13. How can teachers benefit most from the debriefing process?

How much a lesson writing team benefits from the debriefing process depends on how purposefully that process is planned and carried out. To help the team rethink the lesson and determine in a deep and meaningful way how a hypothesis or rationale for the lesson was achieved, the team members need to discuss the issues based on what was observed in the lesson. The facilitator of the discussion needs to guide the discussion to produce the most meaningful learning experience for the writing team. The points made during the debriefing should be focused, short, and based on the observations made during the lesson. Examples of student thinking, in particular, can be useful additions to future lesson plans. Suggestions for debriefing sessions are included in the Currents article Guidelines for Lesson Observations and Debriefings.

14. How can a school sustain and continue to improve lesson study?

Sustaining and improving lesson study go hand-in-hand. Frequently in a school's first few years of lesson study, the implementation may be simply to go through the steps of the lesson study cycle. This is a good way for teachers to collaborate, though it may not show enough immediate results to inspire a sustained effort.

To sustain the process, practitioners should look at ways to deepen the implementation so that lesson study becomes a meaningful research and learning process. With a fuller implementation process, lesson study is more likely to receive the administrative support and staff buy-in that it needs to be sustained.

The Lesson Study Conference 2002 paper