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© Created by: Suzann Zdunowski and Kim Castle
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What is lesson study?
This is a professional development method especially geared towards teachers in Mathematical and Scientific content areas. However, this method of P.D. can be used in any content area.

Lesson study is the process of starting with a learning goal and through the collaboration of teachers and observation of students, perfecting the way the learning goal is taught. The focus is not necessarily on the teacher but on how the students are learning. This is not a one shot deal, but a ongoing process throughout the school year. Planning and observing takes a big part of the time while the actual lesson plan is executed once or twice.

Actually, many teachers take part in lesson study when assigned a mentor teacher for their certification. Each teacher creates a lesson plan in collaboration with their mentor teacher. They are then observed and critiqued by the mentor teacher. This is where research and teaching go together. Often the results are an answer to a research question that encompasses practices in the classroom.

What is the history of lesson study?
Lesson study began in the 29th century in Japan as a way to learn how to incorporate group work from Western countries in their classrooms. Up until this point they had only used individual instruction. Lesson study became a major aspect of the Japanese educational system. Many Japanese educators could not envision education without lesson study.

It's important to notate here that Japan does have a nationwide standards and curriculums.

Who gets involved with lesson study?
Basically, teachers from all grades and content areas participate as a school wide activity. Groups are often formed and administrators can be part of the process and take part in observations. At the very least, are kept informed. One outside ad visor often takes part in facilitating the process. This can be a departmental activity, school wide and even have multiple schools involved in the study group.

What are the steps and outcomes of lesson study?
[|According to Teachers College of Columbia University] ,

The first execution is more like gathering baseline data. The observers take detailed notes on the way the students are learning and on the strategies they use to solve that particular problem. The entire group will get together and discuss the lesson and how to improve it. The discussion doesn't always center on teaching strategies but also moves on the content being taught. Once the revisions have been made the lesson is taught to a different group of students and the same notations are made and the process starts all over again. The same group of teachers (often four to six) will do a lesson study on 2-3 skills a year.

"While working on a study lesson, teachers jointly draw up a detailed plan for the lesson, which one of the teachers uses to teach the lesson in a real classroom (as other group members observe the lesson). The group then comes together to discuss their observations of the students during the lesson. Often, the group revises the lesson, and another teacher implements it in a second classroom, while group members again look on. The group will come together again to discuss the observed instruction. Finally, the teachers produce a report of what their study lessons have taught them, particularly with respect to their research question."

Groups of teachers go through the following steps in order to develop enhanced and reworked lesson plans.
 * 1) Develop
 * 2) Teach
 * 3) Observe
 * 4) Analyze
 * 5) Revise
 * 6) Teach again
 * 7) Analyze

As well as improved Teaching and Learning, the outcomes include study statistics as to the methods that work well in the classroom. The paper trail includes: 1. A before hand lesson study plan that often includes areas such as : Example from [|**University of Wisconsin-La Crosse**]
 * Approach
 * Findings
 * Discussion
 * References
 * Appendix with all materials and evidence.

2. A completed (final) lesson study


 * Background
 * Lesson plans
 * Study
 * References
 * Appendix

Example from [|**University of Wisconsin-La Crosse**]

Pros

 * Student achievement is the primary focus of this model not necessarily the teaching.
 * This form of P.D. can help remedy the sense of isolation teachers can experience. This can lead to a more productive teaching community.
 * Individual teachers can benefit with improved teaching techniques and the field of teaching also improves with shared research results.
 * Interns are better able to access student background knowledge and better predict problem areas.

Cons

 * Must have teacher commitment. This can't be done well unless teachers and administrators are willing to really delve into the lesson and not only look at the visible features (planning and observing) but the underlying methods of how well the students are learning the information presented in the lesson.
 * Time consuming
 * Team results can be distorted due to group think or inability to speak frankly in order to keep group cohesion.
 * Cooperating teachers may lack training in conducting lesson study.

Video Link
[|Apec Wiki] This is a 6th grade math lesson taped in Japan. There are several clips that can be watched online.