A Practical Guide to Translating Lesson Study for a U.S. Setting

Abstract

The authors describe a process for creating deep and grounded reflection about the complex activities of teaching that can then be shared and discussed with other members of the profession. LESSON (jugyoukenkyuu) is a Japanese professional development process that enables teachers systematically examine their practice in order become more effective instructors. In recent years, researchers have argued that lesson is a promising approach for improving teaching in the U.S., and, as a result, today we can document a widespread growth of lesson efforts in American schools.1 However, since there are limited descriptions of how actually translate the basics of lesson for a U.S. context, we wrote this article provide U.S. educators with concrete ideas for structuring, organizing, and implementing lesson in their schools.2 A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE LESSON STUDY PROCESS Before we share our recommendations, we would like outline the main features of lesson that we refer throughout this article.3 Lesson can bring together teachers from one school or from various schools. Teachers begin the lesson process by identifying an overarching goal that they would all like achieve with their students. Then, by working collaboratively on a small number of study lessons, the teachers examine how tailor their teaching in ways that will help achieve the group's selected goal. Working on these lessons involves several steps, the first of which is for the teachers jointly plan a lesson and draw up a detailed lesson plan for it. The next step is for one of the teachers in the group teach the lesson in a classroom while the others observe. Next, group members come together discuss their observations of the lesson and reflect on what it taught them about the goal they set out explore. Often, the group will choose revise the lesson plan and have another group member reteach the lesson in another classroom, while the group members again observe. A debriefing meeting in which observations and insights are discussed once again follows this public demonstration lesson. At the end of this process, the teachers produce a record of their lesson work by writing a reflective report. A group may also periodically hold an open house, where teachers can share their lesson work with other teachers and with other school staffs by teaching lessons and discussing them with the invited guests. As you read our suggestions for successfully implementing and learning from lesson study, please keep in mind that the advice we provide here is meant be more suggestive than prescriptive. We do not believe that there can be a one-size-fits-all approach for integrating lesson into the U.S. educational landscape. Instead, we encourage creative experimentation with lesson that allows teachers engage in high- quality learning experiences. With that first piece of advice in mind, here are our suggestions for conducting lesson study. ADVICE FOR SETTING UP LESSON STUDY 1. Select an overarching goal focus and direct lesson work. A key step in setting up your lesson group is choose a specific goal you want explore through your work on the lessons. This goal will focus and direct your work by providing you with a research question for your group answer. For example, if you select as your group's goal to develop students who are critical thinkers, you can plan all your lessons with an eye answering the question: How does one create and teach lessons that encourage students think critically? A lesson group might select an overarching goal the way that many Japanese teachers do. They begin by identifying the gaps that they see between the kinds of children they want nurture and the kinds of students that are actually growing up in their school. …

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