Lesson Study What is it? What are some ways to study it? Chicago, March 11, 2008 Rebecca Perry & Catherine Lewis Mills College, Oakland, CA

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Presentation Agenda Lesson study process Pathways for teacher learning “Existence proof” example Lesson study research

What are the Important Features of Lesson Study? Please jot down a list…..

Lesson Study Cycle 1. STUDY Study curriculum and standards Consider long-term goals for student learning and development 2. PLAN Select research lesson Anticipate student thinking Plan data collection and lesson 3. DO RESEARCH LESSON One team member teaches, others collect data 4. REFLECT Share data What was learned about student learning? What are implications for this unit and more broadly? What learnings and new questions do we want to carry forward in our work?

? Instructional Improvement Visible Features of Lesson Study Planning Curriculum Study Research Lesson Data Collection Discussion Revision Etc. How does lesson study improve instruction?

Visible Features of Lesson Study Planning Curriculum Study Research Lesson Data Collection Discussion Revision Etc. Key Pathway  Lesson Plans Improve Instructional Improvement A Common (Mis) Conception of Lesson Study

Students Teachers Curriculum Based on NRC, 2001 & Cohen & Ball, 2000 Learning From and In Practice

Lesson Study Cycle 1. STUDY Study curriculum and standards Consider long-term goals for student learning and development 2. PLAN Select research lesson Anticipate student thinking Plan data collection and lesson 3. DO RESEARCH LESSON One team member teaches, others collect data 4. REFLECT Share data What was learned about student learning? What are implications for this unit and more broadly? What learnings and new questions do we want to carry forward in our work?

1. Study (Ex. from “Seats”) What can we do in elementary school to help students succeed in algebra? Looked at lessons from several curricula, studied recursive/functional patterns Studied standards, curricula

Lesson Study Cycle 1. STUDY Study curriculum and standards Consider long-term goals for student learning and development 2. PLAN Select research lesson Anticipate student thinking Plan data collection and lesson 3. DO RESEARCH LESSON One team member teaches, others collect data 4. REFLECT Share data What was learned about student learning? What are implications for this unit and more broadly? What learnings and new questions do we want to carry forward in our work? 2. PLAN Select research lesson Anticipate student thinking Plan data collection and lesson

Can patterns help us find an easy way to answer the question: How many seats fit around any number of triangles, arranged in a row as shown?

INPUT Number of Triangle Tables OUTPUT Number of Seats

Plus Two

2. Plan. Example: “Seats” Surfaced misunderstandings and different solution methods when they did the task Surfaced different understandings of “equation,” and different goals when they prepared instructional plan

Lesson Study Cycle 1. STUDY Study curriculum and standards Consider long-term goals for student learning and development 2. PLAN Select research lesson Anticipate student thinking Plan data collection and lesson 3. DO RESEARCH LESSON One team member teaches, others collect data 4. REFLECT Share data What was learned about student learning? What are implications for this unit and more broadly? What learnings and new questions do we want to carry forward in our work? 3. DO RESEARCH LESSON One team member teaches, others collect data

Research Lesson 1 All students filled out chart correctly but few could verbalize meaning of +2 pattern Research Lesson 2 Chart eliminated, students solved individual problems, shared findings Students showed their counting methods Most students could verbalize meaning of +2 pattern

3. Research Lesson Students’ counting methods revealed their thinking “They could fill out the worksheet, but that didn’t really tell us what they knew about the pattern.” “Just because it’s in the textbook doesn’t mean it’s the best way”

Lesson Study Cycle 1. STUDY Study curriculum and standards Consider long-term goals for student learning and development 2. PLAN Select research lesson Anticipate student thinking Plan data collection and lesson 3. DO RESEARCH LESSON One team member teaches, others collect data 4. REFLECT Share data What was learned about student learning? What are implications for this unit and more broadly? What learnings and new questions do we want to carry forward in our work? 4. REFLECT Share data What was learned about student learning? What are implications for this unit and more broadly? What learnings and new questions do we want to carry forward in our work?

Final Reflection on Lesson Study Cycle

4. Reflect. Ex: “Seats” “Students need to do the work, not the teacher” “In all this math…we’re only as good as our own level of understanding, so we have to keep pushing ourselves..” Teachers continued to study the impact of worksheets

Students Teachers Curriculum Based on NRC, 2001 & Cohen & Ball, 2000 Learning From and In Practice

Lesson Study Develops Capacity to Learn From Students Observe and take notes during research lessons--lots of practice over time Teachers try student task themselves before lesson--get insights from colleagues’ solutions Multiple observers on same students--hear what your colleagues, outside specialists see Over LS cycles, choose more “thought-revealing” tasks

Students Teachers Curriculum Based on NRC, 2001 & Cohen & Ball, 2000 Learning From and In Practice

Lesson Study Develops Capacity to Learn From Colleagues Build collaborative norms that enable effective work, e.g. “sticking to the process” Make beliefs “visible” and thereby amenable to change Create a culture where it’s safe to ask for help

Learning From Colleagues, cont’d Agree on important goals, concepts, definitions and what they actually mean in instruction, so students experience coherence over years Increase aspirations- “I want my students to be as eager as the students in that lesson” Increase connection and sense of accountability to colleagues - Everyone cares about everyone’s teaching

Students Teachers Curriculum Based on NRC, 2001 & Cohen & Ball, 2000 Learning From and In Practice

Lesson Study Develops Capacity to Learn From Curriculum (Including Research and Outside Specialists) Seeing strengths and weaknesses in textbook Seeing how any mathematics unit connects to prior and subsequent learning Strengthening motivation and identity as learner of mathematics (or whatever subject) Building learning communities that include specialists and researchers

Revisit Your List of Lesson Study Features What Features are Missing?

Instructional Improvement Visible Features of Lesson Study Planning Curriculum Study Research Lesson Data Collection Discussion Revision Etc. How does lesson study improve instruction? Increased Capacity to Learn from Colleagues, Students, Curriculum

Instructional Improvement How Does Lesson Study Improve Instruction? Pathways Increased knowledge of subject matter and instruction Increased ability to observe students Stronger collegial networks Stronger connection of daily practice to long- term goals Stronger motivation to learn and belief that changes make a difference Improved materials Visible Features of Lesson Study Planning Curriculum Study Research Lesson Data Collection Discussion Revision Etc.

Revisit Your List of Lesson Study Features What Evidence Will Show Whether Teachers are Increasing Their Capacity to Learn From Students, Colleagues & Curriculum?

Highlands School (K-5) volunteer LS group Most faculty join LS groups School-wide LS; continues through present Kappan, Dec “Lesson Study Comes of Age in North America”

School-wide Lesson Study School

3-year net math increase for students in lesson-study school more than triple that for district (F=.309, 845 df p<.001)

Theory of Change and Unit(s) of Analysis Teacher Group School (or other context)

(Some) data you might collect to see if lesson study is “working**” Content of teachers’ discussions/ questions Focus of teachers’/group’s lessons Instructional strategies used Resources drawn upon (who/ what?; why? when?) Interest/ participation/ sense of efficacy Institutional supports for lesson study

(A Few) Ways to Gather Evidence (1) Study “natural history” of teachers’ lesson study discussions: - Topics discussed - Ways in which the topic is discussed - Amount of time/ # of sentences (or interactions) spent on parts of cycle, various topics

(A Few) Ways to Gather Evidence (2) Study teachers’ reflections from: - Concept maps or “knowledge packages” - pre/ post - Reflection forms (“what I learned about…”) - Surveys

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(A Few) Ways to Gather Evidence (3) Study teachers’ collaboration using indicators of… - Professional learning community (e.g., CRC, Grossman, etc.) - Decision-making (e.g., group dynamics) - Inquiry stance

(A Few) Ways to Gather Evidence (4) Study lesson study influence on student thinking: - Gather pre/ post performance data from students (e.g., math or science tasks related to topic)

Resources: Live Lesson Study Opportunities Chicago (DePaul University) May 8-10,2008 & August 4-8, Sacramento, CA (Sac State) May 16,

Lesson Study: A Handbook...(Lewis) Building Our Understanding of Lesson Study (Wang- Iverson & Yoshida; Mills College Lesson Study Group Lesson Study Communities Project in Secondary Mathematics www2.edc.org/lessonstudy/ Global Education Resources Univ. of Wisconsin Further Information

I feel the biggest mistake we can make when pitching lesson study to US teachers is to tell them it is easy and painless. It is hard and possibly painful and they should prepare for it. The rewards, however, are fantastic. Real, concrete, observable improvement occurs in teaching. Middle School Math Teacher, Paterson School #2, New Jersey

lessonresearch. net address: Website address:

The instructional practices and assessments discussed or shown in these presentations are not intended as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education.