1. Introduction to Lesson Study July 27, 2011
Rich Hedman
Center for Mathematics and Science Education
California State University, Sacramento

2. Agenda—Introduction to Lesson Study
Overview
A Recent Lesson: Writing & Dialogue
What is Lesson Study?
An Example of Lesson Study: How Many Seats?
Teacher Reflections on Lesson Study
Conclusion

3. A Recent Lesson
Think about one lesson you taught or observed recently.
Answer the questions on the handout.
You will have about 6 minutes to write.
Be prepared to share with a partner.
Pair-Share. Turn to someone near you, and decide who will go first. If you go first, describe & discuss your answers to the questions to your partner.
After about 5 minutes, I will notify you and we will switch & discuss the other person’s answers.

4. A Recent Lesson
Now please answer the following additional question somewhere on your paper—use the back if needed:
What did you learn from this activity and the conversation you just had with your partner?
You will only have about 3 minutes to write!
General discussion—some tables share their thoughts.
The dialogue you just experienced is similar to one part of the lesson study process.

5. What is Lesson Study?
Lesson study is a powerful process in which teachers improve their practice through deep collaboration.
“In lesson study, groups of teachers meet regularly over long periods of time (ranging from several months to a year) to work on the design, implementation, testing, and improvement of one or several ‘research lessons’.” (Stigler & Hiebert, 1999)

6. Lesson Study Spiral 1. Plan & Design 4. Revise 2. Teach & Observe
Form Collaborative Group
Identify Goals
Research
4. Revise
Design Lesson
Peer Review
2. Teach & Observe
1. Plan & Design:
Collaborative group: 3-5 teachers.
Goals: a teacher goal, a student development goal, and a student learning goal.
Research: Teachers deepen their content knowledge as they research and discuss concepts related to their standards.
Design Lesson: Teachers implement research-based teaching strategies into their lessons and strive to predict student thinking and responses.
Peer Review: Teachers develop stronger professional networks and relationships to share and improve their expertise, including linking to university expertise.
Importance of Plan & Design Phase
The small group structure empowers teachers to try new ideas and teaching approaches they would not try alone.
Critical to lesson study is the goal of a single common lesson developed through consensus.
Consensus requires group members to expose their ideas and beliefs about teaching.
The facilitator’s role is to
Promote trust and communication within the group.
Challenge and push the group when necessary on the LS process, science, and pedagogy.
3. Reflect
Sacramento Area Science Project

7. Lesson Study Spiral 1. Plan & Design 4. Revise 2. Teach & Observe
Form Collaborative Group
Identify Goals
Research
4. Revise
Design Lesson
Peer Review
2. Teach & Observe
2. Teach & Observe:
One person teaches while the other teachers carefully observe the lesson.
The focus is on the lesson, not the teacher.
The observers see the lesson through the eyes of the students.
Guests are often invited to observe the research lesson.
Data is collected in the form of specific observations of students and student work.
Importance of Teach & Observe Phase
This is one of the most important elements of lesson study.
Multiple observers are able to watch events unfold and listen to student dialogue in a way impossible for the teacher working alone.
Observing another teacher—so rare for most teachers—provides an opportunity for reflection and learning beyond the shared lesson that was developed.
One Person
Teaches
3. Reflect
Others
Observe
Collect Data
Sacramento Area Science Project

8. Lesson Study Spiral 1. Plan & Design 4. Revise 2. Teach & Observe
Form Collaborative Group
Identify Goals
Research
4. Revise
Design Lesson
Peer Review
2. Teach & Observe
3. Reflect:
Immediately following the teaching of the lesson, teachers debrief and discuss their observations (invited guests are often part of this dialogue).
Importance of Reflect Phase
The effectiveness of the lesson is evaluated by the teachers based on their observations and the careful consideration of student work.
The focus is on student learning—and whether or not the lesson observation provided evidence that it occurred.
One Person
Teaches
3. Reflect
Analyze Data
Others
Observe
Collect Data
Sacramento Area Science Project

9. Lesson Study Spiral 1. Plan & Design 4. Revise 2. Teach & Observe
Form Collaborative Group
Identify Goals
Research
4. Revise
Design Lesson
Peer Review
Repeat Steps 2-4
(2nd Cycle)
2. Teach & Observe
4. Revise.
Teachers revise the lesson and prepare for a 2nd cycle of teaching and observing.
The lesson is taught again, usually by a different teacher to a different group of students.
After the lesson, the teachers discuss their observations and the evidence of student learning, and prepare a final lesson plan.
The final lesson plan, along with teacher notes and reflections, is prepared for dissemination to other teachers.
Importance of Revise & Re-Teach Phase
Good ideas and needed modifications are not forgotten—they are documented.
The re-teaching phase allows the original teacher of the lesson to experience it as an observer.
The re-teaching phase is important because it provides a second opportunity for lesson refinement.
One Person
Teaches
3. Reflect
Analyze Data
Others
Observe
Collect Data
Sacramento Area Science Project

10. Why Lesson Study?
Lesson study provides a structure for teachers to “try out” what they have been learning in the summer professional development institutes. This “professional experimentation” facilitates teacher change. (Clarke & Hollingsworth, 2002)

11. Why Lesson Study?
Lesson study provides a structure for teachers to “try out” what they have been learning in the summer professional development institutes. This “professional experimentation” facilitates teacher change. (Clarke & Hollingsworth, 2002)
Lesson study is a type of professional learning community (PLC), and is complimentary to existing PLCs. (Lewis, et al, 2006; Dufour & Eaker, 1998)

12. Why Lesson Study?
Lesson study provides a structure for teachers to “try out” what they have been learning in the summer professional development institutes. This “professional experimentation” facilitates teacher change. (Clarke & Hollingsworth, 2002)
Lesson study is a type of professional learning community (PLC), and is complimentary to existing PLCs. (Lewis, et al, 2006; Dufour & Eaker, 1998)
Emerging research suggests lesson study strengthens teacher knowledge, teacher commitment and community, and learning resources—all of which can lead to instructional improvement. (Lewis, et al, 2006)

13. An Example of Lesson Study
Before we observe teachers engaged in lesson study, we need to become familiar with the mathematics they were working with.
Problem: We have a long skinny room and triangular tables. The triangular tables must be arranged in a row—a line of triangles—with one edge touching the other triangles. One person can sit on each open edge of a triangle.
How many people can sit around the tables? Find a general pattern we could use no matter how many tables we add to the room.

14. An Example of Lesson Study
Context of video, How Many Seats?
Read each prompt before we watch the video segment, and think about the prompt while you watch.
Also, note anything you find interesting during the teacher discussion segments.
After each segment, we will have a quick discussion.
Watch video How Many Seats? & discuss.

15. Dialogue Protocol: Talking Sticks
Form groups (generally people).
Each person places their pencil/pen (Talking Stick) in the middle of the table.
To make a comment you must pick up your “Talking Stick” - then you speak and hold onto your pen/pencil.
Once you have finished your comment hold onto your “Talking Stick” until all other group members have had a turn (group members may pass).
Once everyone has commented, place your “Talking Sticks” back in the center.
Continue until the time is up.

16. Teacher Reflections on Lesson Study
We do not have student work to analyze today, but we do have teacher reflections, which we can use in the same way.
First you will have some quiet reading time. While you read, note the things you find interesting, and look for patterns in the responses: trends, similarities, differences.
Next you will discuss your findings in your groups.
Finally, each group will share their findings and we will have an open discussion.

17. What teachers say about it…

18. DON’T FORGET!
Lesson study is not the planning of an entire unit of study.
Lesson study is not done in isolation by individual teachers.
Everyone on the lesson study team should be comfortable teaching the lesson as designed.
Lesson study is not “normal” lesson planning.

19. Questions? THANK YOU! Rich Hedman hedmanrd@csus.edu
Center for Mathematics and Science Education
California State University, Sacramento

20. References
Clarke, D., & Hollingsworth, H. (2002). Elaborating a model of teacher professional growth. Teaching and Teacher Education, 18,
Dufour, R. & Eaker, R. (1998). Professional learning communities at work. Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service.
Lewis, C., Perry, R., Murata, A. (2006). How should research contribute to instructional improvement? The case of lesson study. Educational Researcher, 35 (3), 3-14.
Stigler, J. & Hiebert, J. (1999). The teaching gap: Best ideas from the world’s teachers for improving education in the classroom. New York: The Free Press.