Japanese Lesson Study: A Model for

Teacher-Led Professional Development

Eric Appleton, CUNY Adult Literacy/HSE
Solange Farina, BMCC
Mark Trushkowsky, CUNY Adult Literacy/HSE

AGENDA
What is Lesson Study?
Do a problem
Sharing of work on problem, and strategies for
solving
Planning a research lesson
Why Lesson Study?

 The idea is simple: teachers come together with a

shared ques6on regarding their students learning, plan a

lesson to make student learning visible, and examine and
discuss what they observe. Through mul6ple itera6ons of the
process, teachers have many opportuni6es to discuss student
learning and how their teaching aects it.
Aki Murata, 2011

What is Lesson Study?

For the past 50 years its been the central activity of professional growth
in Japan
Teachers can talk about real classes and students, not ideal
Grounded in observation of student learning, evidence of student
learning key
Lesson Study yields a revised and edited written lesson, but as our
project shows, it is the experience of collaborating and reflecting on the
lesson the process rather than the document itself which has the
capability to transform and energize teachers.

What is Lesson Study?

Key points:
Teacher driven
Collaborative
Looks at learning through the eyes of students
Focuses on instructional decisions concretely in the classroom
Its ongoing
Allows people to look more closely at the mathematics we are teaching,
we are improving our own math knowledge
Process of professional growth, not focused on the development of
lessons

Steps of Lesson Study

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Forming a group
Choosing a subject area: Where is there a gap in students learning?
Defining Overarching Goals and Content Goals
Planning the Research Lesson
Teaching and observing the Research Lesson
Debriefing and revising the Research Lesson
Teaching and observing the Research Lesson again
Reflection

TEACHING THROUGH PROBLEM SOLVING

If the learning goals are deep mathematical understandings, then the
signposts all point to problem solving as the core activity.
--James Hiebert
Make It Problematic
Focus on Solution Methods
Create a Problem Solving Culture

Make it Problematic
Learning takes place in struggle.
Allow enough timedont preempt students thinking.
Select problems that are challenging, but not too far out of reach.

Focus on Solution Methods

Provide ample opportunities for student problem solvers to present and explain their solution
methods.
Orchestrate discourse to highlight mathematical thinking, generalizing, and seeking the most efficient
solution methods
Create a Problem Solving Classroom Culture
Establish a safe, collaborative learning environment.
Orchestrate mathematical discoursevalue thinking, and see mistakes as opportunities for learning.
Encourage problem posingWhat if questions, extensions, connections.
Ask the right questions at the right time. Model heuristicshelp students internalize good questions
for all problems.
Help students develop confidence and persistence in themselves as problem solvers.

Phases of a Problem Solving Lesson

Warm-up:
Launch
Solving the problem:
Understanding the problem
Devising a plan and carrying it out
Looking Back:
Preparing the presentation
Present the problem and consider solution methods
Reflect in writing
Wrap Up

Lesson Lesson
Study Grid
Research
Overarching Goal(s):
have the opportunity to be challenged in a situation that is unfamiliar
inventively solve problems finding their own approach, using their own unique toolbox
of understanding including (a) concepts and strategies built in math class, and (b) real
world knowledge/math from everyday life (not just money)
feel (a) capable of bravery, (b) comfortable and committed to trying and making
mistakes and (c) assertive towards their own sense-making
be eager to challenge themselves, both with the given work and seeking further
problems and challenges. When they get the answer, they will not just say what's next
and want to go on to the next thing - they will say, "What else can I learn from this?
Content Goals:
Proportional Reasoning & Relationships, with a focus on students recognizing when
something is a proportional relationship

Lets Do a Math Problem

Clasp your hands which thumb is on top?
Are you left or right thumbed?

Solve and Think about

In classroom A, there are 9 left-thumbed students and 5 rightthumbed students.

In classroom B, there are 20 left-thumbed students and 15 rightthumbed students.

Which classroom is more Left-thumbed?

Solve in as many ways as you can.

Examples of Student Work

Steps of Lesson:
Learning
Activities/
Key Questions

What Are Students

Teachers Response to Student Goals/Methods of
Doing? Expected
Reactions/Things To
Evaluation/Assessment
Responses/Reactions Remember

Steps of Lesson:
Learning
Activities/
Key Questions
In classroom A, there
are 9 left-thumbed
students and 5 rightthumbed students.
In classroom B, there
are 20 left-thumbed
students and 15 rightthumbed students.
Which classroom is
more Leftthumbed?

What Are Students

Teachers Response to Student Goals/Methods of
Doing? Expected
Reactions/Things To
Evaluation/Assessment
Responses/Reactions Remember
Uncertainty around how to begin and/ Monitor frustration level and progress to determine Struggle and to persevere while
or about what makes one class more or amount of time spent individually working on the struggling-recognize and re-enforce
less left-thumbed than another
question
For students to understand that part part
Adding the R thumbed people and L Monitor whether students are considering whether whole are not independent and when
thumbed people to get the whole
the total of students surveyed in their reasoning?
comparing, the total or whole matters
Could it be because there are just more people?
The second class-because there are
Individual feedback from students as they
more L thumbs

If additive comparisons are being made, teacher

are working alone
Mistakenly make additive comparison can refer students to tick mark model on the board Monitor defense of strategies and
from Step 3
explanations in groups or as a class
Find a percent
Idea is to try to pivot back to its not about the
Students share on board after the
Multiplicative comparison
ultimate number as they exist alone, its about the individual and group time is over
relationship of the quantities as they exist together;
Draw a picture
Examining student methods - Identify
the relationship is consistent-the parts are not
Make chart looking for common
multiplicative, %, pictures, charts
independent of each other. The part-part-whole
multiples
(multiple strategies)
work together.
Question to elicit understanding of the quantities as Able to defend reasoning when asked
questions
the exist in relation to the whole.
Identify students who are employing certain
strategies as we are coaching individually. Students
who are using informal and/or quantitative
reasoning should be identified to show their work
first during the group presentations.

Lesson Study as a Model of

Professional Development
TRADITIONAL
RESEARCH LESSONS

Begins with answer

Driven by expert
Communication trainer to teachers
Relationships hierarchical
Research informs practice

Begins with question

Driven by participants
Communication among teachers
Relationship reciprocal
Practice is research

Lesson Study Points To Remember

Teacher driven
Collaborative
Looks at learning through the eyes of students
Focuses on instructional decisions concretely in the classroom
Its ongoing
Allows people to look more closely at the mathematics we are teaching,
we are improving our own math knowledge
Process of professional growth, not focused on the development of
lessons

Questions & Answers