Lesson Study: Enhancing

Mathematics Teaching and

Learning
Recommended Practice for
Lesson Study in Mathematics
 Stage 1: Getting Started

Stage 2: Planning
Tools needed for
the planning, Stage 3: Teaching and
observing, and Observing the lesson
reviewing of
lessons: Stage 4: Lesson
Review

Stage 5: Future
Policy
Stage 1:
Getting
Started
 Stage 1: Getting Started

✓ Get the agreement of all teachers of

mathematics to participate in the initiative.
✓ Select a leader to drive the initiative and deal
with issues that arise.
 Stage 1: Getting Started

Lewis, C.(2002) suggests that lesson study groups

start by thinking about their own students and
answering two questions:

1. Ideally, what qualities would you like these students to

have in five years-time (or alternatively when they leave
your school)?
2. What actual qualities do our students have now?
 Stage 1: Getting Started

Stepanek et al (2007) pointed out the overarching

aim can also align to existing school improvement
goals, or school mission statements.
Guskey, T. (2000) “An effective CPD must link
professional development with improvements in
student learning”
 Stage 1: Getting Started

Professional development needs to be “Purposeful

and Intentional”. And requires three steps:

1. Begin with a clear statement of purpose and goals.

2. Ensure that the goals are worthwhile.
3. Determine how the goals can be assessed.
 Stage 1: Getting Started

✓ Agree an overarching aim of acknowledged

importance for the research focus of your lesson
study.
✓ Turn your overarching aim into specific, measurable
objectives that can eventually be used to evaluate
the success of your research lessons over the next
three years.
 Possible Focus for Lesson in
Mathematics
• Lesson Preparation • Questioning Techniques
• Resources and Activities • Reviewing answers
• Use of IT • Challenge and extension work
• Seating • Lower attaining students
• Students on Task • Notation, layout, language and precision
• Students demonstrating in front of the • Pace of activities
class
• Use of teaching assistants
• Paired work
• Homework
• Teacher Praise
• Mathematics subject knowledge
• Explanations
• Monitoring of student progress
• Contexts and applications
• Time Management
• Functional mathematics
• Assessment
✓ The group size should be four or five (but three
would be possible)

Stage 1: Getting Started

Yoshida (2002) suggests that teachers in Japan
normally spend about 20 hours on one complete
cycle. This includes planning, teaching the lessons,
reviewing the lesson, re-teaching the lesson and
writing up the final report.

Stage 1: Getting Started

✓ The group size should be four or five (but three
would be possible)
✓ Chooses the participants in each group (giving
careful thought to the mix of the group, their
experience, etc.)
✓ Designs a schedule of sessions for each of the
groups so that one cycle is covered in no more
than one team.

Stage 1: Getting Started

 Stage 1: Getting Started

Stage 2: Planning
Tools needed for
the planning, Stage 3: Teaching and
observing, and Observing the lesson
reviewing of
lessons: Stage 4: Lesson
Review

Stage 5: Future
Policy
Stage 2:
Planning
Stage 2: Planning
Important meetings in
which all participants
should participate fully.
Planning Process follows a four-step process:

1. Identifying the topic

2. Mapping out the unit of
work
3. Identifying the lesson goals

4. Creating the lesson plan

Stage 2: Planning
Planning Process follows a four-step process:

1. Identifying the topic

2. Mapping out the unit of
work
3. Identifying the lesson goals

4. Creating the lesson plan

Stage 2: Planning
 Identifying the topic
The group meets to identify any areas that are causing
concern. May includes topic that

o Have proved challenging for your students in the past;

o You personally find difficult to teach
o Are missing from your current scheme of work
o Could be taught in a more interactive way
o Fit into the agreed lesson study schedule.

Stage 2: Planning
Planning Process follows a four-step process:

1. Identifying the topic

2. Mapping out the unit of
work
3. Identifying the lesson goals

4. Creating the lesson plan

Stage 2: Planning
Mapping out the unit of work
o the research lesson is identified by deciding which
lesson will have the most impact on the unit. Through
this mapping process, the members of the team
improve their own understanding on how the lessons
will fit together and ow the concepts will be developed.

Stage 2: Planning
Planning Process follows a four-step process:

1. Identifying the topic

2. Mapping out the unit of
work
3. Identifying the lesson goals

4. Creating the lesson plan

Stage 2: Planning
Identifying the lesson goals

o The group now define the goals for both the unit
and the research lesson. These will not only
include both content and process goals but also
goals relating to the long-term lesson study
goals

Stage 2: Planning
Planning Process follows a four-step process:

1. Identifying the topic

2. Mapping out the unit of
work
3. Identifying the lesson goals

4. Creating the lesson plan

Stage 2: Planning
Creating the lesson plan

o The team now begins to work together to

develop their combined plan for the research
lesson. The collective ownership of the lesson is
important and this is often maintained by initially
not deciding who will teach the lesson although
this is not always the case.

Stage 2: Planning
“The lesson plan does not have
to be totally original, and the
team are encouraged to share
their own ideas and search for
Note
alternative approaches from a
variety of sources. “
“The aim is not to create a “perfect
lesson” but to create a lesson that
“makes the students think visible Note
so the group can learn more
about how their students learn.”
Stage 2: Planning

o Fernandez and Yoshida (2004)

suggest that at this point the
two teachers who are going to
teach the lesson take over
responsibility for completing
the initial lesson plan.
Stage 2: Planning

o Fernandez and Yoshida

(2004) describe the lesson
plan as a “Complex three-
part document” divided into
sections.
o Section 1: Introduction to the lesson plan
o Section 2: Information about the unit
o Section 3: information about the lesson

Stage 2: Planning
Lesson plan describes the lesson “Blow by
blow in a four-column chart”

Stage 2: Planning
❑ The first column gives a description of
the learning activities as well as the
“key questions” that the teachers
intends to ask at different points in the
lesson.
❑ Fernandez and Yoshida (2004) state
that the first column also indicates the
different sections of the lesson;
grasping the problem, presenting the
problem format, solving the main
problem, polishing and reporting
individual solution methods, summary
and announcement of the next lesson.
❑ n the second column, the group
describe the ideas, responses
and reactions they expect to get
from their pupils.
❑ The third column not only
outlines how the teacher
will respond to the
reactions expressed in
column two but also lists
important things the
teacher should remember
to do.
❑ The fourth column serves as a
‘running commentary about how
the teachers will assess the
success of different parts of the
lesson’.
✓ Two teachers take responsibility for producing a draft
lesson plan based on the joint decision of the group.
✓ One leader takes responsibility for producing the final
lesson plan

Stage 2: Planning
 Stage 1: Getting Started

Stage 2: Planning
Tools needed for
the planning, Stage 3: Teaching and
observing, and Observing the lesson
reviewing of
lessons: Stage 4: Lesson
Review

Stage 5: Future
Policy
Stage 3: Teaching and
Observing the lesson
 Stage 3: Teaching and Observing the lesson

❑ They should arrive on time

❑ Be as cooperative as possible
❑ Ensure that the classroom ethos is
positive
 Other Reminders:

❑ Observers sit at the back of the classroom and

do not participate in the lesson
❑ The teacher should follow the lesson plan
closely
❑ Observers are to take notes on the lesson
Stage 3: Teaching
and Observing the
lesson
 ❑ Include the students in the
lesson study process so
In summary, the that they understand its
purpose, their roles and
group members the roles of the observers
should:
❑ Follow the agreed lesson
plan
 ❑ Observe the lesson, taking
notes of key points or
In summary, the incidents.
teacher should: ❑ Should not obstruct the
flow of the lesson
❑ Should not review or
evaluate the lesson until
the scheduled session.
 Stage 1: Getting Started

Stage 2: Planning
Tools needed for
the planning, Stage 3: Teaching and
observing, and Observing the lesson
reviewing of
lessons: Stage 4: Lesson
Review

Stage 5: Future
Policy
Stage 4: Lesson
Review
 Stage 4: Lesson Review
✓ It is important that this session takes place in a
relaxed atmosphere and with sufficient time for
an in-depth discussion
 Stage 4: Lesson Review

✓ It is important that this session takes place in a relaxed

atmosphere and with sufficient time for an in-depth discussion

✓ Have snacks and drinks readily available to reinforce the ethos

as that of professionals working cooperatively and sharing
ideas rather than making judgements on the effectiveness of the
teacher.
 Stage 4: Lesson Review
✓ All members of the group should attend this
session as well as any “knowledgeable
others” that have been involved un the
planning.

✓ The chair should then invite the other group

members to give their reflections on the
lesson, with each being asked initially to
make one positive comment.
Stage 4: Lesson Review
• the quality of the key questions;
• their ability to anticipate the students’ responses
to these questions (column 2);
• the timings of the lesson;
• the effectiveness of their evaluation (column 4);
• whether the goals of the lesson were met.
 Stage 4: Lesson Review

• The last part of the review session is used to

consider what action points follow from this
exercise. In particular, the chair should
obtain agreement from participants on
revisions that should be made to the lesson
plan so that an improved version is available
for other staff in the school.
 To Summarize Stage 4;

✓ One of the observers should act as chair.

✓ The teacher should reflect on their lesson first.
✓ Each observer should have the chance to give their
reflections (in a positive way) and to questions the
teacher on action taken.
✓ The chair should obtain agreement on revisions to
the lesson plan and any other action points that are
recommended by the group.
“CONSTRUCTIVE
DISCUSSION”
 Stage 1: Getting Started

Stage 2: Planning
Tools needed for
the planning, Stage 3: Teaching and
observing, and Observing the lesson
reviewing of
lessons: Stage 4: Lesson
Review

Stage 5: Future
Policy
Stage 5: Future
Policy
✓ Any recommendations or issues for
school/departmental policy resulting
from a cycle of the group’s work
should be discussed at a full
staff/departmental meeting.
✓ The overarching aim should
not be changed for at least
three years.
✓ Lesson study groups remain fixed
for the whole school year
✓ Lesson study groups periodically
meet together to share findings
✓ The leader should consider
making changes to the
membership of each group after
each year of activity