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What
is Lesson Study?
In Japan, teachers
improve their teaching through "lesson study," a process in
which teachers jointly plan, observe, analyze, and refine actual classroom
lessons called "research lessons". Lesson study is widely
credited for the steady improvement of Japanese elementary mathematics
and science instruction. Since 1999, lesson study has rapidly emerged
in many sites across the United States.
In Lesson Study teachers:
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Think about the
long-term goals of education - such as love of learning and respect
for others;
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Carefully consider
the goals of a particular subject area, unit or lesson (for example,
why science is taught, what is important about levers, how to introduce
levers);
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Plan classroom
"research lessons" that bring to life both specific subject
matter goals and long term goals for students; and
- Carefully study
how students respond to these lessons - including their learning, engagement,
and treatment of each other.
Our
Research
Our research, funded
by the National Science Foundation, studies
six US lesson study sites.
Research goals include:
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To understand
necessary implementation supports and challenges in lesson study,
and share this information with a broader group of US educators and
researchers;
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To investigate
lesson study's impact on teachers and students;
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To contribute
to the design of methods for studying professional development, instructional
change and emerging reforms; and
- To develop DVD
and print materials that will support the understanding and thoughtful
adaptation of lesson study in the US.
For
further information or comments, please contact:
Shelley Friedkin. (friedkin@mills.edu)
| This
material is based upon research supported by the National Science
Foundation under grants REC-9996360, RED-9355857 and REC-0207259.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed
in this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. |
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