The Lesson Study Process

1. Analyse your data and identify your focus

  • Use data from day to day assessment to agree a focus for pupils’ learning and progress.
  • The research focus will always look something like: ‘We want to learn how to improve the way we teach…..X.. to Y.’

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dudley, P: Improving practice and progression through Lesson Study 2008 p6

2. Identify your lesson study group

  • Two, three or more people with dedicated time and support.
  • Set ground rules for assessed risk taking and joint ownership of the research lessons.

3. Connect with, and draw on, what is already known about your focus before you start work

  • Carry out a review of relevant research (including previous lesson studies), to identify a tried and tested teaching technique to develop or improve the agreed area of focus.

4. Identify 3 case pupils (or multiples of 3)

  • Identify 3 case pupils. Each should typify a group of learners in the class – for example, high, middle and low attaining in the strand being taught and developed.

5. Jointly plan a research lesson based on the needs of the case pupils

  • Jointly plan a ‘study lesson’ which uses, develops and closely studies the effects of the identified technique – while keeping in mind the case study pupils.

6. Teach and jointly observe the study lesson

  • Focus on the case pupils’ learning and progress.
  • Think about and agree key points you want to gather data on. Record this.
  • Think about and plan who will be doing what and when.
  • What questions do you plan to ask?

7. Interview the case pupils

  • Gather the insights of the case pupils into the study lesson.

8. Hold a post lesson discussion

  • Hold this discussion as soon as possible after the study lesson.
  • Discuss how the case study pupils responded to the techniques, what progress they made and what can be learned about the application of the technique.
  • What each person feels they have learned.

9. Find ways of helping others to learn from your Lesson Study

  • By planning to share learning with others, you are ensuring the learning doesn’t just stay with you.
  • People have found that by presenting their learning to others, they further their own learning and deepen their understanding of what they have learned.
  • You can present your findings in a number of ways eg. through a public research lesson (as in Japan), a presentation, writing a case study which can be disseminated on this site.