Transforming Professional Learning Through Lesson Study

Lesson Study is a professional development process used worldwide to systematically examine teachers’ practice with the goal of becoming more effective. It centres on three teachers working collaboratively on a small number of research lessons. This involves planning, teaching, observing and reflecting on these lessons. To provide focus to this work, an overarching enquiry question is explored and a focus pupil group is chosen for a case study. Because there is joint ownership of the lesson and observations of pupil learning are recorded, not the class teacher, it is a non-judgmental learning and development process, which also takes into account pupil voice to influence practice and pedagogy.

Lesson Study has the potential to:

• Transform development of teacher learning and of the curriculum
• Transform good teaching into outstanding teaching
• Create learning communities of teachers with deepening practice knowledge across schools and local systems of schools
• Raise pupil achievement and progress; close gaps; raise expectations

Lesson Study is usually carried out by working as a ‘triad’ – three colleagues working together to focus on pupil learning to develop their classroom practice.

Collaborations may be between:

• Any or all teachers within a year group, phase or school
• Teachers interested in improving their maths pedagogy and practice or how to improve learning for a specific pupil group within their class or school
• ECTs, recent or trainee teachers within the same school with their mentor or another experienced colleague
• ECTs, recent or trainee teachers within the same School Partnership Group, or Academy/Trust

The triad need not be in the same school if teachers are able to be released to join others at another school.

Mathematical Pedagogy Input and Lesson Study Introduction There will be an initial introduction to Lesson Study and a session of mathematical input (training) to give a focussed curriculum area on which to base the series of research lessons.

Timing and Organisation

• one half day for the introduction and mathematical (training) input OR one whole day to also include time for support in creating the enquiry question and for the initial planning of the research lessons.
• optional in-school support for planning, carrying out a research lesson and recording outcomes
• follow-up half day for triads to share learning with other participants at the end of the first research cycle (3 lessons); for the next mathematical input and for next steps in sharing with a wider audience and next steps in own classroom practice
• option to repeat the cycle with further support.

Alternatively, for a group of schools, a Lesson Study Hub may be created, like the one I ran in Redbridge a few years ago that involved over 12 London primary and secondary schools.

• Children are beginning to think more deeply about their learning and how they learn.
• You get to know the pupils and explore what helps/hinders their learning.
• I’ve developed the confidence to work with other professionals.
• Teachers are able to make comparisons with their own pupils and how they learn.
• I have found it helpful to work collaboratively with other teachers.
• I now encourage and support pupils with their verbal reasoning by raising my expectations of their response, e.g. speaking in full sentences and developing their explanations.
• I could see the progress pupils had made because of the AfL and talk techniques we used.
• Lesson Study has allowed me to understand how my teaching might be leading to pupils opting out and how employing a range of AfL strategies might allow for greater engagement.
• Pupils showed a better understanding in this area of maths now.
• Pupils benefitted from peer working, e.g. games, and supported/helped/taught each other.