The enactment of lesson study by science teachers in English schools

Published in May 2016, this empirical study explores the enactment of Japanese Lesson Study by science teachers in four secondary schools in England. The aim of the study is to develop a deeper understanding of Lesson Study (LS) as a model of teacher professional development (PD). Lesson Study (jugyou kenkyuu) originated in Japan and was recently disseminated to other countries through the publication of 'The Teaching Gap' (Stigler and Hiebert, 1999) and claims that it was linked to the high achievements of Asian students (TIMSS, 1999). Studies suggest that LS is a powerful model of PD that can lead to improvements in both teacher and student learning (Fernandez 2002, Lewis 2002, Elliott 2009, and Dudley 2012). However, despite evidence of its success, it appears that important features of LS are often overlooked or misinterpreted, and features that are implicitly understood by Japanese teachers do not transfer easily to other countries (Saito, 2012, Akhiko, 2015). The cultural transfer of LS, its interpretation and enactment in different cultural settings provides the impetus for this research. The aim is to add to, critique and revise current knowledge in identifying the essential features of LS that maximise its impact on teacher PD.

Author: Julie Jordan