Lesson study is a collaborative approach to professional development that originated in Japan. Since 1999, when Stigler and Hiebert first wrote about lesson study as a model for improvement of classroom practice in the US, lesson study has enjoyed an enduring fascination for teachers around the world. US and Japanese researchers have written extensively about the challenges of adopting the lesson study model in a US context. But very few researchers have focused on the nature of implementation in an English context. What does this mean for English schools wanting to implement a lesson study approach?
Over the last four years, as part of their broader work with schools in supporting a research approach to professional learning and leadership, the London Centre for Leadership in Learning have supported over fifty schools to explore lesson study. To bolster this work, I participated in a two-week visit to Japan to gain deeper understanding of lesson study in its original context and carried out an extensive review of the lesson study literature. This process has led us to believe that there is a need to explore the degree of fidelity with which the Japanese model of lesson study can be implemented in an English context. It has also prompted us to make rational and pragmatic decisions about necessary adaptations, based on the realities of school leadership in England.
The importance of cultural context
Japanese authors recognise the appeal and power of lesson study for countries beyond Japan, but are well aware of the potential pitfalls. Isoda (2007) states that:
…moving outside of its own historical and cultural context may entail the loss of some of the powerful influences that shape and give direction to lesson study in Japan.