Purpose: This study examines the relationship between teacher leadership and learning in lesson study (LS). Design/methodology/approach: A multilevel analysis of data was conducted based on the results of a questionnaire survey of 129 teachers collected through Google forms from 27 schools in the city. Findings: First, in the sample, leadership…

This study describes a typology of the teaching styles of practicing teachers. Teaching style refers to a teacher's distinct qualities that are persistent from situation to situation regardless of the content. The Teaching Style Assessment Scale, which measures teaching style, was completed by 1,261 nursing faculty in Japan. Prior cluster analysis…

Lesson study has been implemented in schools around the world as a method of professional development for teachers. Lesson study consists of five steps, among which the "Research Lesson" and "Post-lesson Discussion" are central. During the Post-lesson Discussion, after the teacher has commented on the lesson, all of the…

In this study, we aim to explore the conditions and constraints of implementing a lesson study-based professional development (LSPD) program for Japanese pre-service primary teachers. Based on the anthropological theory of the didactic--a well-established theoretical framework in mathematics education research--it offers three dimensions…

This study offers insights into a professional graduate programme developed at the University of Fukui (Japan) that used the lesson study approach to elevate the application of field-based reflective practise for teachers and school leaders. This paper first details the programme's structure and its school-university collaborative inquiry…

Japanese lesson study was introduced to the West in the late 1990s. Certain widely disseminated publications and classroom videos, and also reports on international surveys of students achievement, led many to consider that Japanese mathematics teaching is highly creative and effective, with lesson study as a main explanatory factor. As a result,…

Lesson study is increasingly prevalent as a collaborative activity in which teachers take part to explore their practice. There are many variations in how lesson study manifests itself, even in Japan, where it originated. However, in Japan, fundamental to lesson study is a focus on collaboration in researching teachers' professional practice. In…

The purpose of this study was to investigate Japanese elementary teachers' professional development experiences in physical education in Japan. Participants were nine teachers from four public elementary schools. Data sources included semi-structured face-to-face interviews and annual physical education professional development portfolios. Three…

Given the distinctive characteristics of Japanese mathematics lessons found by the international studies and the subsequent focus of the attention to Lesson Study in mathematics education community, the author discusses the relationships between the scientific studies and improvement of mathematics teaching and learning from an insider's…

The state of Florida has taken an unprecedented approach to teacher professional development in its Race to the Top (RTTT) Program application by proposing to promote an international innovation that originates in Japan, "lesson study," as a statewide teacher professional development model. Since winning the US$700 million RTTT funding…

This paper is based on data gathered during visits to Uganda and Malawi, conducted by the International Math-teacher Professionalization Using Lesson Study (IMPULS) project and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The author's observations and experiences highlighted misconceptions about lesson study. The paper concludes that some…

The authors comment on the article by Morris and Hiebert in three ways. First, they add thoughts about why improvement efforts often focus on teachers, rather than teaching. Second, they offer evidence from U.S. lesson study research that focus on teaching can improve both students' learning and teachers' learning. Finally, they suggest that the…

For several historical and cultural reasons, the United States has long pursued a strategy of improving teaching by improving teachers. The rarely questioned logic underlying this choice says that by improving the right characteristics of teachers, they will teach more effectively. The authors expose the assumptions on which this logic is built,…

Lesson study (jugyou kenkyuu) has spread outside Japan in the last decade, providing opportunities to see how lesson study fares in countries where the instructional practices and curriculum materials differ from those in Japan. This study reports an elementary mathematics lesson study cycle from the United States. To investigate the nature of the…

This article describes the case of a Japanese junior high school that experienced a turn-around in three years from one of the worst schools to one of the best by utilizing lesson study for learning community (LSLC) as a managerial tool. It will focus on how the principal: (i) established a vision of reform, (ii) organized LSLC to involve the…