Lesson Study as Innovative Practice: Connecting Coursework and Fieldwork in PDS Contexts

Angela Hooser and Andrea Willson

I. What is lesson study?
Lesson study is part of a large family of instructional improvement strategies, the shared feature of which is
observation of live classroom lessons by a group of teachers who collect data on teaching, learning and
collaboratively analyze it
The Lesson Study Process
Create goals for student learning
Collaboratively plan a lesson
Teach and observe the lesson
Group debrief and lesson revision
The revised lesson is taught, observed & revised again
Document and share the learning
II. Lesson Study as a Part of Our Development as Educators
In-service teachers improve their practice while in the field through the use of lesson study (Stigler & Hiebert, 2009).
Based on the professional development framework developed by Desimone, 2009, engaging in lesson study would
support the core features of collaboration, curriculum based, and instructional changes that would result in student
achievement. Lesson study has been used to improve practice of in-service teachers. But what about using it to
improve the practice of preservice teachers? There are very few studies that look at lesson study in Mathematics
with preservice teachers. lesson study assumes that teachers learn to teach by treating teaching as an object of
study-by trying to improve teaching by studying carefully what works and what doesnt (Stigler and Hiebert, 2009 p.
190).
Teaching, like other cultural activities, is learned through informal participation over long periods of time p. 86
By attending to teaching as it occurs, lesson study respects teachings complex and systemic nature, and so it
generates knowledge that is immediately useful p 122
Lesson study is collaborative, continuous and reflective.
III. Connecting Coursework and Fieldwork at USF

Level III Connected Lessons

Interns will work with CT to plan and teach
two connected lessons in relation to content/
focus area.
Pre-Assessment: Create pre-assessment
tool(s) and collect data
Planning: Create two lesson plans that that
build on each other. Use pre-assessment
data and content area literature.
Teach and Reflect: Teach lessons, collect
student data, and adapt lesson based on
data analysis and write a reflection.

Math Methods Linking Research to Practice

Stage 1: 2-3 interns will create a
mathematics lesson based on
Mathematical Practices, and school district
curriculum (USF lesson plan template is
required).
Stage 2: the interns will locate relevant
articles, consult with CT, other professionals,
and coursework texts . Interns will create a
lesson plan
Stage 3: One intern will implement lesson
plan while other intern(s) observes. After
lesson, interns meet to discuss lesson plan

Lewis, C. (2009). What is the nature of knowledge development in lesson study? Educational Action Research, 17(1),
95-110.
James Stigler and James Hiebert, The Teaching Gap.1999, p.135.

and revise according to video and

observation notes. Repeat.
Stage 4: Reflection
IV. Discussion:
What benefits might exist for PSTs? For teacher educators? For partnership schools?
What barriers might exist for PSTs? For teacher educators? For partnership schools? How might we
overcome them?
What ideas do you have for making stronger connections between these two assignments?
In what ways might the field and course bring different perspectives to this assignment?
Additional Questions?

Lewis, C. (2009). What is the nature of knowledge development in lesson study? Educational Action Research, 17(1),
95-110.
James Stigler and James Hiebert, The Teaching Gap.1999, p.135.