Lesson Study : A Japanese Approach to Improving Mathematics Teaching and Learning

Lesson study is a popular professional development approach in Japan whereby teachers collaborate to study content, instruction, and how students solve problems and reach for understanding in order to improve elementary mathematics instruction and learning in the classroom. This book is the first comprehensive look at the system and process of lesson study in Japan. It describes in detail the process of how teachers conducted lesson study--how they collaborated in order to develop a lesson, what they talked about during the process, and what they looked at in order to understand deeply how students were learning. Readers see the planning of a mathematics lesson, as well as how much content knowledge the teachers have. They observe students' problem solving strategies and learn how Japanese teachers prepare themselves to identify those strategies and facilitate the students' discussion. Written for mathematics teachers, educational researchers, school administrators interested in teachers' professional development, and professional developers, this landmark volume provides an in-depth understanding of lesson study that can lead to positive changes in teachers' professional development and in teaching and learning in the United States.

Makoto Yoshida is President and Founder of Global Education Resources (GER)--a company that provides consulting services to teachers and schools relating to lesson study and mathematics teaching and learning. GER works with schools and school districts across the United States assisting them in many capacities with lesson study activities. In addition, GER is collaborating with educational organizations, such as Research for Better Schools (Philadelphia, PA), TERC (Boston, MA), and Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (Portland, OR) to host conferences and workshops promoting lesson study. Prior to founding GER, Yoshida has gained extensive research experience working with Dr. James Stigler at UCLA and Dr. Clea Fernandez at Teachers College, Columbia University in
the field of cross-cultural mathematics classroom teaching and learning and lesson study in Japan and the U.S. His doctoral dissertation, presented to the University of Chicago, was entitled, Lesson Study: A Case Study of a Japanese Approach to Improving Instruction Through School-Based Teacher Development. Part of his dissertation served as the basis of Chapter 7, Beyond Reform: Japan's Approach to the Improvement of Classroom Teaching, in Stigler and Heibert's book The Teaching Gap. He received his Ph.D. in Education from the University of Chicago in 1999.