Inservice Course on Lesson Study

IME4511 started on 24 February 2010. The last session was on 31 March. This is a 12-hour course to introduce lesson study to primary mathematics teachers. There were 35 partcipants. They should refer to www.mmepdpm.pbworks.com

Those who want to conduct one cycle of lesson study should sign up for IME4512. The entire course is on participants doing lesson study - that means you must have some background (IME4511 or other such training) to do this course. Participants should sign up as a team of 3 to 6 people. This course should run in April - May 2010 although I know some teams want to extend theirs to July, after the June vacation.

The course includes an introduction to the lesson study cycle as comprising of setting the research theme, lesson planning, research lesson, post-lesson discussion and lesson plan revision. The second cycle, which is optional, happens when the team decides to teach this research lesson again. Instead of a single lesson, lesson study can also be done on a unit of lessons.

The class is introduced to the idea of research theme and had opprotunities to write their research theme. It is emphasized that reserach theme can be linked to school's vision, curriculum goals and pupil profile.

By stating the ideal and actual characteristics of pupils, a gap becomes evident. Lesson study then becomes an endeavour to increase teachers' knowledge in order to close the gap.

It is emphasized that lesson study is aimed at increasing teachers' competency which will result in better pupil achievement.

One lesson study cycle may not result in increased pupil achievement. But teachers learn a fair bit during this cycle. If the tecahers apply their knowledge in carrying out lessons for the rest of the year, this should result in increased pupil achievement.

There is also a session on lesson planning and one that includes a research lesson and post-lesson discussion. The photograph shows teachers observing the students during a research lesson on primary six speed.

Graduate Students Investigating Lesson Study

I am currently enrolled in our school's postgraduate program and will be giving a report on Lesson Study. I am asking for your help in providing me with any research material that may aid me in adding substance to my report.

Patrick, The Philippines

For lesson study in Singapore, I document my work with schools as well as lesson study efforts that I know of at www.lessonstudyinsingapore.blogspot.com
I can also grant you access to my e-learning portal which has a section on lesson study

Finally and most importantly, the work of a group of people from the APEC economies is invaluable http://hrd.apec.org/index.php/Lesson_Study

I am keen to see more graduate students research into this professional development tool.

APEC-Tsukuba University Conference in Tokyo (18-21 Feb 2010)

This is an excellent opportunity to experience lesson study in Japan first hand. This APEC HRD project has been around since 2006 and I have had many chances to see first hand how the Japanese schools do their research lessons and post-lesson discussion.

This time we will get to see one science research lessona and two mathematics ones. Exciting. A team from MOE including people from TN and TDD as well as a CPDD colleague and a master teacher joined teachers from Da Qiao Primary School, Woodlands Ring Primary School and North Vista Primary School for a four-day lesson study conference among the lesson study specialists from many APEC countries.

The two-day lesson study was actually the largest lesson study event in Japan. Apparently 5000 Japanese teachers were at the event which comprised an all morning research lessons - there were so many to choose from across subjects and levels. We only get to see the ones with English translation. The last two days were set aside for the actual conference itself.

The next conference is in Chiangmai in November 2010.