I first came across Lesson Study in 2019, although it has been around as a process for a long time. In fact, it has 140 years of history in Japanese schools and is now increasingly used in East Asia, the US and Europe. Dr. Pete Dudley introduced lesson study into the UK from Japan in 2001 and has led its development through the Research Lesson Study (now Lesson Study UK) network. Like other forms of Action Research, it is a model of teacher-led enquiry, in which a small group, often a triad, work together to target an identified area for development in their students’ learning.
Using existing evidence, practitioners collaboratively research, plan, teach and observe a series of lessons, using ongoing discussion and reflection to track and refine their interventions (read more about the model here).
What sets it apart for me as a form of Action Research is both the collaborative nature of the process and the structure within which it occurs, focusing on the impact of the intervention upon the learning of specific individuals.
There are a series of clear stages to the process which give a very helpful framework to the research you conduct. The first of these is to identify what you want to improve and why, and who you wish to work with.
