Lesson Study

Intervention description

Lesson Study is a process which involves a small group of two or more teachers working collaboratively to plan, teach and observe a set of lessons. Teachers use assessment data to agree an area for development within pupil learning, and work together to identify a teaching technique to address this focus. Around three ‘case pupils’ are identified, preferably reflecting a broad range of attainment levels within the class, and a ‘study lesson’ is jointly planned with the needs of these pupils kept in mind. Group members then teach the lesson and observe each other doing so, focusing on the learning and progress of the case pupils in particular. Afterwards, case pupils are interviewed to gain their feedback on the lesson, and the teachers hold a post-lesson discussion to analyse what progress was made and what lessons can be taken on board. This process can be repeated over the course of several lessons, and any outcomes are shared with other teachers through, for example, a presentation or a coaching session. Lesson Study has been prevalent in Japan and East Asia for decades, and research is now taking place to assess its impact on schools in the UK.

Staffing requirements

Lesson Study involves a small group of two or more teachers

Professional development/training

A handbook is available to download from the provider's website

Evidence Summary

The Education Endowment Foundation are currently running a project investigating the effectiveness of Lesson Study.

Key research

The Education Endowment Foundation evaluation should be available in spring 2018. A team from LSE will evaluate the intervention using a randomised control trial involving 160 schools exploring the impact at key stage 2 on literacy and numeracy outcomes.

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/lesson-study