Menu
Lesson study is a time-tested approach to professional learning that exemplifies the Standards for Professional Learning: It is ongoing and sustained, embedded in classroom practice, focused on student outcomes, and occurs in professional learning communities. In this approach, teachers collaboratively observe and discuss classroom lessons by analyzing data they collect related to teaching and learning. Developed and initially practiced in Japan, lesson study has been used for decades. This recent study from researchers in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands adds to a growing research base that suggests a positive impact of lesson study and contributes to an international body of evidence that professional learning improves teacher practice. A learning patterns perspective In lesson study, a team of teachers collaboratively decide on a focal lesson.

Read the remaining content with membership access. Join or log in below to continue.

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem.

Log In
   

Authors

Elizabeth Foster

Elizabeth Foster ([email protected]) is vice president, research & standards at Learning Forward. In each issue of The Learning Professional, Foster explores recent research to help practitioners understand the impact of particular professional learning practices on student outcomes.

The study

Vermunt, J.D., Vrikki, M., van Halem, N., Warwick, P., & Mercer, N. (2019). The impact of Lesson Study professional development on the quality of teacher learning. Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Journal of Research and Studies, 81(1), 61-73. Elsevier Ltd. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/208204/

References

Collet, V. (2017). Lesson study in a turnaround school: Local knowledge as a pressure-balanced valve for improved instruction. Teachers College Record, 199(6), 1-58.


elizabeth foster
Senior Vice President, Research and Strategy | + posts

Elizabeth Foster is the senior vice president of research and strategy at Learning Forward. She leads the organization’s research efforts for partnerships, programs, and fundraising. Elizabeth co-wrote the Standards for Professional Learning (2022) with Tracy Crow and now facilitates learning sessions about the standards and develops resources that support their use and implementation.


Categories: Coaching, Data, Evaluation & impact, Fundamentals, International perspectives, Learning designs, Research, Standards for Professional Learning

Search
The Learning Professional


Published Date

CURRENT ISSUE


Recent Issues

APPLYING THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING
April 2026

Cognitive science illuminates how people learn. This issue shows how...

LEARNING WITH AI
February 2026

Generative AI can be a powerful tool for professional learning design and...

WHAT STUDENTS NEED NOW
December 2025

For all students to thrive, we need to understand who they are and what...

LEARNING COMMUNITIES FOR LEADERS
October 2025

Leaders need opportunities to connect, learn, and grow with peers just as...

×

Register your interest

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.