Lesson Study involves groups of teachers collaboratively planning, teaching, observing and analysing learning and teaching in ‘research lessons’. They record their findings and over a cycle of research lessons they may innovate or refine a pedagogical approach that will improve pupils’ learning and which will be shared with others both through public research lessons, and through the publication of a paper outlining their work. The Teacher Development Trust has a good summary of What Is Lesson Study here.
At River Mead, we use Lesson Study to focus on and improve our Maths outcomes. In our first Lesson Study, in Summer 2018, we worked with teachers and leaders from Three Bridges School to look at strategies to support advanced and struggling learners in mathematics.
We have continued our Lesson Study approach in Term 1 of 2018, starting with Year 2 and then followed by Year 6 the next week. Louise Harrison, our Deputy Headteacher and Maths Lead, facilitated the Year 2 week of Lesson Study and said “It has been a genuine privilege to be involved with the research this week. Our teachers’ passion and motivation to get underneath how children are learning and their drive to adapt and try different things in their own classrooms is inspiring.”
A key part of Lesson Study is publishing the findings from the research cycle in a ‘Research Poster’. All of the posters produced from our Lesson Studies are here. Each poster will tell you who was involved, what the focus of the research was, and reflections from the teachers who took part on their own professional learning from the activity.