Stepanek, Jennifer; Appel, Gary; Leong, Melinda; Turner Mangan, Michelle & Mitchell, Mark (2007). Leading Lesson Study: A Practical Guide for Teachers and Facilitators. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.

Pages: 207     Price: 978-1412939881     ISBN: $34.95

Since the late 1990's, increasing numbers of educators in the United States have heard about and shown interest in lesson study, a practice-based, inquiry approach to professional development. In lesson study (LS), 4-6 teachers collaboratively design a lesson plan, teach and observe the lesson to collect data on student learning, use their observations to refine the lesson plan, and reflect upon the implications of their work for their future teaching. LS has been credited with having a transformative impact on teaching and learning in Japan (Stigler & Hiebert, 1999), where it originated, and it aligns with many American scholars' definitions of high-quality professional development (e.g., Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 1995). Nonetheless, in spite of increased awareness of LS in the United States, it generally remains a "boutique" reform, practiced in a limited number of areas and inaccessible to the vast majority of teachers. Stepanek, Appel, Leong, Turner Mangan, and Mitchell's new book, Leading Lesson Study: A Practical Guide for Teachers and Facilitators, has the potential, however, to help a greater number of American teachers to become involved with LS.

Stepanek and colleagues set out to provide the tools and advice necessary for educators to translate interest in lesson study (LS) into concrete action. Chapter One opens with a brief description of the LS process, and then moves into an explanation of the habits of mind it develops and big ideas it addresses. Next, there follows a succinct, research-based rationale for LS, and finally a convenient, one-page summary introduction to LS. For the individual with some basic knowledge of LS, this chapter is unlikely to cover much new ground, but it does live up to its title by "Making a case for lesson study." It could be a valuable resource for anyone trying to provide basic information to colleagues about LS, or secure administrative support.

Chapter Two offers a comprehensive list of things leaders should keep in mind as they lay the groundwork for LS. For example, the authors suggest four "necessary ingredients" that should ideally be in place - willing and engaged teachers, time for collaboration, administrator support, and an action plan - and five additional supports that can be key to LS's success: high-quality curriculum, collegial relationships, collaborative school climate, outside support, and school wide participation (p. 18-19). Although all of the above influence the work of an LS group, and should thus be considered by leaders, this chapter could be intimidating for some readers. It is suggested, for example, that, "it may take an extended period of time to bring together the people and resources to support lesson study" (p. 32). The authors do, however, also suggest that, "starting out small with a group of enthusiastic teachers will help lesson study to grow and gain momentum" (p. 32). The work of such a trailblazing group might then serve to spark curiosity among more people and attract resources to LS.

For the LS leader who does succeed in getting a group of teachers onboard for the process, the meat of this book is in Chapters Three through Seven, which walk through how to facilitate the different stages of the process. These chapters have a consistent structure, starting with a general description of what should happen during a particular LS phase, and then providing worksheets or guidelines that leaders can use to help structure their group's work. Each chapter includes sample materials, and "From the field" sidebars that describe related work from actual lesson study groups. They then include Challenges, Reflecting and Assessing Progress, Moving On to the Next Phase, and Key Ideas sections before concluding with From our Team to Yours, which provides advice from classroom teachers active in LS work. Because users of this book are likely to read and reread it in bits and pieces as they prepare for and proceed through the LS process, such a regular structure is a helpful feature.

After this meticulous progression through the LS process, the book steps back and concludes with a short chapter aimed at helping LS leaders to grow and sustain LS beyond a single successful cycle. Rather than suggesting how to rapidly scale up lesson study, the authors focus instead on "gradual growth" and how to improve the "depth and integrity' of LS work (p. 155).

Leading Lesson Study fulfills its subtitle's promise to be a "practical guide," with numerous samples, examples, and worksheets. In total, the book's 161 pages include sixty-three forms or figures, not to mention its three appendices, one of which includes three sample research lessons plans. The authors thankfully do not take practicality to the extreme of setting out an overly rigid LS recipe. One of the causes of LS's success in Japan has been its flexibility and the fact that teachers and leaders have modified it to respond to different contexts and purposes, and Stepanek and colleagues have accordingly avoided being too prescriptive in their approach. They do, however, provide an accessible wealth of information that will support lesson study leaders, and be useful to a variety of different readers. For educators who have some familiarity with LS, but may be uncomfortable leading a group of teachers, Leading Lesson Study's resources and practice-based advice could effectively scaffold their work. For those who may feel comfortable leading, but lack familiarity with LS, the book provides a solid foundation in LS's technical elements and ethos. For a new lesson study group that does not have a single leader, Leading Lesson Study could also serve as a resource to the entire team, allowing for shared leadership and responsibility. In sum, Stepanek and colleagues have succeeded in creating a guide with rich potential to increase both the quantity and quality of lesson study work done in the United States.

References

Darling-Hammond, L., & McLaughlin, M. (1995). Policies that support professional development in an era of reform. Phi Delta Kappan, 77(7), 597-603.

Stigler, J. & Hiebert, J. (1999). The teaching gap. New York: The Free Press.

Reviewed by Jeffrey P. Carpenter, a doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Virginia Curry School of Education. He spent eight years teaching in public and private schools in the United States, Honduras, and Japan, where he had the opportunity to participate in lesson study.