Lesson from Japan | Asia Society Skip to main content

Unsupported Browser Detected.
It seems the web browser you're using doesn't support some of the features of this site. For the best experience, we recommend using a modern browser that supports the features of this website. We recommend Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge

  • Professional Development
    • Global Ed Explorer
    • Online Courses
  • Educator Resources
    • Teaching for Global Understanding
  • About the Network
    • Meeting History & Agendas
    • Approach and Impact
    • Reports
  • About the Center for Global Education
    • Who We Are
    • Where We Work
    • Results and Opportunities
    • News and Events
Search
Global Cities Education Network
  • Professional Development
    • Global Ed Explorer
    • Online Courses
  • Educator Resources
    • Teaching for Global Understanding
  • About the Network
    • Meeting History & Agendas
    • Approach and Impact
    • Reports
  • About the Center for Global Education
    • Who We Are
    • Where We Work
    • Results and Opportunities
    • News and Events

Lesson from Japan

Load Curriculum with Expertise

Students in Japan. (alexa627/flickr)

Educators who plan lessons together create more effective learning experiences for students. This has been a proven practice in the Japanese education system for over a century.

Team teaching, teaching to strengths, having peers provide feedback, and observing others to learn new ideas and strategies are ways in which globally focused schools best serve students. When teachers plan together, even without team teaching, their combined knowledge and experience is always more valuable than what one teacher alone might develop. One example of such collaboration is called Japanese Lesson Study, a process developed during Meiji-era Japan, and is still in use today because of its effectiveness.

Japanese Lesson Study is a collaborative professional development tool that encourages teachers to work in groups of four to six educators each, usually at a specific grade level, to plan, observe, examine, and refine classroom lessons.

This process, which could take years, begins with the group of teachers setting a goal for themselves. They then create curriculum that aims to meet this goal. Teachers in Japan are expected to participate in this process and almost every single teacher is involved in at least one lesson study group, some also participate in districtwide groups, which meet in the evenings. A large portion of time is devoted to this process. The teams provide mentoring and training, but also allow teachers to try new teaching techniques.

A process of teaching the lessons, analyzing how they work in the classroom, and then revising the lessons with the group follows.

Here is an abbreviated version of this process that could be used for any subject:

  1. Decide on a research theme or goal–-it should be something that fits within standards or a scope and sequence. For example, critical thinking in science inquiry.
  2. Meet with colleagues to plan a lesson on a specific topic and unit, pooling knowledge, and creating a first draft.
  3. Make collaborative decisions on content, the integration of global competencies, materials, and teaching strategies.
  4. Teach the lesson to colleagues as a form of practice. Some teachers are open to being observed while teaching the lesson to students.
  5. Use a rubric for the observation and specific language in their feedback, recording observations rather than criticisms.
  6. Review observations and rewrite the lesson to improve both content and delivery.

Teachers from other schools are sometimes invited to observe the final version of the lesson.

Collaborative planning and team teaching is a winning combination for students. It provides enhanced content and builds teacher expertise, both of which can motivate students to learn.

Framework for a Lesson
(Adapted from The Teaching Gap: Best Ideas from the World's Teachers for Improving Education in the Classroom by James Stigler and James Hiebert.)

Here is a tool to use when preparing lessons:

  1. Teacher writes learning goals.
    • What is the problem students should tackle?
    • What wording should be used for greatest clarity? o What materials should the students use?
    • How should the limited time for the lesson be allotted?
  2. Students work on the problem and then present their solutions to the entire class.
    • What are the possible answers the students might come up with?
    • What questions should be asked of the students to prompt their thinking?
    • What guidance should be given to students who might be headed in the wrong direction?
    • What should be done about students who may be at different levels of learning?
  3. Teacher leads a discussion to evaluate the various solutions that were presented.
  4. Teacher ends the lesson by reviewing the concept the students were supposed to understand through the lesson.
    • When is the appropriate moment to end the lesson? Does it correlate with the enduring understanding?

    Explore School Systems Around the World

    • Students in class in Vietnam (Vanessa Shadoian-Gersing)

      Education in Vietnam

      Vietnamese students surprised the world with their 2012 PISA results. Vanessa Shadoian-Gersing, a former OECD analyst who writes and consults on global education, offers observations based on her recent work in Vietnam.
    • case study word cloud
      article

      Case Study: Catholic Regional College Sydenham

      Students are able to choose from an extensive range of vocational education and training (VET) certificates offered either at the College or at an external training provider as part of their senior secondary studies.
    • case study word cloud
      article

      Case Study: Northern College of the Arts and Technology

      The College has a reputation for quality curriculum design and engaging vocational education and training (VET) programs across the arts, trades, and technologies.
    • Best educational practices are not-so-secret. (Tomwang112/iStockPhoto)

      Learning from the "Shanghai Secret"

      Shanghai's “Four Traditionals” and “Eight Moderns” which the U.S. education system could adapt.
    • The race for excellence and equity in education. (abdulrahman.stock/iStockPhoto)
      report
       /  Education

      Transforming Learning in Cities

      Advice on how to offer an excellent education to every student.
    • It keeps Singapore economically strong. (TommL/iStockPhoto)
      article

      Singapore: Innovation in Technical Education

      Different sectors in Singapore gather to study workforce demands of the future, and plan how to create a supply of highly qualified workers.
    • Classroom supplies (Liz (perspicacious.org/flickr)

      Top School Systems Announced

      Asia dominates the top of the list; the United States, stagnant.
    • Students work on computers

      Asia: New Top of the Class

      A worldwide new education survey ranks US students well behind many of their Asian counterparts. Can America still catch up?
    • People in Hong Kong (caspermoller/flickr)

      Hong Kong: Reform that Works

      An international port city reformed its education to meet the new opportunities of a knowledge economy.
    • Students in Shanghai (plastic spatula/flickr)

      Shanghai: The World's Best School System

      What they do right, and what the rest of the world can learn.
    • A student in Korea (Stephen Hucker/flickr)

      South Korean Education Reforms

      How one nation turned around its education system radically--and achieved an 86 percent enrollment rate in higher education.
    • chalk (ajari/flickr)

      Japan: Recent Trends In Education Reform

      International comparisons made a positive impact on Japan's education system.
    • A student smiles (maliketh/istockphoto)

      How the World Recruits Teachers

      Recruiting great teachers is critically important. See how successful nations go about it.
    • Money (MCCAIG/istockphoto)
      article
       /  Education

      Show Teachers the Money!

      Most teachers are underpaid. But what is the best way to think about proper compensation?
    • A child with blocks spelling LEARN. (marsbars/istockphoto)
      report

      What Can America Learn?

      Students in many countries now out-rank American students academically. Top-performing nations sound off on reforms that worked.
    • Students in Singapore (ssedro/flickr)

      Singapore's Global Schools for a Global Society

      It is the most globalized place on earth. And they built an education system to match.
    • Students in England (spiraltri3e/flickr)

      England: How to Sustain A High-Performing School System

      Their plan worked. Achievement was on the rise--then it hit a plateau. Now what?
    • A student works on a computer in Australia (torres21/flickr)

      Australia Strives for Excellence and Equity

      The story of how one high-performing nation seeks to do better.
    • Black and white photo of students in classroom. (Leo-setä/flickr)

      What Accounts for Finland's High Student Achievement Rate?

      The vision and components that made Finland one of the top-ranked education system in the world.
    • Two children smiling. (Planet Love/flickr)

      China's 2020 Education Reform Strategy

      China will focus on four areas of education reform in the coming decade.

    Related Content

    • report

      The Future of Teaching and Learning

      Read the report from the 2019 International Summit on the Teaching Profession, which focused on the future of teaching and learning.
    • report

      New Challenges and Opportunities Facing the Teaching Profession in Public Education

      Read the report from the 2018 International Summit on the Teaching Profession, which focused on new challenges and opportunities for educators in public education.
    • report

      Empowering and Enabling Teachers to Improve Equity and Outcomes for All

      The 2017 International Summit on the Teaching Profession focused on sustainable excellence and equity in learning.
    • Why Japan Must 'Change the Minds of a Million Teachers'

      Japanese education official Kan Suzuki discusses the challenges of preparing Japanese students for a rapidly changing world.
    • PISA Results Show Need to Address Inequity in Education

      “The good news is inequality is diminishing. ... The bad news is the remaining inequality makes much more of a difference for people.”

    Videos

    • Education
       /  New York

      Challenges Remain

      Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond spoke with Asia Society as part of the Global Cities Education Network initiative.
      Watch Now
    • Education
       /  New York

      Lessons Learned About Building Teaching Quality

      Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond spoke with Asia Society as part of the Global Cities Education Network initiative.
      Watch Now
    • Education
       /  New York

      Strengths of High-Performing School Systems

      Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond spoke with Asia Society as part of the Global Cities Education Network initiative.
      Watch Now
    • Education
       /  New York

      A Global Approach to Education

      Watch: experts assess validity of the PISA scores worldwide.
      Watch Now
    • Education
       /  New York

      Making the Grade in Global Education (Complete)

      Asia Society's Tony Jackson joins Wendy Kopp, Susan Fuhrman, and Andrea Pasinetti for a discussion of innovation and equity in global education.
      Watch Now
    About
    • Mission & History
    • Our People
    • Become a Member
    • Career Opportunities
    • Corporate Involvement
    visit us
    • Hong Kong
    • New York
    • Texas
    global network
    • Australia
    • France
    • India
    • Japan
    • Korea
    • Northern California
    • Philippines
    • Southern California
    • Switzerland
    • Washington, D.C.
    resources
    • Arts
    • Asia Society Magazine
    • ChinaFile
    • Current Affairs
    • Education
    • For Kids
    • Policy
    • Video
    shop
    • AsiaStore
    initiatives
    • Arts & Museum Summit
    • Asia 21 Young Leaders
    • Asia Arts Game Changer Awards
    • Asia Game Changer Awards
    • Asia Society Museum: The Asia Arts & Museum Network
    • Asia Society Policy Institute
    • Asian Women Empowered
    • Center on U.S.-China Relations
    • Coal + Ice
    • Creative Voices of Muslim Asia
    • Global Cities Education Network
    • Global Talent Initiatives
    • U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit
    • U.S.-China Dialogue
    • U.S.-China Museum Summit
    Connect
    Email Signup For the media
    Asia Society logo
    ©2023 Asia Society | Privacy Statement | Accessibility | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Contact

    Asia Society takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government.
    The views expressed by Asia Society staff, fellows, experts, report authors, program speakers, board members, and other affiliates are solely their own. Learn more.

     

     

    • Visit Us
    • Hong Kong
    • New York
    • Texas
    • Global Network
    • Australia
    • France
    • India
    • Japan
    • Korea
    • Northern California
    • Philippines
    • Southern California
    • Switzerland
    • Washington, DC