Learning study, Chinese lesson study and the keys of learning

Abstract

Our paper has two purposes. First, we want to advance the thesis that lesson study should be considered the signature pedagogy of teachers. Shulman (2005) pointed out that different professions have different and unique ways in which novices acquire professional knowledge and attitudes, i.e. the “signature pedagogies”. The three versions of Lesson study mentioned i.e. Japanese lesson study, Learning study and Chinese lesson study, all have the idea of the lesson and its different aspects in common. Several teachers specializing on a subject and on a level within the subject plan, discuss, analyze, evaluate a lesson, observe one of them interacting with students, as well as students interacting with each other. It is deemed a reasonable signature pedagogy for the teaching profession.Second, we argue that teachers should be involved in research. The above three versions of Lesson study have in common that pedagogical knowledge is sought: How can we contribute to better learning in the sense of making it possible to discern aspects of the object of learning that are necessary for students to discern. Such aspects are critical for learning (a particular object of learning); they are the “keys of learning”. If this is the case, we would need to develop pedagogical theories of how we can contribute to making it possible for students to discern those critical aspects. If we want to put pedagogical theories to test, teachers have to mediate the theories and make them his/her own. And doing so amounts to doing research.