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Lesson study, improvement, and the importing of cultural routines

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Abstract

Originating in Asia, lesson study is gradually spreading around the globe. As evident from the papers in this issue, we have much to learn as it is implemented in a variety of cultural contexts. In this article we reflect on the goals of lesson study, the organizational supports required to sustain the practice in various contexts, and the benefits that may be derived from making more explicit the connections between lesson study and the wider field of improvement science. Both research and practice can benefit from learning from, and about, the process of importing cultural routines.

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Notes

  1. From “Open the Window. It’s a Big World Out there! The Spirit and the Ideas That Created Toyota,” pamphlet published by Toyota Kaikan, Toyota Motor Corporation, October 1993. Quoted in Rother (2009).

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Stigler, J.W., Hiebert, J. Lesson study, improvement, and the importing of cultural routines. ZDM Mathematics Education 48, 581–587 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-016-0787-7

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