Lesson study

Lesson study (or jugyō kenkyū) is a teaching improvement process that has origins in Japanese elementary education, where it is a widespread professional development practice.

[1] In Japan, lesson study is conducted at the school, district, and national levels.

[2] Features common to all three levels are: School-, district-, or national-level lesson study differ with respect to the students they consider.

This is a specific example of the ongoing Japanese devotion to the Plan-Do-Check-Act PDCA decision-making discipline pioneered by W. Edwards Deming, which is based upon the Shewhart Cycle (named after Deming's collaborator from Bell Telephone Laboratories, Walter A. Shewhart).

[4] Through multiple research lessons at different grade levels, a school faculty works toward a common vision of how to achieve their goals.