Global expansion and circulation of Lesson Study

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K17382
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Sociology of education
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo (2019); Nagoya University (2015-2018)
• Principal Investigator: Ogisu Takayo 東京大学, 大学院教育学研究科(教育学部), 特任助教 (00743775)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 授業研究 / 比較教育学 / 教師教育 / 教育借用

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research explored the processes in which jugyo-kenkyu, a form of collaborative teacher professional development originated in Japan and known as Lesson Study, has expanded and circulated globally. Drawing on comprehensive discourse analysis and case studies in Indonesia, Philippines, US, and Switzerland, the following three questions were unpacked: (a) when, by whom, and why lesson study was circulated across national borders?, (b) in what circumstance and what aspect of lesson study was borrowed?, (c) What changes occurred in Japanese discourse on jugyo-kenkyu after the expansion and circulation? The main findings of this research are, firstly, the nature of Japanese discourse on jugyo-kenkyu evolved before, during, and after global expansion of lesson study. Secondly, this research unveils the fact that lesson study functioned as a catalyst for cross-cultural interaction among teachers and education researchers, which enhanced the innovative lesson study practices.

Free Research Field

比較教育学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では、授業研究が国際的に伝播・循環した結果として、日本国内で授業研究に対する見方や考え方がどのように変化してきたのかを明らかにした。本研究の成果は、学術的には、教育思想・実践が国をまたいで移動する「教育借用」は、必ずしもベスト・プラクティスで生じるわけではなく、また借用された思想・実践が本国において変化・進化し続けるという事実を明らかにできたという意味で、理論上の意義があった。また、教育思想・実践はそれ自体が教育的であることから、国を超える際、異文化間の学び合いの触媒となり、新しい思想や実践を生む可能性があるということが明らかになったことは、本研究の社会的な意義と言える。