An overview of Kyouzai Kenkyuu
| Key questions | Key resources |
| Phase 1: study of the subject matter, students and goals | |
| What concepts are taught in the unit? What concept will be the focus for the research lesson, and what does it mean to understand it? What prior knowledge will students need to draw on? What new ideas will students build from this concept in the future? What do students currently understand about this topic, and what are their misconceptions? What does research tell us about the important understandings students need to develop and how they develop them? What is the desired outcome of this research lesson? | Standards and related interpretive documents, textbook and teacher’s edition, reference materials that unpack the content and student learning of the content. Also, interviews and observations of students, reports from lesson study, and consultation with knowledgeable individuals (such as math coach). Curriculum maps that show flow of concepts over units and grades |
| Phase 2: studying instructional tools | |
| What is the value of this task? Why is it designed as it is? How will students respond to this task? What gaps or confusions will they have, and how will they move to a fuller understanding? How will instruction (including board use, materials, teacher questions, peer interaction) support student learning? | Textbook and teacher’s edition; knowledgeable individuals (such as math coach); teaching experience; student interviews, observations and data |
| Key questions | Key resources |
| What concepts are taught in the unit? | Standards and related interpretive documents, textbook and teacher’s edition, reference materials that unpack the content and student learning of the content. Also, interviews and observations of students, reports from lesson study, and consultation with knowledgeable individuals (such as math coach). Curriculum maps that show flow of concepts over units and grades |
| What is the value of this task? Why is it designed as it is? | Textbook and teacher’s edition; knowledgeable individuals (such as math coach); teaching experience; student interviews, observations and data |
Source: Takahashi et al. (2005)