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Lesson study in initial teacher education (ITE) has started to gain in popularity across many jurisdictions. However, much of the research literature suggests that the uptake is small-scale and experimental in nature. This chapter reflects on some of the ways in which lesson study might become a more systems-led approach, and an embedded part of the work of ITE. It uses a spatio-temporal approach to consider how the use of lesson study might develop at different scales and over different time periods.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight similarities between Japanese lesson study, Chinese lesson study and learning study.

This editorial review is intended to stimulate a discussion about a critical aspect of both Lesson and learning studies exemplified by the texts published in issue 6.2 of this journal.

The author identifies neriage, the comparison and discussion phase of Japanese lesson study, as a critical aspect of both Lesson and learning studies and emphasises that both involve research leading to teachers learning what makes effective lessons possible. Attention is drawn to the importance of being explicit about the theory of learning behind Lesson and learning studies and how its implementation leads to teacher learning.

This editorial review provides a framework for evaluating the quality of lesson and learning studies in educational institutions.

It has been suggested that, if pedagogical and learning theories are integrated into lesson and learning study, a systematic construction of pedagogical knowledge is possible (Elliott, 2012). In this Special Issue, it is reported how theory and theoretical concepts can add value to lesson and learning study. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the Special Issue and explore the above concepts.

This paper presents the Special Issue papers thematically and the main issues are discussed.

Together the papers suggest that pedagogical theories and theorizing practice may contribute to the improvement of teachers’ practical knowledge and knowledge about teachers’ professional tasks and objects. Furthermore, some theories and theoretical concepts hitherto under-exploited in lesson and learning study are presented and discussed from the point of view how these might improve the quality of the studies.

As a total, this collection of papers bring out issues about the role of pedagogical and learning theories and how these could inform lesson and learning study.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction of the papers in the current issue.

By revealing contrasting features of alternative theories of learning, this paper offers a contribution to the on-going discussion about the role of learning theory in Japanese lesson study and its global adaptations.

Attempts to theorize lesson study in contrast to the theory-based learning study reveal a fundamental difference in the learning theories used to underpin this task related to the different world views on which they are founded.

This paper review provides an overview of the insights into lesson and learning studies provided by the authors in this issue of the journal.

This research aims to examine the pre-service teachers’ learning when using STEM tasks with middle school students in a lesson study.

This research adopted a qualitative methodology with an interpretative orientation. The participants are three pre-service teachers involved in a lesson study that took place in a curricular unit of a master’s program in physics and chemistry teaching. Data were collected through observation and written reflections.

This lesson study, conducted as part of initial teacher training, allowed pre-service teachers to deepen their understanding regarding students’ difficulties when engaged in a STEM task involving prototype construction. It also enabled them to learn about the engineering design process and the integration of the four STEM areas. Reflecting with peers and educators on the research lesson, taught by the cooperating teacher, and on the results allowed them to develop knowledge about the use of STEM tasks.

This research highlighted the importance of introducing STEM education in the initial teacher training. Specifically, this research contributed to the scarce studies on lesson studies with pre-service teachers that focus specifically on the use of STEM tasks.

This study developed an online lesson study, investigated teacher professionalism after following an online lesson study and examined students' environmental literacy.

This study used a mixed-method research design. The qualitative approach entailed observing science learning focussing on environmental issues during Zoom meetings and interviews with teachers to gain insight into the online lesson study design. The quantitative approach involved testing learning outcomes, focussing on students' environmental literacy after one year of learning science by integrating environmental issue.

The result reveal that the online lesson study design is both asynchronous and synchronous. The teachers' teams asynchronously conduct the planning sessions. The implementation, observation and discussion sessions are conducted synchronously using an online meeting platform. Analysis of online learning during the lesson study shows that mind-on activities are performed using an online meeting platform. By contrast, hands-on activities are performed asynchronously with homework assignments. The relationship between teachers’ participation in lesson study and students' environmental literacy acquisition is positive. To improve the students' environmental literacy, online or hybrid lesson study in the future should synergise with environment-based co-curricular activities and science learning using a problem-based approach.

The limitations of this study are linked to the research subjects, who were situated in South Tangerang, an urban area in Indonesia. The outcomes may differ if the teachers and students are situated in rural areas. Additionally, an online lesson study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Indonesia was under lockdown. Consequently, students and teachers must be required to engage in remote learning from their homes using digital devices. Online teaching has caused suboptimal environmental literacy among students (64.55 ± 9.04), especially in terms of knowledge, skills and participation. Therefore, it is imperative to strategize for an enhanced teaching approach towards environmental issues in the classrooms. Teaching methods that actively engage students with their surrounding environment positively affect their environmental knowledge and awareness (Kalyanasundaram et al., 2024). In future lesson plans, educators should create learning activities within the classroom (intra-curricular) and involve family members at home (co-curricular). It is pivotal to incorporate tasks into online teaching that facilitate direct interaction between students and nature to shape their attitudes, behaviours and concern for the environment (Douglas et al., 2024).

This study’s practical implication is that integrating environmental issues with science learning by framing them as crucial problems for students significantly influences students’ environmental literacy. Teachers strive to meet environmental education objectives that encompass knowledge, awareness, attitudes, skills and participation. Furthermore, teachers use problem-based learning to further improve their students' environmental literacy.

This study focuses on an analyses of an online lesson study design for science learning integrated with environmental issues. It examines the direct impact of online lesson study on increasing teacher professionalism and its influence on students' environmental literacy.

This chapter explores the benefits of joint lesson planning for student-teachers in two higher educational settings, one in Norway and the other in the UK. Lesson study is used as a vehicle for collaborative planning and teacher professional learning during field-practice in both contexts, but the models of lesson study implemented differ slightly to fit the respective initial teacher education (ITE) programmes. In both settings, however, student-teachers, mentor teachers and university tutors work in pairs or small groups to plan, teach and evaluate a research lesson together. The case studies reported in this chapter show the challenges which student-teachers face, but, at the same time, also reveal the potential of lesson study to open a dialogic space where they can share ideas with more experienced colleagues, gain greater awareness of the teaching and learning process and so become more effectively inducted into this community of practice. The chapter also explores the role of the ‘knowledgeable other(s)’, the issue of asymmetrical relationships in lesson study groups within the context of ITE and how this might impact on the learning of the different group members. Collaborative planning in lesson study groups in ITE is found to bridge the gap between what student-teachers learn during teacher training courses and what actually takes place in schools in the respective socio-cultural contexts discussed here.

This chapter explores the use of three different approaches to capturing other perspectives in lesson study: lesson artefacts, pupil voice and pupil participatory approaches. Lesson artefacts and pupil voice appear to be the more common, whereas pupil participatory approaches are more recent initiatives in a lesson study context. Observation of pupils provides one perspective, but is limited because, among other things, it does not include the pupils’ perspectives. These approaches, especially when used together in triangulation, can provide a broader and potentially deeper understanding of pupil learning.

This chapter examines how lesson study is reported with pre-service teachers in initial teacher education programmes. Different voices are included talking about the ways in which lesson study has been reported in various settings so far. The chapter concludes with a qualitative study of student-teachers’ reflections drawn from their reports, written after finalising the lesson study cycle at the Universidad Católica de Valencia. The analysis provides support for the premise that lesson study significantly promotes research in ITE and develops a more critical approach to literature about pedagogy and good practice in teaching.