Research Lesson Report Format

By focusing on student learning, Lesson Study can improve your teaching practice as well as the practice of teaching in your field. Although your work may result in other types of publications, this report is an important way to document and communicate what your team has developed and discovered through Lesson Study. These reports, collected together, will serve as an accessible knowledge base for college instructors, particularly those teaching similar subjects, lessons, or students. Ideally, your report will provide readers with enough information to teach the lesson and understand how and why it affects student learning. (Note: Please focus your report on the final version of your lesson, even if you taught it multiple times.)
Lesson Title/Topic: Course: Department/Discipline: Instructor(s) Observed: Team Members:
BACKGROUND Course Student Population Classroom Setting	§ Briefly describe the nature of the course, its objectives, and its place in the curriculum. § Talk about where the lesson fits into the course, discussing any previous lessons related to the research lesson. § Describe general characteristics of the student population, including any relevant differences among students, in terms of background and preparation for the research lesson. § Indicate the class size as well as the learning environment (e.g. networked computer classroom, lecture hall, etc.).
RESEARCH LESSON Student Learning Goal Lesson Design Rationale	§ Identify the student-learning goal (or goals) of the research lesson. § Provide a detailed description of the lesson sequence including student learning activities and instructional activities. § Estimate the amount of time for each segment of the lesson. § Explain how and why the lesson is intended to influence student learning, thinking, and engagement. § Refer to any theoretical or empirical work that influenced your lesson design, citing relevant literature (if used).
FINDINGS Approach Results	§ Briefly describe what kinds of evidence were collected before, during and after the lesson. § Report major results related to student learning and involvement (e.g., student engagement, types of thinking, attitudes, motivation, social behaviors, etc.) § Explain how findings relate to the learning goal(s) of the lesson. § Discuss any unexpected results.
CONCLUSIONS Effectiveness of Lesson Remaining Questions	§ Reflect on how the lesson worked and evaluate its effectiveness (successes as well as areas for improvement). § Discuss how the lesson might be modified to improve its effectiveness. § Identify possible ways to improve your lesson study process. § Specify any remaining questions.

Last Updated: August 20, 2004

Authors: Bill Cerbin and Bryan Kopp