Lesson Study and School-Based Professional Learning for the Training Record

Rationale

The 2022 reform relies on Japan's own school-embedded professional learning, now documented through the record and the dialogue. Lesson Study is Japan's most exported CPD practice and the natural spine for a course that teaches teachers how to generate, evidence, and reflect on their own development.

Part I: Foundations (Lessons 1-4)

Lesson 1. The post-2022 CPD architecture

This lesson establishes the legal and institutional context for the entire course. Participants examine the 2022 amendment that abolished the license-renewal system and installed the training-history record (kenshu rireki) and the mandatory guidance dialogue. The lesson traces the shift from a compliance-driven, hours-counting renewal model to a school-led, dialogue-based CPD model. Participants read the MEXT "Reiwa-era" feature describing the reform's intent: the record should not become an objective in itself but should support proactive, self-directed teacher learning. The lesson clarifies that no renewal hours, no renewal exam, and no renewal fee exist. Instead, the appointing authority (prefectural or designated-city board) keeps the record, and the principal or delegated supervisor consults with the teacher, references the record, and advises on next-stage learning. Participants can explain the post-2022 CPD architecture to colleagues and identify where their own professional learning fits within the record-and-dialogue framework.

Lesson 2. Statutory in-service training obligations

This lesson covers the in-service training duties that persist independent of the abolished renewal system. Participants learn about induction training (shonin kenshu) for newly appointed teachers, structured as a first-year program of approximately 300 hours combining on-site and off-site development under a mentor. The lesson also covers experience-based or mid-career training at defined service milestones, such as the mid-career-experience training (chuken kyoyu kenshu) that replaced the former tenth-year experience training. These obligations rest on the Act on the Special Regulations concerning Educational Public Service Personnel (kyoiku komuin tokureiho), promulgated 12 January 1949. The lesson notes that the specific article numbers mandating induction and mid-career training were not confirmed against an official English statute translation and should be verified against the Japanese text before publication. Participants can distinguish between the abolished renewal system and the continuing statutory training duties, and can identify which career-stage training obligations apply to them.

Lesson 3. Induction (shonin kenshu) and the mentor

This lesson focuses on the induction year as the first major statutory training obligation and as a model for school-embedded professional learning. Participants examine the structure of the induction year: reduced teaching loads for both the novice and the mentor, a combination of on-site mentoring and off-site seminars, and the mentor relationship as the primary vehicle for early-career development. The lesson draws on the NCEE description of the induction program and on MEXT's framing of induction as the foundation for the training-history record. Participants analyze the mentor's role in helping the novice teacher formulate early professional-learning goals, document practice, and prepare for the first principal consultation. The lesson also addresses how induction connects to the five-domain framework and to the local teacher-quality indicators. Participants can design a mentoring plan that aligns with the induction-year structure and the record-and-dialogue model.

Lesson 4. The five-domain map for planning learning

This lesson introduces the five commonly required qualities and abilities of teachers defined in the 2022 reform and operationalized through the "Guidelines for the Formulation of Indicators for Improvement in the Quality of Principals and Teachers of Public Elementary Schools, etc." (revised 31 August 2022). Participants learn each domain: qualities necessary for the teaching profession (mission, ethics, human-rights awareness, responsibility); learning or instructional guidance (gakushu shido); student guidance (seito shido); responses to children requiring special considerations or support; and utilization of ICT, information, and educational data. The lesson explains that each prefectural board formulates its own teacher-quality indicators (kyoin ikusei shihyo) referencing the national Guidelines but tailored to regional conditions. Participants practice mapping a professional-learning goal to one or more domains and to the local indicators. Participants can use the five-domain framework to set learning goals, select CPD activities, and structure the training-history record entries.

Part II: Core Practice (Lessons 5-10)

Lesson 5. What Lesson Study is

This lesson defines Lesson Study (jugyo kenkyu) as Japan's most exported collaborative professional-learning practice and as the natural spine for school-based CPD under the post-2022 model. Participants learn the collaborative cycle: teachers working together to formulate a research theme, plan a research lesson, teach and observe the lesson, and discuss evidence of student learning. The lesson emphasizes that Lesson Study focuses on student learning rather than teacher performance, and that it is embedded in the school's regular schedule rather than treated as an add-on. MEXT 2024 and Chapple 2023 both describe Lesson Study as a core feature of Japanese professional learning, alongside the shared staff room (shokuin shitsu) and Special Activities (tokkatsu). Participants can describe the Lesson Study cycle to colleagues and identify how it differs from one-off workshops or external training sessions.

Lesson 6. Formulating the research theme

This lesson teaches participants how to set a school or grade research question (kenkyu shudai) that drives the Lesson Study cycle. The research theme emerges from the school's shared concerns about student learning, often linked to the Courses of Study or to local priorities such as improving student engagement or addressing learning gaps. Participants learn to frame the theme as a question about student learning rather than about teacher behavior, for example "How can we develop students' ability to reason mathematically?" rather than "How can we improve our teaching of fractions?" The lesson connects the research theme to Domain 2 (learning guidance) and to the school's teacher-quality indicators. Participants practice formulating a research theme for their own grade or subject team and aligning it with the five-domain framework. Participants can lead a team in developing a research theme that is specific, evidence-based, and linked to the school improvement plan.

Lesson 7. The research lesson

This lesson covers the planning, teaching, and observation of a study lesson within the Lesson Study cycle. Participants learn that the research lesson is not a demonstration or a performance evaluation but a shared investigation: the planning team designs the lesson collaboratively, one team member teaches while others observe, and the observers focus on collecting evidence of student thinking and learning rather than on evaluating the teacher. The lesson addresses how to plan a research lesson that is faithful to the Courses of Study while also testing the research theme. Participants practice developing observation protocols that capture student responses, misconceptions, and moments of understanding. The lesson also covers the logistics of scheduling research lessons within the school calendar and involving all team members in the observation. Participants can plan, teach, and observe a research lesson that generates usable evidence for the post-lesson discussion.

Lesson 8. The post-lesson discussion

This lesson focuses on the structured discussion that follows the research lesson, which is the heart of the Lesson Study cycle. Participants learn that the post-lesson discussion is evidence-based and focused on student learning, not on teacher performance. The discussion follows a protocol: the teacher who taught the lesson reflects first, then observers share evidence from their notes, and the group discusses what the evidence reveals about student learning and about the research theme. The lesson emphasizes that the goal is not to critique the teacher but to deepen the team's understanding of how students learn and how instruction can be improved. Participants practice facilitating a post-lesson discussion using observation notes from a sample research lesson. The lesson also addresses how to document the discussion for the training-history record. Participants can lead a post-lesson discussion that produces actionable insights and a revised understanding of the research theme.

Lesson 9. The shared staff room as a learning space

This lesson examines the shared staff room (shokuin shitsu) as a distinctive site of continuous collaborative professional learning in Japanese schools. Unlike the individual offices common in many education systems, the shared staff room places teachers of different subjects and grade levels in daily proximity, enabling informal mentoring, spontaneous problem-solving, and the sharing of practice. MEXT 2024 and Chapple 2023 both identify the shared staff room as a key feature of Japanese school culture that supports the post-2022 CPD model. Participants analyze how the physical and social organization of the staff room creates opportunities for learning that are not captured by formal training records. The lesson also addresses how the staff room can be intentionally used for structured professional dialogue, such as brief grade-level check-ins or cross-subject discussions of student needs. Participants can identify ways to strengthen the learning potential of their own staff room and to document informal learning for the training-history record.

Lesson 10. Special Activities (tokkatsu) as professional learning

This lesson explores how Special Activities (tokubetsu katsudo / tokkatsu) develop teacher collaboration and professional learning alongside their role in student development. Tokkatsu includes classroom activities, student council, clubs, and school events, all of which require teachers to plan, coordinate, and reflect together. MEXT 2024 identifies tokkatsu as a component of Japanese-style school education that builds teacher teamwork and shared responsibility for whole-child development. Participants examine how participation in tokkatsu planning and reflection generates professional learning that can be documented in the training-history record, particularly in Domains 1 (professional qualities) and 3 (student guidance). The lesson also addresses how tokkatsu connects to the Courses of Study and to the school's research theme. Participants can articulate how their involvement in tokkatsu contributes to their professional growth and can evidence that growth for the principal consultation.

Part III: Application and Mastery (Lessons 11-15)

Lesson 11. Evidencing learning for the record

This lesson teaches participants how to turn Lesson Study and other school-based professional-learning artifacts into training-history entries without making the record an end in itself. MEXT's "Reiwa-era" feature explicitly warns that the recording of training history should not become an objective; the goal is proactive, self-directed teacher learning. Participants learn what kinds of evidence are appropriate for the record: research lesson plans, observation notes, post-lesson discussion summaries, reflection journals, and documentation of tokkatsu planning. The lesson addresses how to select evidence that demonstrates growth across the five domains and how to write concise, reflective entries that the principal can use in the consultation. Participants practice creating a sample training-history entry from a Lesson Study cycle they have completed or observed. Participants can maintain a training-history record that is substantive, reflective, and aligned with the five-domain framework.

Lesson 12. Preparing for the principal consultation

This lesson prepares participants for the mandatory guidance dialogue between the teacher and the appointing authority, service-discipline supervisor, or school management. The consultation is the second pillar of the post-2022 CPD model, alongside the training-history record. Participants learn how to structure the consultation around the record and the indicators: reviewing the past year's learning, discussing evidence of growth, identifying areas for further development, and setting goals for the next cycle. The lesson emphasizes that the consultation is a dialogue, not an evaluation, and that the teacher should come prepared with specific examples and questions. Participants practice a mock consultation using their own training-history entries and the local teacher-quality indicators. Participants can lead a productive consultation that advances their professional learning and strengthens the principal-teacher relationship.

Lesson 13. The principal's and research chief's role

This lesson addresses the leadership responsibilities of principals and research chiefs (kenkyu shunin / kenkyushunin) in supporting school-based professional learning and the consultation process. MEXT 2024 emphasizes school-administrator leadership in creating the conditions for Lesson Study, the shared staff room, and the training-history dialogue. The research chief typically coordinates the school's Lesson Study program, guides the formulation of the research theme, and supports teachers in documenting their learning. Participants learn how principals and research chiefs can structure the school calendar to protect time for collaborative learning, model reflective practice, and ensure that the consultation is substantive rather than perfunctory. The lesson also addresses how school leaders can use the five-domain framework and the local indicators to guide school-wide professional development planning. Participants can design a school-level professional-learning calendar that integrates Lesson Study, tokkatsu, and the consultation cycle.

Lesson 14. Inquiry-based teacher learning

This lesson introduces inquiry-based teacher learning as the pedagogical stance that the post-2022 reform aims to cultivate. MEXT 2024 describes a shift toward teachers formulating their own questions, accumulating and reflecting on practice, and taking ownership of their professional development. The lesson draws on the National Institute for School Teachers and Staff Development (NITS) proposal to change the view of training from something done to teachers to something teachers do for themselves. Participants learn how to formulate a personal inquiry question that connects to the school research theme, the five domains, and the local indicators. The lesson also addresses how inquiry-based learning can be documented in the training-history record and discussed in the principal consultation. Participants can articulate a personal inquiry question and design a cycle of investigation that generates evidence of their own learning and its impact on students.

Lesson 15. Designing a year-long professional-learning plan

This culminating lesson integrates the course content into a practical outcome: a personal CPD plan spanning the five domains, evidenced for the training-history record and the principal consultation. Participants draw on the five-domain framework, the local teacher-quality indicators, the Lesson Study cycle, and the inquiry-based learning approach to design a year-long plan. The plan includes a personal inquiry question, a schedule of Lesson Study participation, documentation of tokkatsu involvement, a plan for informal learning in the shared staff room, and a timeline for preparing for the consultation. Participants present their plans to peers for feedback and revise them based on discussion. The lesson also addresses how the plan can be adapted if the school's research theme or the teacher's assignment changes during the year. Participants can produce a complete year-long professional-learning plan that is grounded in the post-2022 CPD architecture and ready for the principal consultation.

This syllabus was designed from primary-source research of this nation's official teacher requirements and passed independent verification. The full course, its lessons, assistant, and materials are live for enrolled educators.