Psychology
2013. Vol.4, No.12, 1064-1068
Published Online December 2013 in SciRes (http://www.scirp.org/journal/psych) http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/psych.2013.412155
Open Access 1064
Lesson Planning in Primary School Using Lesson Study and Open
Approach
Alisa Moonsri1, Auijit Pattanajak2
1Faculty of Education, K ho n K a e n U n iv e rsity, Khonkaen, Thailand
2Center for Research in Mathematics Education, Fa cul ty o f Education,
Khon Kaen University, Khonkaen, Thailand
Received September 25th, 2013; revised October 23rd, 2013; accepted November 21st, 2013
Copyright © 2013 Alisa Moonsri, Auijit Pattanajak. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative
Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited. In accordance of the Creative Commons Attribution License all
Copyrights © 2013 are reserved for SCIRP and the owner of the intellectual property Alisa Moonsri, Auijit Pat-
tanajak. All Copyright © 2013 a re guarded by law and by SCIRP as a guardian.
Lesson plans are generally written in a way that helps teachers to layout and run classroom activities.
Many researchers have examined how teachers go about planning. This clearly shows that instructional
plans play a central role in teaching and creating effective learning environments (Clark & Dunn, 1991;
Reiser & Dick, 1996; Shauelson, 1983 cited in Koszalka et al., 1999). In context of school using lesson
study and open approach followed conception of Inprasitha (2010), the importance of lesson study proc-
esses is collaborative lesson planning. After that the teachers who participate in lesson study group use
these lesson plans in the classroom, observe and collect students’ thought and learning processes. And in
planning the lessons use problems that students encounter in everyday life, so as to stimulate students to
work to achieve the objective (Fernandez & Yoshida, 2004). The data were collected by video and audio
recording while the target group were planning and teaching the lessons in lesson study process, then
were transcribed to the protocol and analyzed by using theoretical framework of Stigler and Hiebert
(1999). The research revealed that the target group discussed during the lesson planning process detailing
about exact words, problem situations, materials, the anticipated solutions, students’ thoughts and re-
sponses, time used in each part of the lesson, and how to summarize the lesson. In the lesson planning, the
exact words used in the problem situations were mostly mentioned. Moreover, in lesson planning, the is-
sue of details of introduction design was discussed a lot. There were some issues which were not dis-
cussed during the teachers-included designing of the lesson plan. However, they were discussed while the
teacher was using the lesson plan in class during instructional management.
Keywords: Planning the Lesson; Lesson Study; Open Approach
Introduction
Lesson study is a professional learning process that Japanese
teachers engage in continuously throughout their careers to
examine systematically their instructional methods, teaching
content and curriculum as well as their students’ processes of
learning and understanding in order to achieve their educational
goals (Yoshida, 2008) and it exemplifies qualities of effective
professional learning (Lewis, 2011). The theory of mathematics
education which has been developed with teachers through
lesson study and shared by teachers in daily teaching practices
can support better reproduction of the mathematics class in
order to develop children’s mathematical thinking (Isoda &
Katagiri, 2012). There are important benefits of the collabora-
tive nature of lesson study that provide a benchmarking process
that teachers can use to gauge their own skills. Collaboration
includes continuing interactions about effective teaching meth-
ods plus observations of one another’s classrooms (Stigler &
Hiebert, 1999). One adaptation is to incorporate open approach
as a teaching approach into lesson study processes. The adapta-
tion of lesson study and open approach into schools, we have
seen the major change in the classroom in response to the edu-
cational reform. Introducing lesson study into Thai schools has
much influence not only on improving teaching practice in
schools, but also for improving the system of teacher education
as a whole.
Lesson planning was a major task of teachers. Teaching
would be successful or not, and how much, was based on the
planning. If teachers had good teaching plan, it was like half
done. According to National Education Act 1999, Section 4: the
guidelines for educational management in every standard fo-
cused on student-centered; if the students’ opinions and needs
were collected as guidelines for writing, it would be better. It
was based on assumption that each teacher had collected ex-
perience and expertise, or skill. So, they should be provided
with opportunity in expressing their potentiality, determining
the activity for their own learning fully (National Education Act,
2002).
Lesson plan written in general, was model and guideline for
teachers as well as for implementing classroom activity. Many
researchers surveyed teachers’ teaching planning techniques, it

A. MOONSRI, A. PATTANAJAK
was clearly indicated that the lesson plans play a major role in
teaching as well as constructing the efficient learning environ-
ment (Clark & Dunn, 1991; Reiser & Dick, 1996; Shauelson,
1983 cited in Koszalka et al., 1999). The teachers’ preparation
in lesson plan is an important thing for determining teaching
goal, considering the existing resources, and designs the activ-
ity appropriately (Lee & Yakahashi, 2011). Fernandez and Yo-
shida (2004) stated that for lesson planning, basic problems of
students found in daily life were used as stimulators for stu-
dents to achieve goal. Moreover, it could change and support
the students to learn that lesson as well as plan for searching for
in order to find an appropriate approach through the students’
processes. Moreover, the students hope to solve different prob-
lems. Therefore, the basic problems in daily life would help
them to accomplish the lesson objective.
In present situation, teachers still have bad attitude towards
lesson planning. Although they have approved that the lesson
plan is useful as developmental plan of every teacher’s instruc-
tional management quality which was the responsibility of each
teacher. Each of them has accusation that one had to teach
many subjects, many periods, also be responsible in other kinds
of work. Another major cause of them to feel bored with lesson
planning is the process enhancing the establishment of lesson
planning which is not based on principles of sufficiency, ap-
propriateness, and unsystematic and hierarchical development
(Kamkerd, 2004).
The most frequently used one of lesson plans using in gen-
eral class is the class with teacher-centered leader of learning.
The students receive knowledge from the teachers. The teachers
are knowledgeable in many aspects, and use the knowledge
feeding technique for students by lecturing and explaining for
the students throughout the time. They perform activities them-
selves without providing opportunity for students to pick up or
touch the instructional media shown by teachers. The students
do not have a chance to speak, or work in group to search for
answer. Most of them use media included chalk and blackboard.
In contrast, in the lesson study innovation classes are the
classes facilitating the new instructional management which
cause the students to have freedom to learn either in group or
individual with the teachers as their consultants. In this kind of
classroom management, teacher is the monitor and advisor for
the students and the students play their role and learn from
media. Therefore, this kind of classroom management was
congruent with curriculum objective which wants the students
to search for, analyze and critique, and practice every step until
they could lean by themselves (Rattanasomboon et al., 2010).
Research Methodology
This research was a qualitative research. Data were presented
by descriptive analysis in context of schools under the project
of Mathematics Teaching Professional Development through
the Lesson Study and Open Approach. The Lesson Study was
implemented based on Inprasitha’s (2010) including 3 phases of
implementation including phase 1) Collaboratively design re-
search lesson, phase 2) Collaboratively observing the research
lesson, and phase 3) Collaboratively reflection on teaching
practice. The first phase is the phase that the teacher and in-
ternship students in school collaborate in planning the lesson
together, would be emphasized.
1) Target Group
This study was the study in lesson planning of the Lesson
Study group participating in the project of Lesson Study and
Open Approach for 6 years, as the schools using Lesson Study
continuously, using data collection by participatory observation
in lesson planning step which was depend on the type of lesson
planning.
The target group of this study, consisted of the in-service
teacher with responsibility in teaching, teacher observer in
mathematics subject of grade 1, the internship student in mathe-
matics education with responsibility as teacher and teacher
observer in mathematics subject of grade 1, the researcher or
research assistant from Center for Research in Mathematics
Education, Faculty of Education, Bung-neum-bung-krai-nun
School, Muang District, Khonkaen Province, a school under the
Project of Teaching Professional Development based on Lesson
Study using learning management through Lesson Study and
Open Approach.
2) Research Instruments
In conducting this research, the researcher used 2 kinds of
Instruments: the instrument using for data collection, and the
instrument using for data analysis, as follows:
a) The Activity Record Form in collaborative establishment
of knowledge management plan was constructed by Center for
Research in Mathematics Education, as an instrument using for
collecting data during knowledge management planning
(Mathematics Education, Faculty of Education) in 4 major is-
sues.
b) The Field Note, used by taking note of spoken words and
opinion expression during the phase of collaborative establish-
ment in teaching observation, and reflection.
c) The audio-tape recorder was an instrument for recording
sound during the phase of collaborative observation and reflec-
tion.
d) The video-tape recorder, used for recording collaborative
lesson planning from the beginning of planning
3) Data Analysis
Qualitative data analysis was administered in this study. The
researcher used protocol data from the step of collaborative
establishment of lesson, collaborative observation, and col-
laborative reflection obtaining from deciphering audio tape and
video tape recorder, field note, activity record form from col-
laborative establishment of learning organization plan, and
students’ performance in order to have complete and clear in-
formation to be analyzed. Data were analyzed based on frame-
work of lesson planning of Stigler and Hiebert (1999), and
presented in descriptive analysis.
Results
In school context using Lesson Study and Open Approach,
lesson planning was a guideline helping teachers, and a model
in implementing classroom activity. Inprasitha (2010) stated
that the major process of Lesson Study was the collaborative
planning for teaching in group. Then, the teacher in Lesson
Study group used the lesson plan in classroom context of
school using Lesson Study and Open Approach based on Inpra-
sitha’s (2010) approach including 3 phases of implementation:
Phase 1; Collaboratively design research lesson, Phase: Col-
laboratively observing the research lesson, and Phase 3; Col-
laboratively reflection on teaching practice. The researcher
presented research findings based on Stigler and Hiebert (1999)
approach as follows:
Lesson planning in schools using lesson study and open ap-
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A. MOONSRI, A. PATTANAJAK
proach
There are important benefits of the collaborative nature of
lesson study are that provides a benchmarking process that
teachers can use to gauge their own skill. Collaboration in-
cludes continuing interactions about effective teaching methods
plus observations of one another’s classrooms (Stigler & Hie-
bert, 1999). One adaptive is to incorporate as a teaching ap-
proach into lesson study processes.
In the phase of collaboratively design research lesson, the
Lesson Study Group collaborated in planning the lesson to-
gether. There were 6 issues being discussed during planning as
follows:
Issue 1: The problem with which the lesson would begin in
class.
“the little detectives in each group out ping-pong ball into
wonderful box, then, record the code number in recording card
without repetition,”
Item 6: If I bring the nearby, I’m afraid of getting si milar ac-
tivity. Firstly, separating 5 further. If I separate 6, I’m afraid the
students would remember the answer. The first period is to
separate 5 number. We have this kind of box for one box. Our
goal is: we want the students to know that 5, what is structure
of 5. It consisted of 1 with 2, with 3, with 4, with 5, with 0.
Separate 5 into 2 numbers. We tried not to emphasize students
to remember, isn’t it? It seems that when the students see 5,
they see 2 things. It might be 1, 4 or 2, 3. The students should
know that 5 could come from what. Is it the same box as the
last year?
Item 7: Yes, the last year, one side was closed; ping-pong
was shown in another side. They showed how many ping-pong
balls in this side, it was closed this side. If there are 5, the
teacher would tell that Oh! Today we have 5 ping-pong balls.
Let you see in the box that I dropped it. If this side included 2
balls, how many balls are in the other side?
Item 72: Would we give an order to them? Think. Children
couldn’t read.
Item 73: Students couldn’t read. This is what I wrote the or-
der using in this activity for each of little detective, drop in on
the board, then put it by themselves, and write it themselves
(Protocol of lesson planning in Lesson Study Group).
It was discussed during lesson planning of the lesson study
group: the problem at the beginning of lesson had to be con-
sisted of details of introduction, the problem with the lesson
would begin, including such details as the exact wording as a
major issue discussed by the lesson study group.
Issue 2: Materials to solve the problem Construction or de-
signing to be associated with introduction in the open-ended
problem situation, with major media using for constructing the
open-ended problem situation, and supplementary media using
while the student were presenting their approach to the class, or
while the teacher was concluding the lesson. Major media:
wonderful box ping-pong ball Record Card Supplementary
media presented paper magic pen.
Item 6: If I bring the nearby, I’m afraid of getting si milar ac-
tivity. Firstly, separating 5 further. If I separate 6, I’m afraid the
students would remember the answer. The first period is to
separate 5 number. We have this kind of box for one box. Our
goal is: we want the students to know that 5, what is structure
of 5. It consisted of 1 with 2, with 3, with 4, with 5, with 0.
Separate 5 into 2 numbers. We tried not to emphasize students
to remember, isn’t it? It seems that when the students see 5,
they see 2 things. It might be 1, 4 or 2, 3. The students should
Figure 1.
Lesson planning in how ma ny and how many (1).
Figure 2.
Lesson planning in how ma ny and how many (2).
know that 5 could come from what. Is it the same box as the
last year?
Item 7: Yes, the last year, one side was closed; ping-pong
was shown in another side. They showed how many ping-pong
balls in this side, it was closed this side. If there are 5, the
teacher would tell that Oh! Today we have 5 ping-pong balls.
Let you see in the box that I drop it. If this side included 2 balls,
how many balls are in the other side?
Item 8: But, this year I would take this in period 3 of number
7. Close this side and put 3, and guess that how much this side,
in the first period, should know that it could be separated into 2.
Item 9: Yes. It showed that Nan wants to be clearly seen,
isn’t it? Both of 2 sides when we drop it, it is 5 sides. It is 2
sides. This is 2 sides. If it is 0, this side would be 5.
Item 10: order the Students to write on record paper that:
what could 5 be separated into? There are techniques altogeth-
ers. But, the number of record card, teacher! The cards we want
to distribute the students, this one would write 5, aren’t it? This
one would be omitted for children to fill it. I think that how
many papers we should distribute to children first since all
techniques.
Item 33: The issue said once by Nan in former time, close it
first. If the box isn’t closed, what it would be? (Protocol of
lesson planning in Lesson Study Group).
The topic discussed in lesson planning of Lesson Study
Group, was the materials students would be give to use in try-
ing to solve the problem.
Issue 3: conjecture the students’ techniques for problem
solving (Lesson plan in how many and how many).
What could Number 5 be separated into?
Item 15: there are 4 groups. We should assign children to do
Open Access 1066

A. MOONSRI, A. PATTANAJAK
Figure 3.
Lesson planning in how many and how many (3).
Figure 4.
conjecture the students’ techniques for problem solving.
Figure 5.
Classroom activities.
this. It comes from 0 and 5. But, if we do not give the children,
If some children get 4 and 1. Is it the same as 5 and 0?
(Protocol of lesson planning in Lesson Study Group)
It was discussed in lesson panning of lesson study group, was
to conjecture the students’ techniques for problem solving,
thinking, and response in trying to construct new problem
solving.
Issue 4: The kinds of questions could be asked to promote
student in classroom.
Teacher and students collaborated in discussion about num-
ber structure of 5. Teacher tried to ask question to stimulate the
student that “What could 5 be separated into?” How many
techniques are there from separation? And “Number 5”.
From the introduction step, teacher, I would like to ask
teacher that I tried to find situation in associating with this box.
I don’t know what to be associated with. I think of the safe. I
want to ask you that if I ask my students, do you think my stu-
dents would know or not” Do you ever see or know the sake?
What the safe i s used for?”
The issue was discussed during lesson planning of Lesson
Study Group, was the kinds of question that could be asks to
enhance and support the students’ thinking during this lesson,
to promote students’ thinking during the lesson and the type of
suggestions or recommendations which might be provided to
the students who expressed one thing indicating misconception,
or example of students’ misconception.
Issue 5: How to apportion the fixed time of lesson
Introduction: Presentation of open-ended problem situation.
(10 minutes).
1) Teacher greets students and speaks to them that “Do you
know the safe?” What is the safe? What it is used for? Then,
teacher told students that she has a safe, inside includes impor-
tant thing in it. Yesterday, she wanted to bring that important
thing out. But, she forgets its code. So, she supposes the stu-
dents are little detectives with responsibility to search for the
safe code she had lost. Are you ready to be little detectives?
Then, she supposed the students be little detectives.
2) Teacher tells her students that she would assign little de-
tectives into small group. Each group would have equipment to
help them in searching for safe code. She showed the equip-
ment to students, and asks them that “What do you see? Let you
guess what the teacher wants them to do.
3) Teacher tells students that “today I want you to drop
ping-pong ball. When they dropped the ball, little detectives
record number of the balls in record card. Then, she informs
how to record number of the balls in record card.
Figure 6.
Lesson planning in how ma ny and how many (4).
Open Access 1067

A. MOONSRI, A. PATTANAJAK
Open Access 1068
4) Teacher asks a volunteer student to drop the ping-pong
ball. After dropping, she demonstrates how to record number of
the balls in record card.
Teaching step: students learn by themselves for 20 minutes.
5) Teacher assigns students’ group activity, introduction in
the card is: “Let little detectives drop ping-pong balls into
wonderful box. Then, record the code number in record card
without repeating. Whole Class Discussion and Comparison for
25 minutes.
6) Teacher lets students to present in front of the class.
7) Teacher and students discuss the structure of number 5.
She tries to ask questions to stimulate students that “What
number could 5 be separated into?” How many techniques to
separate it? Number 5. Conclusion of lesson from association
students’ thinking occurs in class during 35 minutes.
8) Teacher and students conclude what they have learnt from
activity and discuss in the class. Separating number 5 into 2
different numbers, the sum of those 2 numbers is 5, total tech-
niques in separating 5.
(Lesson plan in how many and how many).
It was discussed in lesson planning of the lesson study group,
was to fixed time of the lesson to be consistent and appropriate
with different parts of lesson.
Issue 6: How to end the lesson
Teacher and students conclude what they have learnt from
activity and discuss in the class. Separating number 5 into 2
different numbers, the sum of those 2 numbers is 5, total tech-
niques in separating 5.
(Lesson plan in how many and how many).
Item 88: Now, from conclusion, the children could see that
let them conclude by themselves. Children could see that: the 2
subparts were less than majority.
Item 89: If we let children speak out, it would be motivated
question for them very much. We have to think that what kind
of question to be occurred. It is based on the teacher’s question.
If children speak out, I think that the children could not.
Item 90: Children do not speak. Questions need to be used.
Item 91: Most of conclusion techniques: “What do we learn
today? They would tell that 5. Some of them might separate.
Separate number 5.
(Protocol of lesson planning in Lesson Study Group).
It was discussed in lesson planning of Lesson Study group;
the lesson conclusion was an important session for the students
to comprehend the lesson very much.
Summary and Prospective
The planning of lesson in schools uses the Lesson Study and
Open Approach based on framework of Stigler and Hiebert
(1999). The researcher discussed the research findings as fol-
lows:
In lesson planning of target group, the discussed issue during
lesson planning was the problem at the beginning of lesson
included details of introduction, material and equipment and
media which the students would receive for problem solving,
conjecturing for problem solving, thinking approach, and stu-
dents’ response as trying to construct new problem, type of
answer which might be asked for enhancing and supporting the
students’ ideas during lesson, technique for organizing time in
class to be consistent and appropriate with different parts of the
lesson. Technique for concluding the lesson was an important
duration which they would be able to understand the lesson
very much. In lesson planning, the issue of details of introduc-
tion design was discussed a lot. There were some issues which
were not discussed during the teachers-included designing of
the lesson plan. However, they were discussed while the
teacher was using the lesson plan in class during instructional
management.
In school context using the Lesson Study and Open Ap-
proach based on Inprasitha’s (2010) approach, in order to see
issues in planning for each lesson to be clear in lesson planning,
each plan should be performed in each session. Many plans
should not be performed in each time so that the discussed is-
sues of lesson study group should be obviously seen. These
obtained issues could be used as discussion guidelines during
lesson planning for school starting to use the lesson study and
open approach.
Acknowledgements
Research Promotion and National Research University Pro-
ject of Thailand, Office of the Higher Education Commission,
through the Cluster of Research to Enhance the Quality of Ba-
sic Education, Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University.
This work was supported by the Higher Education.
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