Implementing lesson study as teacher professional development in English schools: exploring the role of the leader through an implementation science lens

Purpose Lesson study (LS) is a Japanese teacher professional development (PD) approach which has been adopted globally to emulate Japan's high student achievement. In Japan, three leadership roles ensure the high-quality implementation of LS: a school Research Steering Committee, in-school facilitators and external experts. Teachers can develop leadership expertise through their participation in LS. This study uses implementation science as a framework to investigate leadership functions that enabled and hindered LS implementation in English schools that voluntarily adopted LS, frequently without funding, policy guidance or systemic opportunities for LS leadership development. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a case study methodology, exploring data from six purposefully recruited schools that implemented and used LS for at least two years, four of which subsequently abandoned it. We analysed interview data from LS leaders and participants, alongside documents detailing LS policy and practice, to assess the extent to which leaders fulfilled the three Japanese leadership roles and to reveal the characteristics and behaviours of implementation leaders. Findings What distinguishes sustained from abandoned cases is the propensity of LS leaders to “champion” LS. These knowledgeable yet humble leaders led implementation with passion, solved problems, allocated funding and resources, developed other champions and ensured that the responsibilities of the three Japanese roles were undertaken. Originality/value Despite the considerable use of LS beyond Japan, this study is one of only a few that provide an overview of leadership functions supporting school-based LS implementation in international contexts.