Teaching Multiplication with Lesson Study: Japanese and Ibero-American Theories for Mathematics Education

This open access book is intended to assist teachers, teacher trainers, curriculum designers, editors and authors of textbooks in developing strategies to teach the multiplication of natural numbers based on the experience of the Lesson Study in Japan. This approach to mathematics education dates back to the 1870s and reconciles the emphasis on problem solving with the treatment of the curricular contents. It has gained international recognition since the 1990s and thanks to it mathematics education in Japan has been recognized as one of the most efficient and innovative in the world.

This growing international awareness has led to an effort to apply the principles of Lesson Study to other parts of the world and this book shows how experienced authors from Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Spain and Portugal have worked to adapt some of these methods and techniques to the Portuguese and Spanish speaking countries of Ibero-America. 

Drawing on the impact of Lesson Studyon government curriculum decisions and teacher behavior in Japanese classrooms; offering examples of lessons, lesson plans and suggestions for teaching; and presenting examples of the good reception of the principles of Lesson Study in Ibero-America, Teaching Multiplication with Lesson Study – Japanese and Ibero-American Theories for Mathematics Education shows how an efficient and cutting-edge experience in mathematics education can travel the world and help teachers in many different countries.

Masami Isoda, PhD, is a professor of the School of Human Sciences at the University of Tsukuba, Japan, where he is also the director of the Center for Research on International Cooperation in Educational Development. He has been a co-project overseer (representative) of the APEC Lesson Study Project (since 2006) and has been working internationally and nationally for innovation in mathematics education. His contributions have earned him the following awards: Honorary Professor by USIL, Peru (2014); Honorary PhD by KKU, Thailand (2011); Most Beautiful Book of the Year 2009 in the Area of Natural Science by Japan Publisher Association (2010); Best Software in Education by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), Japan (2005). His PhD thesis title is "Mathematization for Mathematics Education: an extension of the theory of Hans Freudenthal applying the representation theory of Masami Isoda with demonstration of levels of function up to calculus." He has established the theories of teaching approach such as the planning for argumentation in classroom using the theory of the conceptual and procedural knowledge in mathematics.