Kyouzaikenkyuu: an exploration of Japanese mathematics teachers’ daily planning practices

Kyouzaikenkyuu (translated as instructional materials research) is said to be a crucial part of successful Japanese lesson study. Kyouzaikenkyuu is described as the planning portion of the research lesson during lesson study. Kyouzaikenkyuu is also said to be done on a daily basis by Japanese teachers; however, there is very little written about this process in the literature. This study takes an in-depth look into what Japanese junior high mathematics teachers do during their daily kyouzaikenkyuu, and why they do it. Through interviews, observations, and participation in kyouzaikenkyuu, we explain the process and key ideas that many Japanese mathematics teachers go through to prepare their lessons. We document two different approaches to kyouzaikenkyuu. We also found that for some teachers there is a large difference between what they do during kyouzaikenkyuu for a research lesson compared to the kyouzaikenkyuu of a daily lesson. If teachers outside of Japan wish to engage in kyouzaikenkyuu and lesson study, these approaches are a good place to start.