Lesson and Learning Study: Originated in the East and spread worldwide

This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part points out the growth of Lesson/Learning Study internationally can be proved by the increase in the number of countries participating in the World Association of Lesson Studies, from 15 in the first conference in 2007 to 43 in 2014. It illustrates the development, contributions and challenges encountered in the endeavor in four Asian countries/cities – namely Hong Kong, Singapore, Brunei and Japan – in which profound influences of Lesson/Learning Study on different aspects of education have been witnessed. The part argues that the Learning Study approach contributes to overall school improvement as well as the development of scholarship of applied research for the university academics. The approach seems to have good potential to be sustained as an effective partnership model between the school community and university due to a common goal of collaboration and shared repertoire of knowledge generated from the partnership. Copyright © 2018 selection and editorial matter, Kerry J. Kennedy and John Chi-Kin Lee; individual chapters, the contributors.