Why 'small' can be better: An exploration of the relationships between class size and pedagogical practices

Why 'small' can be better: An exploration of the relationships between class size and pedagogical practices

• Harfitt, Gary James Faculty of Education, University of Hong Kong

Research Papers in Education, 28(3), 330-345, 2013

Great Britain

Routledge

2013

• F Learning & Teaching
  • FB Streaming, Tracking, Grouping & Size of Class, Seating Arrangements, Mixed Ability Teaching
• G Curriculum, Teaching & Learning: Specific Disciplines
  • GB English Language
    • GBB Teaching Conditions & Facilities, Teaching Materials

Small Class Size Secondary School Teachers' Pedagogy Professional Development

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Secondary Education

A central issue in the class size debate is that while cutting class size might lead to improved teaching and learning, it is also possible that it may not if teachers do not seek to exploit the advantages of a smaller class size through an alternative pedagogy. Research suggests that teachers do not change their pedagogy when moving from large classes to smaller ones. This paper focuses on pedagogical practices in large and reduced-size secondary school classes where the teacher is the same in both contexts; a research design that has not been employed in previous class size studies. The paper explores the relationships between class size and the pedagogical practices adopted by four experienced teachers in Hong Kong who are each responsible for one large and one reduced-size English language class of the same grade level. Drawing on mostly qualitative data, this study's findings show that teachers did vary their teaching from one class to another with important differences noted in teacher-student interaction patterns, classroom organisation, the establishment of classroom rules and the teacher's use of humour. At the same time, interview data reveal that teachers could not always explain or theorise their pedagogical decisions. Implications for professional practice are presented.
[Copyright of Research Papers in Education is the property of Routledge. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2011.653389]

• English

Journal Articles

• 02671522

• 10.1080/02671522.2011.653389

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/8fe8ee38

2014-05-29