This article begins with a historical overview of the STEM education policy and related classroom practices in Hong Kong. Against the backdrop that the Hong Kong education authority has been promoting STEM education over the past few years, there has been a pressing need for effective strategies of implementing STEM education in the context of reduced class size classrooms (i.e. small class teaching). With a view to addressing this need, this article strives to exemplify the incorporation of STEM education into small class teaching settings. Intended as a conceptual paper drawing on design approaches for STEM lessons and a small class teaching framework, the article demonstrates the relevance of STEM education to small class teaching. Two illustrative lesson design examples are provided to showcase how the design approaches and framework can be operationalised. In addition, the article also offers a thoughtful discussion concerning the potential challenges of delivering the two sample lessons as well as the coping strategies. It contributes to understanding of STEM education theories and provides a valuable reference for educational practitioners. Copyright © 2022 Springer.

Recently, East Asian countries have sought to reduce the size of primary classes, in contrast to current Western perspectives which are based on the argument that other factors are more important in bringing about improvements in literacy and numeracy. This shift in thinking arises because the rationale for class size reductions in East Asia differs from that which influenced previous Western efforts.Initially, the paper explores the consequences of these different approaches and the problems and attempted solutions which arise when class size reductions are implemented. A specific case study is described and key elements in the implementation process identified. Finally, the paper suggests ways that present small class practice might be modified to meet current East Asian educational goals. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Based on the recognized status of the Hong Kong school system indicated in international studies, facilitating students with quality Integrated Learning (IL) is the crucial pedagogy for a new subject entitled Liberal Studies (LS) which has been implemented in secondary education in Hong Kong since 2009. This study uses case studies and semi-structured interviews of novice and experienced teachers to investigate the concerns and work of teachers in Small-Class Teaching (SCT) for IL in LS and explores how teacher leadership may help in terms of classroom context, learning community, improved practice, and outcome achievement. The findings reveal the common and diversified ideas and practices regarding SCT for IL in LS, which may provide valuable insights into teacher leadership for teachers and policy makers across the world.
[Copyright © 2016 SCHOLINK INC.]

This paper investigates the concerns of teachers and the work of small class teaching (SCT) for integrated learning in Liberal Studies (LS) in the current New Senior Secondary (NSS) curriculum implemented beginning in 2009 in Hong Kong. The interconnectedness of learning in the NSS LS has been highlighted, with emphasis on linkages in learning within and beyond the subject. Relevant literature on the debate of class size reduction generally reveals the benefits of SCT. Several studies further indicate that students benefit from integrated learning in a small class setting. Other studies on group work format have recommended various approaches to integrated learning in a small class setting. Therefore, facilitating students with quality integrated learning in a small class setting for LS is crucial for its successful implementation in Hong Kong. An international study reported that the Hong Kong school system is regarded as ‘sustained improver’ and ‘good to great’ performance stage. Therefore the findings of this study in Hong Kong could provide valuable implications for school teachers, teacher educators and policy makers all over the world.
[Copyright © 2014 James Nicholas Publishers]

This paper investigates the implementation of outcome-based learning (OBL) in a core course entitled Enhancing Teaching in Small Classes of the Professional Development Course for Small Class Teaching in Primary Schools and makes recommendation based on an effective OBL implementation. The course is introduced to in-service primary teachers as a response to the policy on small class teaching which has come to effect in Hong Kong primary schools since 2000. Originally designed in a non-OBL Format to meet the needs of the local primary teachers, the course objectives and contents are prepared with reference to the relevant literatures, overseas as well as local studies on small class teaching. The course has then been revised according to the principles of OBL and then offered to the in-service primary teachers. Near the completion of the course, data were collected from the teachers using questionnaires and individual interviews. . It was found that the teachers were highly motivated to learn and they agreed that the course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) could enrich their knowledge and skills of a professional teacher, and the teaching and learning activities and assessment tasks could help them to achieve the CILOs. The result suggests that learners' needs are significant to the effective implementation of OBL.

背景：「小班教學」已於2009年9月開始分階段實施。 有教育同工反對這項改革，認為「小班教學」只會製造一種假像。亦有社會人士期望老師可以有多些時間，照顧學生的個別差異和成長；而學生家長也會期望老師可以有多些時間照顧學生的需要。學生、家長及其他社會人士對老師的期望提高了。但老師是否真的可以有多些時間去照顧學生的需要和成長呢？本文作者嘗試跟進教育同工們的關注，提出有關教育目的及關顧「心靈教育」的討論，特別是近年大陸學者所關注的「生命化教育」、「回歸生命教育」等，盼望能拋磚引玉，擦出進深探究教育使命的火花來。
討論焦點：本文嘗試從教育理念入手，闡釋小班教學計劃推行的主要精神應是在於「教學以學生為本，照顧個別學生的需要」。作者跟著提出兩個重要的課題去思考，即是：(一) 心靈教育是甚麼？ 及 (二) 如何推行心靈教育？。在跟進的討論中，作者進一步闡釋三個基本的問題，分別是：(一) 心靈是甚麼？；(二) 心靈成長需要怎樣的空間？；(三) 心靈成長需要甚麼元素？。
建議： 盼望教育當局在推行小班教學的同時能加強關注及投放更多資源去推動關顧學生心靈的教育；從事教育工作者今後亦應更多地關注學生的心靈、並能更有效地推動關顧學生心靈的教育。
總結：教育工作者的重要任務之一是要關注學生心靈的成長，小班教學的推行正是一個大好機會提醒前線教育工作者照顧個別學生的需要、包括幫助他們心靈的成長。心靈教育也就是生命化教育，須幫助學生認識自己、肯定生命的價值、發揮自我的潛能，建立更正面、更積極的人生觀。
Background: Hong Kong Education Bureau has been promoting small-class teaching in primary schools, reducing the number of pupils per class from 30 to 25. However, education frontiers were complaining that it would only create a mirage. While the society and the parents are expecting teachers to have more time and space to care for the students' individual needs in small class, the teachers in fact do not have much time for their students. It is indeed the proper time for us to re-think our educational mission underlying the small class provision and the present paper is doing precisely this fine job. Hence, it is proposed that alongside with the implementation of small class policy, more effort should be made for the concern of spirituality education in schools of Hong Kong today.
Aims or focus of discussion: It is made clear that the educational mission of small class teaching would be aimed at the caring for the students' individual needs and spiritual growth. Two issues will be raised and discussed in this paper, namely: (a) what is spirituality education?; and (b) how to promote spirituality education in schools today? The author moves on to elaborate three basic concerns for the promotion of spirituality education in schools, namely: (a) what is meant by 'spirituality'? ; (b) the kind of space needed