The justification for smaller classes has traditionally been that students can receive more individual attention and be provided with a curriculum that promotes student centred learning. However, in Asia where student engagement is generally over 90% in primary school classrooms, the focus of smaller classes is for teachers to increase the quality of their teaching, building on the already impressive levels of student engagement.Learning to Teach Small Classes comprehensively instructs teachers on ways they can utilise the advantage of a smaller class to its fullest potential. It works through different case studies and gives examples of successful classroom practice in each of the core subject areas (Chinese, English and Mathematics). Chapters include:•Setting Objectives, Asking and Answering Questions•Sustaining Successful Group and Pair Work•The Use of Feedback and Assessment for Developing Independence in Learning•Bringing it all together and Sustaining Effective PracticeWith questions for discussion and further suggested reading, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone involved in small class teaching, and East Asian teaching and education policy. Copyright © 2015 Maurice Galton, Kwok Chan Lai and Kam Wing Chan.

This book captures the range of views and evidence on class size across the world; seeks to clarify these deeply held views and move toward a clearer view of what we know and do not know about class size effects; and identify future steps in terms of policy and research. Of all the issues in education, debate about the effects of class sizes in schools is probably the most long standing and contentious. The time is exactly right for a text which captures a range of international research and perspectives, and allows a forum for alternative points of view, while at the same time providing an integrated editorial commentary on the key issues. Copyright © 2016 P. Blatchford, K. W. Chan, M. Galton, K. C. Lai, and J. C. Lee.

ALL students, irrespective of their learning abilities and medical disabilities, should have access to the principles and practices of mainstream education. This is the guiding principle of equal opportunity in education that has been successfully promoted by the concept of inclusion. This paper identifies a diversity-based approach that requires special schools to look at their provision through the pedagogical, curriculum management and assessment procedures that apply to students of all levels of attainment. It provides a mainstream education perspective and not a special school education perspective. In 2006 a team of teachers from nine special schools in Hong Kong with the full range of classified learning difficulties joined a curriculum development Project called SAME and initiated the writing of one new common curriculum based on mainstream education. (The SAME Curriculum Project, 2008). Then in 2009 they wrote a form of continuous ipsative assessment to cover their common curriculum. The assessment tool called SCALE has been used for the past three years in the nine project schools to collect criteria (CASE, 2009). The results of this cross-school and within-school comparison of student attainment data provide for the first time, insight for schools to review their pattern of curriculum orientation and compare this with other schools with students of similar ability levels. Such information is crucial to inform school in curriculum management planning that will raise the level of student attainment. This paper explains how SCALE was written and explores the emerging data across schools to support yearly school review and planning; it explores the emerging data within school for classes; and it explores the emerging data to support teacher's practices with individual students. 平等教育機會及融合教育的主導原則是所有學生，不管他的學習能力及殘疾為何，應有機會透過主流教育的原則及方法進行學習。本文介紹一種以學習差異為本的教學方法，要求特殊學校透過一種適合所有能力水平學生的課程管理，評估程序及教學方式去檢視學校的教與學，同時以主流教育的視野作為設計的基礎。2006年一群來自九間特殊學校的老師，當中包括不同弱能類別及不用程度學習困難的學生，參加了一個名為融通計劃

This article first describes some of the ways in which teachers might (in theory) differentiate their approach to teaching and learning in inclusive mixed-ability classrooms. The writer then questions whether teachers faced with a heavy workload, large classes and subject specialization can really be expected to adopt and sustain the use of such differentiation strategies. How much classroom differentiation is beneficial and achievable? What problems are associated with differentiation and what are the alternatives? These issues are addressed with particular reference to the Hong Kong context. Given the current enthusiasm for 'curriculum tailoring' and 'adapting instruction' it may appear to be heresy to suggest that this heavy emphasis on individual differences among students could make teaching just too difficult for the average practitioner — and may not necessarily be the best way of meeting students' educational needs and raising achievement standards.
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This article, while supporting the notion of inclusive education, urges caution in the rate at which the necessary changes take place. The writer acknowledges the important role played by special schools in meeting the needs of students with moderate to severe disabilities, and suggests that special schools must continue to exist in order to provide the full range of placement options. Some of the difficulties involved in implementing inclusive education are discussed, including the demands made upon the regular class teacher, the problem of class sizes in ordinary schools in Hong Kong, and the need for additional professional training with a focus on mixed-ability teaching.
[Copyright of Hong Kong Special Education Forum is the property of Special Education Society of Hong Kong Ltd.. Full article may be available at the publisher's website:
https://sites.google.com/a/seshk.org.hk/seshk-org-hk/c_publication]

The last decade has witnessed a sharp decrease of school-aged children in the East-Asia and Pacific regions. In some affected districts in Hong Kong, for example, the insufficient student enrolment has brought to school closure. Teacher job satisfaction and principal leadership approaches have been greatly affected. In response to the situation, the Education Bureau of Hong Kong launched the Voluntary Optimisation of Class Structure Scheme (hereafter the Scheme) to cushion the shock and to lower the risk of secondary school closures. There are 220 schools participate in the Scheme involving around 12,000 principals and teachers. The Scheme has direct implications on the number of class structure and teacher career advancement. The negative impacts of the Scheme on teacher job satisfaction has since been widely discussed. Yet, there has no parallel research attention been given to this situation. This doctoral study is the first of its kind to conduct a systematic investigation into the impact of the Scheme on teacher job satisfaction looking at both the individual and contextual factors. Mixed methods include semi-structured interviews and questionnaire survey were employed. Multiple Regression analyses were performed to examine the impacts of the Scheme on principal leadership and teacher job satisfaction. Additionally, the predictive factors of principal leadership for teacher job satisfaction were determined. Based on the empirical data, this presentation will discuss the obstacles and success factors of the implementation of Scheme for teacher job satisfaction. Recommendations will be made for addressing the problem in terms of principal leadership and policy enactment.

Reduced class sizes have a positive impact on pupil achievement and classroom processes. Pupils receive more individual attention and are better behaved and more on-task in small classes. In Hong Kong, small-class teaching has become a major government policy in primary schools. It is being implemented in phases, beginning in the 2009–2010 school year in Primary 1. Research shows that the benefits of a small-class environment are not automatic if teachers do not make changes to their teaching practice; hence, various types of campus-based professional development programmes have been organised for teachers to adapt their teaching in the small-class environments for the purposes of optimising the student learning. However, teachers tend to revert to their usual teaching practice soon after undertaking the relevant professional development training. School support is essential to provide encouragement for continuous improvement in order to sustain the effect of the campus-based professional development programmes. This article begins with an overview of the research on class size, then describes the implementation of small-class teaching policy in Hong Kong, compares the campus-based with school-based professional development programmes in small-class teaching, analyses the weakness of the existing school-based professional development programmes and finally argues that a self-owned model of school-based teacher development can be effective in sustaining the effect of the professional development programmes that teachers have undertaken.

This paper discusses the pedagogical strategies of blended learning to teach Hong Kong school teachers mixed methods research. The authors examine the implications of blending traditional teaching and more updated learning strategies with e-Learning, small group work, peer interaction, and role plays, to increase student comprehension and execution of mixed methods research. The authors utilise a case study to illustrate the blended approach in teaching mixed methods research.