Class Size Reduction ― Key Insights from Secondary School Classrooms

This book provides a timely examination of the effects of class size reduction (CSR) on teaching and learning processes. It represents a departure in that the research covered focuses solely on the relationship between CSR and effective teaching in real secondary school classrooms. The book also presents a much-needed and powerful student voice on the impact of class size reduction on teaching and learning processes. It conceptualises the effects of class size on teaching and learning processes in secondary school classrooms, which are another under-researched perspective in this field. Drawing on multiple case studies concerning teaching and learning processes in large and small Hong Kong secondary-school classes, it highlights the qualitative differences in teaching and learning processes. On the basis of those studies, the book argues for a more purposeful, dynamic approach to education for teachers working in small or reduced-size classes.

Gary James Harfitt is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education, the University of Hong Kong. He has lived and worked in Hong Kong for more than 25 years serving as a secondary school teacher and department head for almost 10 years before joining the University of Hong Kong in 2002. His research interests include the organisation and implementation of class size reduction, good practices in English Language Teaching and the experiences of early career teachers.