Creativity in Language Teaching

Much debate, research and commentary about class sizes in schools is limited because of an exclusive concern with class size and pupil academic attainment, and a neglect of classroom processes, which might help explain class size effects (or lack of them). Very little is known about the central question: how can teachers make the most of class size changes? Much of the commentary on class size effects has focused on Western and English-speaking countries but there are promising developments elsewhere, particularly the 'Small Class Teaching' initiatives in East Asia in the past decade, which have brought new knowledge and practical wisdom to the class size debate.

This book seeks to move toward a clearer view of what we know and do not know about class size effects, and to identify future steps in terms of policy and research. There is a huge and exciting potential for international collaboration on knowledge concerning class size effects which can help with research-informed policy. The book aims to draw out Eastern and Western international contexts which underpin any understanding of the role of class size in school learning.

The book has chapters by an international team of experts on class size effects, including Maurice Galton and John Hattie. Chapters are organised into four main sections:

Socio-cultural and political contexts to the class size debate in the East and West;
Research evidence on class size;
Class size and classroom processes likely to be related to class size changes;
Professional development for small class teaching in East Asia.

Part I: Introduction
1. Bringing together east and west approaches to the class size issue: An introduction to ‘Class Size: East and West perspectives’ Peter Blatchford, Maurice Galton and Kwok Chan Lai

Part II: Socio-cultural and political context
2. Eastern and Western perspectives: Educational and policy contexts and how they have shaped approaches to class size Kwok Chan Lai, Peter Blatchford and Beifei Dong

3. East Asian contexts of small class teaching: Policies and practices John Chi-Kin Lee

Part III: Research evidence on class size
4. Long-term impacts of class size reduction Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach

5. Research on class size in France Pascal Bressoux

6. Is it true that class size does not matter? A critical review of research on class size effects Peter Blatchford

7. The right question in the debates about class size: Why is the (positive) effect so small? John Hattie

Part IV: Class size and classroom processes
8. Does class size (still) matter? Jeremy D. Finn and Michele E. Shanahan

9. Creating autonomous learners in small classes: The critical importance of motivation and wellbeing Maurice Galton

10. Classroom interaction in reduced-size classes: a Hong Kong perspective Gary Harfitt

11. Class size and collaborative approaches and group work Kam Wing Chan

Part V: Professional development for small class teaching
12. Teachers’ professional development for small class teaching in Hong Kong and Taiwan Kwok Chan Lai, Kuo-Liang Yen and John Chi-Kin Lee

13. Teachers’ professional development for small class teaching in Shanghai Beifei Dong, Kwok Chan Lai and Kam Wing Chan

14. Catering for diversity in small classes in Nanjing Xiaomei Wang, Jian Yang, Kam Wing Chan and Kwok Chan Lai

15. Curriculum adaptation in small class environment in Hong Kong Ellen Yuefeng Zhang, John Chi-Kin Lee and Michael Ho-Fai Chau

16. Enhancing the effectiveness of small class teaching through innovative learning environments in Hong Kong schools Kam Wing Chan

17. Utilizing pedagogical strategies of the learner-centred model in primary small class teaching settings in Hong Kong Celeste Y.M. Yuen
Part VI: Future developments
18. Eastern and Western approaches to class size: Conclusions and future directions Peter Blatchford