ERIC Number: EJ1012687
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0267-1522
EISSN: N/A
Why "Small" Can Be Better: An Exploration of the Relationships between Class Size and Pedagogical Practices
Harfitt, Gary James
Research Papers in Education, v28 n3 p330-345 2013
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. (Contains 1 table.)
Descriptors: Correlation, Class Size, Teaching Methods, Secondary School Teachers, Qualitative Research, Foreign Countries, Humor, Classroom Techniques, Teacher Student Relationship, Secondary School Students, Decision Making, Language Teachers, Observation, Case Studies, English (Second Language), Second Language Instruction, Second Language Learning, Teacher Attitudes, Classroom Communication, Semi Structured Interviews
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Hong Kong
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A