Small%20Class%20Teaching%20in%20the%20East%20Asian%20Region

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Small Class Teaching in the East Asian Region

• Discussant Dr Magdalena Mo Ching Mok
• Department of Educational Psychology, Counselling
  Learning Needs
• The Hong Kong Institute of Education

18 February 2004
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Advancement and Expectation in the East Asian
Region for Small Classes

• From minimum basic education to proficiency and
  quality education
• Timeliness International trend, new paradigm in
  the conception of learning, advancement in
  pedagogy, technological advancement, economic
  growth stability, knowledge economy, low birth
  rate
• Societal expectation Shanghai, Japan, Taiwan,
  Korea, Macau, Hong Kong,...

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Making Policy Choices

• Cost-benefit Issues
• How to finance small classes related expenses?
• Is reducing class size the best alternative?
  Number of teacher or quality of teacher (Harris
  Plank, 2000)
• East Asian Solutions
• Flexibility (Yaosaka, 2004)
• Small class as a carrier revolutionary changes
  in the conception of education (Mao, 2004)
• Underpinnings of small classes (Chang, 2004)

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Evidence of Benefits of Small Classes (Chang,
2004 Mao, 2004 Yaosaka, 2004)

• Student level
• Academic engagement, learning, critical thinking
  high level thinking, knowledge understanding
• Social affective participation (ADHD),
  interaction, sense of success, self-expression,
  discipline, absenteeism reduction
• Teacher level
• Pedagogy instructional strategies, curriculum,
  teaching materials, assessment evaluation,
  learning culture
• Professionalism Capacity perspective
• Classroom School levels
• Classroom atmosphere environment, buildings
  equipment, policy, planning administration
• Societal level more understanding

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Strategies of Small Class in East Asian Region
(Chang, 2004 Mao, 2004 Yaosaka, 2004)

• Flexibility Adaptive
• flexible class size (local needs curriculum
  needs student needs, etc.)
• Individualised
• individualised instruction, student-centred,
  accommodating different learning styles
• Multi-mode multilevel
• teaching approaches, teaching materials,
  assessment, media of teaching
• Innovative
• Project Based Learning

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Why Do Small Class Make a Difference in the
Region?
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Thank you!