Promoting good practice in small classes: Lessons learnt from small class teaching professional development programmes in Hong Kong

Professional development in fostering pedagogical change in the teaching of small classes is an under-researched area globally. This paper sets out to critically examine three separate Government-sponsored professional development courses for in-service primary teachers. We focus on the ways in which in-service teachers experience professional learning and how they perceive the learning from the professional development models as influencing their subsequent teaching. The authors suggest that particular models of professional development are significantly more successful than others in helping teachers to internalise and then implement innovation in small class teaching. Finally, practical steps that school leaders and education policy makers can take to broaden and enhance professional development learning opportunities in small classes are presented.