According to research, the class size does not play a 100 percent role in students achievement.
Common sense suggests that students learn better in a classroom with fewer students and that teachers are more effective in classes with fewer students than a large group of students.
But this assertion is challenged today on the international scene by “experts” who say that the number of students does not matter and that academic success rests solely on the skills of teachers. In such a case, the relationship between class size and academic progress will be negative. The most authoritative study on the impact of the reduction in student numbers, published by Whitmore Schanzenbach, is the Tennessee Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR). For this study, 11,500 students and 1,300 teachers from 79 elementary schools in Tennessee were randomly assigned to regular or smaller classes between 1985 and 1989. The results are unequivocal.
According to Destiny Herbert, a junior double majoring in education (middle and secondary school) with a minor in psychology, the class size does affect the learning experience because when there is a lot of students inside of a class, it limits them to have a personal connection with the teacher. They are also “not just a number.” Herbert believes it is more comfortable to control a class doing hands-on activities and even anything else the teacher might want to contribute to the classroom. “As for the teachers, it is essential to be able to engage the students and get them interested which is made possible when you have fewer students. There is an ample amount of things that come to mind about the perks of having small classroom sizes and even studies to prove them to be true; this is just some of the surface,” said Herbert.
It is often argued that class size is especially essential for inexperienced or less qualified teachers because the most qualified teachers are better able to adapt their teaching to classes with more students; however, research proves otherwise. In the STAR project, more experienced teachers had more impact on categories with fewer students. According to Whitmore Schanzenbach, class size is one of the most studied issues in the world of education, and the most rigorous research shows that a small class has a positive impact on the quality of life. It promotes success in school, especially in elementary school, and in the case of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The author warns against establishing direct correlations between class size and academic achievement without taking into account a combination of factors. So, the most common misinterpretation is to develop a direct relationship between class size and school performance of students assigned to smaller classes because they are less successful or have special needs. Tylaia Damen, a freshman, majoring in criminal justice with a specialization in forensics, believes smaller class sizes improve student learning. “I feel that the professor would be able to interact better with the student and give them that one on one help that some students need from time to time; students behave better and pay more attention and it improves students’ learning and outcomes,” said Damen.
After considering all of the research as a whole, the following policy recommendations emerge:
Policymakers should carefully evaluate the effectiveness of class size policy relative to other potential uses of funds. Although the lower class size has a demonstrable cost, this can be the most cost-effective overall policy.
Evidence suggests that increasing class sizes will harm not only short-term children but also their capital formation. Today, increasing the class size will mean more social and more substantial education costs in the future.
Class size is an essential consideration of student achievement and directly determined by policy.
Reducing the size of the class is more beneficial for low-income people and minorities, while an increase in class size is likely to be the most damaging to these populations.
Following these suggestions can lead to better retention and learning for all students, and that’s what really matters on campus.
