Luke Witham

Dr. Alexander
ED122
15 November 2018

Inquiry Report

One of the many controversial topics surrounding education is classroom size. Some

believe that smaller classroom sizes create higher quality learning. There are several important

questions surrounding this topic. To begin, is there any clear correlation between class size and

student success, and does it vary based on age? Also, how can teachers effectively teach larger

classes and what can schools do to deal with overcrowding issues? Lastly, how do college

freshman adjust to large lectures, does their background aide or hinder their success.

The two main arguments for smaller classroom sizes are 1. Smaller classroom sizes show

positive effects for students, and 2. Classroom size has no effect, focus should be put on teacher

quality. However, the evidence to support opinion one is much more compelling and convincing

but not in the way I intended. Most of the evidence that supports this school of thought does not

focus on the students individually, but what the teacher can do for smaller classes. First, it was

recorded in an essay written by Dr David Zyngier, a professor of education at Monash University

in Australia, that teachers were able to do more with their students. “Teachers were more able

not only to complete their lessons in smaller classes, but to develop their lessons in more depth;

teachers moved through curricula more quickly and were able to provide additional enrichment

activities; teachers reported that they managed their classes better, and classes functioned more

smoothly as less time was spent on discipline and more on learning”. Furthermore, Zyngier also
writes about the effects smaller class sizes has on the students themselves, “ Students received

more individualized attention, including more encouragement, counselling, and monitoring;

students were more attentive to their classwork; students had to wait less time to receive help or

have their papers checked, and they had more opportunities to participate in group lessons”.

Beyond Zyngier’s essay there is also very important information reported out by the

Student/Teacher Achievement Ration Project or Project STAR. Project STAR was a study done

in Tennessee that focused on student who started off in smaller classes and their achievement

later in school. Project STAR took students and put them into “groups”, the students were either

put into classes of 13-17 students, 22-25 students, and 22-25 students with a full-time teacher

aide, then their progress throughout the rest of school was recorded. here are some of the results

from Project STAR, “When the students reached the third grade, they were re-integrated into an

average sized classroom. The study sought to find the difference between local, in school test

scores, and standardized test scores” … “In the first four years of the study, the African

American students in the smallest classrooms average test scores increased by 7-10 percentile

points, and white students’ scores increased by 3-4 percentile points”. Another important statistic

that Project STAR recorded was the percent of student who took college placement exams “ The

exact numbers show that African Americans who were always in the regular sized classroom

were 31.8% likely to take the college entrance exam, and their counterparts who studied in the

smaller classroom were 41.3% likely to take the exam.” A separate study done in an Indiana

public school had similar findings, their students who were kept in smaller classes scored higher

on standardized and local tests. Even thought Dr. Zyngier’s essay and Project STAR are on

opposite sides of the earth and do not directly correlate to each other, I believe when the two are

looked at as “here are the results and why” it gives enough probable cause to believe that smaller
class sizes do impact student performance and it should be continued to be studied and

incorporated into schools.

Even though smaller class sizes have shown positive effect, it is not always an option for

schools. Therefore, it is important to look into how teachers and schools can be effective with

large groups of students. With larger classrooms teachers have to be warry of student

disengagement, staying on top of grades, logistical issues, and cheating. There are several ways

to create student engagement, but the Think-Pair-Share method presented by Vanderbilt

University’s Center for Teaching is my favorite. This method is extremely versatile and can be

used at almost any age level, some of my current professors use it in class. Essentially, the

teacher or instructor presents a prompt or question, the students think about it individually. Next,

they pair up or form small groups for a discussion, after the group discussion each group reports

out. Another interesting method for creating student engagement is called “clicker question”,

these are multiple choice questions that every student answer. The results are then displayed

anonymously, this allows the instructor to cover possible confusion without students singling

themselves out. The Website Kahoot! Is a very strong platform for this method. As a teacher

when dealing with large groups you must have a strong, caring demeanor, you must stay on top

of discipline but also show them you care, rule with an iron fist, and a caring heart. The

Instructor must also be actively grading and not let assignments pile up.

Overall, smaller class sizes have proven to have positive effect on students’ educational

career and achievement. If possible schools should try and keep the classrooms as small as

possible. In some cases small classrooms are not an option, if this is the case the school should

make sure the teachers are equipped with the knowledge to effectively teach a large group.
Works Cited

“Class Size DOES Make a Difference: Latest Research Shows Smaller Classes Have Lasting

Effect.” EduResearch Matters, 5 May 2017, www.aare.edu.au/blog/?p=345.

“Figure 2f from: Irimia R, Gottschling M (2016) Taxonomic Revision of Rochefortia Sw.

(Ehretiaceae, Boraginales). Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e7720.

Https://Doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e7720.” doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.

Mcdaniel, Rhett. “Teaching Large Classes.” Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt University, 7 May

2018, cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/teaching-large-classes/.