Class size is an interesting topic because typically as you go up in grade level the class size also increases, but what effect does this have on the students? Well there is plenty of research to look at that can support either side you choose whether it's in favor of bigger classes or smaller. I want to focus on the research done to support class size reduction and then my personal experience with class size and student achievement. In the state of Tennessee there was a study done in the 1980s placing students randomly in a small class (15 ish students) or a regular class ( 22 ish students). The results from this study show that the reduction in class size increased the student achievement the same as an additional 3 months of schooling would. This study is important to reference because it shows data that proves that the smaller the class the greater the achievement gains.
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| Classroom full of students sitting at their desks. |
I had the opportunity to teach a beginners Spanish class at a senior center in Knoxville. My class was capped at 21 students and I am so thankful this was the cap because if there were any more students allowed it would be significantly more difficult to cater to each student's needs. In my class I loved playing games to practice the new vocabulary I would introduce. This allowed me to also give special attention to students that may have been confused by the lesson while those who understood were able to practice with a game. If more students were allowed in my class then I would not be able to give this specialized attention to those struggling. I think class size should have more attention dedicated towards it because it majorly affects how students perform and therefore how they view the value of education. I understand there are effects of decreasing class sizes like having to hire more teachers, but teachers are the ones preparing students to be educated adults in this world so shouldn't we be advocating for the best and most specialized education? This specialized education starts with reducing the number of students in a classroom. This is only a glimpse of what effects class size can really have on education as a whole. By bringing more attention to this topic we can start to see real change in not only the quality of education, but also the attitude towards teachers around the world. It's time to start talking about class size.
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