Premium Essay

Does Classroom Size Affect Learning Success

In:

Submitted By MizzyRoze
Words 722
Pages 3
Does Class Size Affect Learning Success?
Rosemarie Antonelli
AIU Online
December 6th, 2014

Abstract
While it is hard to find experts that are inclined to side against smaller class sizes, there are plenty of people who wonder the effectiveness of the school programs currently in place. In the state of Florida, classes were reduced to see the effectiveness it had on the students and their academics. After the classroom sizes were reduced, there was no significant benefits shown statistically for students of these school districts throughout a number of areas. The academic areas that were looked at were exam scores, attendance, and violence within the schools. California also made efforts to lower class sizes and they also did not succeed in making any connections to gains in achievement to class size. It is very important to realize that improving the quality of the teachers is far more beneficial than decreasing the size of the classroom. When thought is really put into students learning abilities, a great teacher with forty students will have a much higher success rate than a very poor teacher that educates fifteen students.

Does Class Size Affect Learning Success? When talking about class sizes and how it affects students learning outcomes, there are many things that should be considered. This is a subject that is not a one size fits all situation. Teachers, students, and the classroom environment all play a role when it comes to learning and a student’s success. Although many people think that classroom size does affect learning outcomes, there are many reasons as to why size does not affect it. The first reason why classroom size does not affect learning outcomes is that how and what a student learns is largely based on the students themselves. There could be a classroom of thirty-five students and if most of them have little to no interest in

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Does Behavior Follow from Attitudes

...Does Behavior always follow from Attitudes? That is a question that most teachers want to know in the early stages of their teaching career. After doing my field study, I know that a persons attitude affect behavior. The attitude that people hold determines what they do. I decided to do my field study based on chapter 4 from the text book entitled Behavior and Attitudes. I choose this topic because I want to be an effective teacher and I know that I will be faced with several behaviors and attitudes. I also know that the task of learning in the classroom is not solely on the shoulders of the student but both teacher and the students have important roles in the learning process. I had the opportunity to observe students at Thea Bowman Leadership Academy Charter School in Gary. I observed two special education classes. One was a special education class that consisted of grades K-3 the other special education class consisted of grades 4-6. Then I observed a regular 6th grade class and a regular Kindergarten class. Not only did I observe the students in the classroom but outside the class as well. I also observed the teachers. Behavior is one of the greatest challenges a special education teacher faces, especially when students getting special education services are in inclusive classrooms. When observing the special education class I saw how the teachers play various roles in the classroom. The most important is that of classroom manager. Effective teaching and learning cannot...

Words: 1242 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Inclusion Education and Adhd

...a time-out. Her mother asked why she talked so much in class. With a wide-eyed innocent expression on her face, Brianna says, “I don’t want to but I have to! (B. Smith, personal communication, October, 2002). For an estimated 4.5 million school-aged children diagnosed with ADHD, this same sentiment could be echoed much to the dismay of parents and teachers alike. Forty percent of these children are also diagnosed with co-morbid conditions, secondary to ADHD, such as learning, and conduct disorders or Oppositional Defiance Disorder, a condition marked with aggression, conflict-seeking, ignoring even the simplest requests, and frequent outburst (Flippin, 2005). Proponents of Inclusion Education argue integrating disabled students with their non-disabled peers into mainstream classrooms is beneficial to teaching them how to socially function in the world after high school; however, immersion does not guarantee inclusion for the ADHD student, who typically does not benefit from the one-size-fits-all classroom model. Inclusion of ADHD students in mainstream education has merit, but it has missed the mark because it leads to social stigma and academic underachievement. Both Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) recognizes, legitimizes, and ensures disabled students the right to be “educated in the least restrictive environment (LRE) in which educational and related needs can be satisfactorily provided” (Taylor, 2004...

Words: 2070 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Effects of Using Ipads or Tablets on Children’s Reading Comprehension

...Reading Comprehension Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Background of the study Reading is often difficult for high school students with special needs. Participation, motivation, and interest in independent reading are low. Reading is an important part of everyday life and is imperative to students’ success in school. Many high school students that struggle in reading do not enjoy it and even have negative associations with reading. Cultivating an interest in reading among grade school students is valuable. Providing students with a variety of options is one way to encourage independent reading. The ability to use technology as a means of reading is one way to provide a different option to students. Technology is an integral part of our lives and can contribute greatly to education. Many schools are beginning to use iPads/Tablets as a way to integrate technology into the curriculum. These devices can be used for a variety of purposes in educational settings. There are several tools that make reading on an iPad easier for struggling readers. Students can change the size of the text by zooming to show larger text which reduces the amount of text on the screen. This can be valuable for students that are intimidated by the length of what they are being asked to read. Students can also easily access the definition of a word they don’t know through the interactive dictionary. This is extremely convenient for students that would...

Words: 4290 - Pages: 18

Premium Essay

Learning Disabilities

...Running head: LEARNING DISABILITIES Learning Disabilities Yadira M. Cesena Grand Canyon University SPE 526- Educating Learners with Diverse Needs April 19, 2011 Abstract This paper was written with the intent to define, describe the characteristics and causes of learning disabilities, communication disorders and giftedness. The author discusses the curriculum that is necessary for the students with learning disabilities, communication disorders and giftedness. The author summarizes in a short concluding paragraph that brings the topics together. Learning Disabilities There is so much known about learning disabilities, but yet so little. As a teacher it is important to understand the various types of learning disabilities, communication disorders and giftedness. In reality what does that all mean? Teachers should be well informed about the definitions of these as well as what characteristics to look for and what causes them. It is estimated that approximately six to ten percent of school-aged children are learning disabled. Many times students are mistakenly diagnosed having a learning disability. That is the reason why it is important for teachers to understand the difference of having different learning styles or needs than having a disability. Teachers need to know what to include in the curriculum, or how to make accommodations, or modifications to cater to the needs of the individual student. The ultimate goal is to understand these students and to give...

Words: 2073 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Practicum Action

...place so that the administrator and the collaboration of all stakeholders can implement skills and strategies that will promote the academic achievement of our ELL students. Background: Cesar Chavez Elementary is located in the southwest corner of Arizona in the town of San Luis, Arizona. The community of San Luis a border city with its sister city of San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora. In this community is 97% Spanish speaking. Cesar Chavez Elementary services 789 students with a 42% ELL population. Our school like any other school in Arizona is under a mandate that all ELL students are required to have a four block of English instruction. This mandate might be beneficial in other schools. In our school we have ELL classrooms with an average of 33 students per classroom. Our school is a title I school which receives funds from the federal government. It also receives extra funding for every ELL students that is enrolled in our school. The concern is that even before we received budgetary cuts we are still facing the same trends of low academic achievement for our ELL population. Questions/Hypotheses What are the current academic scores for ELL students? What areas are our ELL students scoring high? What are the areas that our ELL students struggling the most? Are teachers receiving the professional development to teach our ELL students? What new research in available to optimize ELL student...

Words: 955 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Reasons for Shifting Courses of College Students

...Assessment and classroom learning By Black, Paul, Wiliam, Dylan, Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice Mar1998, Vol. 5, Issue 1 ABSTRACT This article is a review of the literature on classroom formative assessment. Several studies show firm evidence that innovations designed to strengthen the frequent feedback that students receive about their learning yield substantial learning gains. The perceptions of students and their role in self-assessment are considered alongside analysis of' the strategies used by teachers and the formative strategies incorporated in such systemic approaches as mastery learning. There follows a more detailed and theoretical analysis of the nature of feedback, which provides a basis for a discussion of the development of theoretical models for formative assessment and of the prospects for the improvement of practice. Introduction One of the outstanding features of studies of assessment in recent years has been the shift in the focus of attention, towards greater interest in the interactions between assessment and classroom learning and away from concentration on the properties of restricted forms of test which are only weakly linked to the learning experiences of" students. This shift has been coupled with many expressions of hope that improvement in classroom assessment will make a strong contribution to the improvement of learning. So one main purpose of this review is to survey the evidence which might show whether or...

Words: 35394 - Pages: 142

Premium Essay

Assessing Classroom Management

...Assessment and classroom learning By Black, Paul, Wiliam, Dylan, Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice Mar1998, Vol. 5, Issue 1 ABSTRACT This article is a review of the literature on classroom formative assessment. Several studies show firm evidence that innovations designed to strengthen the frequent feedback that students receive about their learning yield substantial learning gains. The perceptions of students and their role in self-assessment are considered alongside analysis of' the strategies used by teachers and the formative strategies incorporated in such systemic approaches as mastery learning. There follows a more detailed and theoretical analysis of the nature of feedback, which provides a basis for a discussion of the development of theoretical models for formative assessment and of the prospects for the improvement of practice. Introduction One of the outstanding features of studies of assessment in recent years has been the shift in the focus of attention, towards greater interest in the interactions between assessment and classroom learning and away from concentration on the properties of restricted forms of test which are only weakly linked to the learning experiences of" students. This shift has been coupled with many expressions of hope that improvement in classroom assessment will make a strong contribution to the improvement of learning. So one main purpose of this review is to survey the evidence which might show whether or...

Words: 35394 - Pages: 142

Premium Essay

Clermont Elementary School Math SOL Analysis

...mathematics to ensure our students have learned the basic math competencies for their grade level in order to be success 21st century citizens. Over the past two years, Clermont has not met their School Improvement Goal for mathematics in grades 3-6. Fifth grade, in particular, has seen a tremendous drop in math achievement over the course of 2 years. For the 2013-2014 school year 73% of students passed the grade 5 math SOL assessment. According to preliminary SOL data, only 44% of students in 5th grade passed the grade 5 math SOL with a score of 400 or...

Words: 943 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Classroom Philosophy

...University EDU-536 Philosophy of Classroom Engagement and Management Annotated Bibliographies Freiberg, H., Huzinec, C.H., Templeton, S.M., (2009). Classroom Management-a Pathway to Student Achievement: A Study of Fourteen Inner-City Elementary Schools. Elementary School Journal,110(1), 63-80 This journal article introduces Consistency Management & Cooperative Discipline or CMCD. This model was introduced in and urban area middle school. Teachers within the school reported that behavioral problems were becoming more of an issue. The CMCD model uses a focus centered approach to classroom management versus the more traditional approach. The study showed that schools that were utilizing the CMCD approach outperformed schools that were using more traditional approaches in mathematics and reading. This article demonstrates how the role of a teacher can affect student performance. For example, the teacher shares the leadership role instead of assuming full responsibility. This allows the teacher to act as a leader as well as a facilitator in the classroom. The teacher is allowed to guide her class in the correct direction. Students are given responsibilities and leadership roles. This encourages students to aim higher and achieve goals. The classroom environment is more positive and engaging. This results in students who self discipline and are intrinsically motivated. This article lays out a great model for classroom management. Higgins, K., & Moule...

Words: 1014 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Gender Affecting Academic Performance

...Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Science in Psychology STELLA MAE OBIASCA ROSE AN DIANGKINAY October 2015 Chapter I THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND Introduction In this era of globalization education is considered as a first step for every human activity. It plays a vital role in development of human capital and is linked with an individual well-being and opportunities for better living. It ensures the acquisition of knowledge and skills that enable individuals to increase their productivity and improve their quality of life. The researchers are very aware of the difficulties experienced by the lower section students. The seriousness involved as it affects the student’s education through him or her not being able to fully concentrate in order to comprehend lessons. Some of the public schools do not have proper facilities especially who belongs to the lower section class. Some of them are not fully focusing on their study. Educators were faced today with a growing challenge of maintaining the nation education facilities. At the same time, educators were held accountable for student achievement. Sometimes the lessons are late unlike with the higher section students. The researcher focused on exploring this level of satisfaction through objectively observing the behavior of the students who have been affecting the academic performance. The quality of student’s performance remains at top priority...

Words: 12634 - Pages: 51

Premium Essay

The Impact of Conducive Learning Environment to the University of Mindanao Engineering Students

...the study The research aimed to find the impact of having favorable Learning Environment to the student particularly in the University of Mindanao. This research is merely concerned to the Engineering student of University of Mindanao of how they react with a certain environment in this University. As a team researcher, we also aimed to bring important information not only to the student but also to the faculties and staff of University of Mindanao on how they address the impact of having conducive environment to the particular student. In the process of continuous learning, learning environment plays important rule in nurturing student to become a better citizen in this world. Since, we are prone in the digital period with high-tech facilities and equipment. We are obliged to take the challenge of learning as our first priority to develop as an individual. The first learning experiences in school create a foundation for successful reading by fostering favorable impression of what is to be derived from the book and language use. Programs should also accommodate children’s varied stages of social and intellectual development. Research has shown that children with rich experiential and language backgrounds are better prepared for beginning reading than children who lack such background (Grolier Encyclopedia, 1995). Choosing capable workstations acoustically sound cork bulletin boards, and other classroom furniture, as well as considering different ways to think of and use space...

Words: 2166 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Stem

...Center, City College of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10031; † Department of Psychology, Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA 50112; ‡ Section of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 Submitted March 18, 2011; Revised June 9, 2011; Accepted July 5, 2011 Monitoring Editor: Diane K. O’Dowd The C.R.E.A.T.E. (Consider, Read, Elucidate hypotheses, Analyze and interpret data, Think of the next Experiment) method uses intensive analysis of primary literature in the undergraduate classroom to demystify and humanize science. We have reported previously that the method improves students’ critical thinking and content integration abilities, while at the same time enhancing their self-reported understanding of “who does science, and why.” We report here the results of an assessment that addressed C.R.E.A.T.E. students’ attitudes about the nature of science, beliefs about learning, and confidence in their ability to read, analyze, and explain research articles. Using a Likert-style survey administered pre- and postcourse, we found significant changes in students’ confidence in their ability to read and analyze primary literature, self-assessed understanding of the nature of science, and epistemological beliefs (e.g., their sense of whether knowledge is certain and scientific talent innate). Thus, within a single semester, the inexpensive C.R.E.A.T.E. method can shift not just students’ analytical abilities and understanding...

Words: 2090 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Reaction Paper

...A child-friendly classroom is more than just mounting stuff on the walls OCTOBER 5, 2010 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER LETTERS  Dear Editor, I still cannot understand how we can celebrate two things in one month. I had recommended that Education Month be moved to October and Agriculture Month be in November, since schools will be too busy with sports and such during September to focus on celebrating Education month. Amerindian Heritage is also celebrated in September. I hope there is a change soon. The Ministry of Education seeks to link child-friendly classrooms with effective curriculum delivery, hence the presence of quality education in this year’s Education Month theme. What is a child-friendly classroom? Speaking from the standpoint of a teacher, it is one which fosters learning to the maximum; promotes healthy learning activities; creates a fitting climate for effective learning to take place; and debars any hindrance to the learning process, be it anything from the outside that could affect the learning outcomes of students in the classrooms. The classroom is a teacher’s sacred space. It is where he will practice his skills whether they were learnt at the teacher’s training college or University of Guyana, to effect change in behaviour and deliver effectively the teaching curriculum of the Ministry of Education. The classroom is the most important place in the school environment. The classroom is important to both teacher and student alike. Classrooms ought to be the children’s...

Words: 3307 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Management Theory

...Appendix B1 Teacher Survey 42 Appendix B2 Parent Survey 43 Appendix C Graph Results 44 Abstract The ARP is intended towards advancing schools achievement rate for children within comprehensive the setting for middle schools who have lack of parental involvement. Middle schools have many problems dealing with parental involvement. The quantity for increasing parent teacher conferences is the goal for all middle schools. Middle schools would have a better percentage of parents being involved with teacher conferences, once the percentage of parents having better communication with their child’s teacher. Bettering students’ success would be the ideal goal (LaBahn, 2005). This paper will highlight some of the key points of research regarding the force with parents attending parent teachers conferences and being involve with there children’s academic success, along with research in this area should be conducted. Chapter I: Introduction...

Words: 9853 - Pages: 40

Premium Essay

Adhd

...Inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are the core symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A student's academic success is often dependent on his/her ability to maintain a task, pay attention to the teacher and follow classroom expectations with minimal distraction. There are several ways of dealing with ADHD in the classroom that can make learning effective for these students. In order for teachers to understand ADHD they must a have knowledge about what it is and how to deal with children that has this type of disorder. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a condition in which a person not only has great difficulty concentrating for more than a few moments but also is inattentive, impulsive, and overactive. (Berger, 2009) Learning Disability (LD) is a disability of unexpected underachievement typically involving reading that is resistant to treatment. (Smith and Tyler, 2010) Inattention is the inability to pay attention or focus. (Smith and Tyler, 2010) Hyperactivity is an impaired ability to sit or concentrate for long periods of time. (Smith and Tyler, 2010) Impulsivity is an impaired ability to control one's own behavior. (Smith and Tyler, 2010) "ADHD is not a learning disability. ADHD is an associated disorder that can interfere with the individual's availability for learning. ADHD does not impact on the brain's ability to learn." Silver (1990) According to Zimmerman & Schunk (as cited in...

Words: 3987 - Pages: 16