Well sonny here says that's most likely good stuff you found.
[R]esearch does not support the expectation that smaller classes will of themselves result in greater academic gains for students. The effects of class size on student learning varies (sic) by grade level, pupil characteristics, subject areas, teaching methods, and other learning interventions. (p. 90)
I certainly would not argue for a one variable effect, that reducing class size alone will do the trick. If I read the serious research in this area, I would go in expecting to find something exactly like that: it depends.
But if one is in the policy world and debating where to spend money such that it is most likely to have an effect, reducing class size, where appropriate, would be, in my estimation, the best place to start thinking about it. There are clearly issues involving how much of a reduction is enough to have an effect, which subject matters benefit from how much reduction and whether that's enough to merit putting money into it, perhaps there are such discussions that need to take place about grade level; and so on.
But note what that paragraph does not say. I does not say that reducing class size has no effect.
Finally, if you wish to take the lesson of this material you are citing to heart, you would say to yourself that it's ok to put your children in large classes rather than small ones. Forgive me, if I find places with small classes for mine. |
