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The idea that class size is a key leading to higher student success rate is a misnomer. Studies over the past 15 years have consistently indicated that class s
by DanielN 15y ago
The idea that class size is a key leading to higher student success rate is a misnomer. Studies over the past 15 years have consistently indicated that class size has little (sometimes even converse) relation to student success rate.
http://www.npr.org/2011/03/29/134956184/school-founder-says-class-size-doesnt-matter http://www.npr.org/2011/03/29/134956184/school-founder-says-... , http://www.pioneerinstitute.org/pdf/010326_stergios.pdf http://www.pioneerinstitute.org/pdf/010326_stergios.pdf
A lot of the top performing countries in education have extrodinarily high average class sizes. Taiwan has 44, South Korea has 49. http://www.arthurhu.com/index/classize.htm http://www.arthurhu.com/index/classize.htm .
Although you aren't entirely off base, in Taiwan many math and science based classes can be 150 students or more, which I'm sure pulls the median.
- nitrogen 15y agoStudies over the past 15 years have consistently indicated that class size has little (sometimes even converse) relation to student success rate. Do any of those studies consider how class size affects the top or bottom 5% of students (as measured by academic potential rather than present academic achievement)? I suspect that those students at the ends of the bell curve would benefit more from reduced class sizes, but their needs are hidden in the statistics by the broad majority in the middle.
- bugsy 15y agoIt's really strange how we are told by these articles that the reason to worry about all this is "competitiveness on the world market", yet the bottom 10% will never contribute anything to this and can be safely ignored completely. It's irrelevant what is done with them. What is important is how the top 1% are dealt with, and the stability of the society regarding the middle 90%.
- learc83 15y agoDid you read the article? It addressed that. According to the author many students in these countries pay for additional instruction fromt tutors to make up for the lack of individual attention.