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The effects of class size on student learning have been studied
since the early 1920s, and the varying results have propelled this
issue not only to the forefront of educational debates, but into
the economic and political spheres as well. While actual research
regarding the effects of class size has proven inconclusive, the
generally held belief among students and educators is that small
class sizes are better and more conducive to effective learning
than larger ones. The majority of research has shown that large
class size has little effect on student performance, but may have
significant effects on student attitudes toward a particular subject
as well as on instructor effectiveness. Here at UCLA, the implications
of class size have particular significance, since the majority of
lower division courses exceed 250 students and courses remain large
in size well into a student’s upper division career. Although
little difference has been found regarding mastery of course material
between students enrolled in large classes versus those enrolled
in small ones, I feel that the student-teacher interaction and greater
chance to exercise higher-level cognitive skills that are inherent
to the small class format are invaluable to students.
Universities increase class size as an answer
to stringent budget constraints that
do not allow for the hiring of new faculty to meet the demands of
soaring enrollment rates. In the eyes of the administration, large
classes mean increased university efficiency in terms of dollars
and cents, but what is lost is a commitment to quality education,
and the result is a university that simply churns out drones from
the knowledge factory. As Sid Gilbert explains in his article, “Quality
Education: Does Class Size Matter?” “Class sizes
are used as an important indicator of an institution’s commitment
to undergraduate education or of the value system and priorities
of the institution and the nature of the experience students will
have.” In fact, university ranking
books often tout a school’s student-to-faculty ratio as
being one of the most important factors a student should weigh when
choosing a college. Universities do find ways to fudge this ratio,
however, as evidenced by UCLA’s most recent claim on college
ranking websites such as BroaderMinds.com
that our student-to-faculty ratio is only 18 to 1, when in fact
most of these “faculty” only teach one class or do not
even teach undergraduate courses at all. Although the University
of California is quick to hand these faulty statistics over to college
ranking firms, it is clear that there is significant concern within
the administration over how budget cuts are affecting both students
and teachers regarding class size, as evidenced by the November
2003 discussion agenda of the UC Finance Committee, which states,
“The inability to pay competitive salaries already creates
a significant recruitment and retention challenge for the University.
It would not be reasonable or practical to ask faculty to receive
less pay and also work more.” The university’s preferred
solution to the budget crunch, then, is to increase class size,
while still sending the contradictory message that, “The University
cannot allow the student-faculty ratio to deteriorate further."
Here, it is clear that a strong commitment to student learning is
not necessarily as big a priority for the UC as current and prospective
students might hope. In other words, there are other places within
the UC system where budget cuts may be more appropriate, instead
of harming the educational arm of the university.
The question, then, that begs to be answered
is what are the effects of large class sizes on students? While
most research has shown that class size has little effect on student
performance, studies show that it can have a profound effect on
student attitudes toward a given subject.
In large lectures, students tend to be less motivated to participate
orally and thus feel less free to contribute, and there is also
less incentive to pay attention given the anonymity available to
students in the large lecture halls. The combination of these factors
brought on by large classes can thus deter students from electing
to take additional classes in a particular discipline. Because most
introductory courses that are supposed to get students interested
in the major tend to be quite large, a student may develop a negative
attitude toward a particular subject as a direct result of class
size. In terms of student performance, Michael Kwiatkowski explains
in his article,
“Class Size Concerns in Higher Education,” that
“The weight of evidence makes reasonably clear that in postsecondary
education neither large or small class nor lecture or discussion
formats are more effective than the other in fostering the mastery
of factual subject matter material.” As Kwiatkowski suggests,
study after study has shown that students tend to perform at the
same level on standardized tests and exams that measure recall of
information regardless of whether they were taught in a small or
large class setting. The problem here is that both small and large
classes are fine for simple recall and recognition on standardized
tests, but large classes are not conducive to exercising higher-level
cognitive skills such as essay writing because of the workload problems
they pose for teachers.
While the effect of class size on student learning
has long been studied, it has not been until recently that researchers
have begun to study the effects class size has on instructors and
their teaching methods. In fact, many researchers contend that the
negative effects of class size on student attitudes can be mitigated
by the use of innovative teaching methods adapted for large classes.
In his article, “Class
Size and Teacher Effects on Student Achievement and Dropout Rates
in University-Level Calculus,” Tyler J. Jarvis found that,
“If there is any effect on students' achievement due to class
size, it is a function of the individual teacher and her or his
ability and attitude, rather than a function of the size alone.”
In other words, student success and mastery of course material depends
on how effective and engaging the teacher is; class size has little
to do with it. A number of education researchers have written books
and articles detailing how to teach effectively in large classes
by employing teaching methods to make the classes seem smaller.
Examples include brainstorming, asking students questions, dividing
the class into smaller groups, and starting the class with a puzzle
or paradox to get students to exercise the higher-level cognitive
skills. In addition to these techniques, researchers suggest that
the use of media technology, such as using a wireless microphone
to wander throughout the lecture hall while teaching, can also mitigate
the negative effects of large class size for students.
While these types of suggestions would seem
to eliminate the problems instructors face in teaching large classes
and hence improve student learning, most teachers have trouble changing
their teaching methods so that class size is not an issue. Because
large classes can pose a workload problem for teachers, they tend
to utilize a grading system based on the lower-level cognitive skills,
thereby lowering academic standards by teaching a curriculum
that fits well into the framework of a multiple-choice test. In
smaller classes, teachers can facilitate more effective student
learning by assigning essays and having more one-on-one interaction
with students without worrying about excessive workload. Students
are also more likely to receive helpful feedback on their assignments
from teachers and develop the critical higher-level cognitive skills
that are often too hard to work with the large-class format. Large
class sizes can also have negative effects on student evaluations
of instruction, which causes great grief for faculty members who
have no control over the sizes of their classes. When student evaluations
are used as a determinant for faculty advancement decisions, this
further frustrates instructors, since there is a natural bias among
students against large classes because of the perceived impersonality
of setting.
As a student at UCLA who has taken courses
both large and small in class size, it has been my experience that
while I tend to do better in larger classes because the methods
of examination make it easier to get a good grade, I end up liking
smaller classes more for a number of reasons. First, smaller classes
force me to think more about the material because the professors
usually conduct the classes in a question-and-answer format. Because
part of the grading is based on participation, you are forced to
think critically about what you are learning, and then offer your
own interpretations of the information and opinions presented to
you. While this is certainly more difficult than just sitting in
a huge lecture hall trying to write down bits and pieces of what
the lecturer is saying (if you can even hear), I feel that I benefit
more as a student from small classes. In accordance with my own
personal experiences in large classes, education researchers such
as Michael
Dillon and E.C. Kokkelenberg who have studied the effects of
class size in higher education explain, “Though they may have
learned the material, students do not feel as satisfied with the
classroom experience as they would have in smaller classes, suggesting
that some learning opportunities may have been lost.” As Dillon
and Kokkelenberg suggest, smaller class size increases student satisfaction
with the course material, the instructor, and their educational
experience in general, which I believe can both influence and be
just as important as mastery of course material.
Second, small classes allow you to clarify
questions you may have about course material right away as you are
learning the information because small classes are more conducive
to student-teacher interaction, as opposed to large lectures where
you have to write down questions you may have and then try to make
it to the professor’s office hours without forgetting why
you have a question in the first place. Third, small classes make
it easier for students to cultivate relationships with professors.
These relationships become invaluable to students in the long run
not only because of the knowledge gained and shared, but also in
terms of attaining thoughtful and sincere letters of recommendation
should the student decide to go on to graduate school. In my view,
small classes are much more conducive to effective learning than
large ones, and my own attitude toward large classes is overwhelmingly
negative, despite the fact that I have a good academic record as
a result of the “dumbed-down” curriculum. I would even
go so far as to say that my only regret about coming to UCLA is
the fact that I have had very few small classes where I have had
the opportunity to truly get to know my professors.
Additional Links
McKeachie, W.J. Helping Students Learn How to
Learn. 1997. Learning Support Centers in
Higher Education. 19 Feb. 2004
http://www.pvc.maricopa.edu/~lsche/proceedings/967_proc/967proc_mckeachie.htm.
Montagna, Linda G. and Linda S. Toth. Class
Size and Achievement in Higher Education: A
Summary of Current Research. University of Pennsylvania. 19 Feb.
2004
http://www.kidskornerplus.com/articles/college_courses/college_courses_65.html.
Overview: Class size Research in Higher Education.
Ohio Sate University. 19 Feb. 2004
http://www.acs.ohio-state.edu/education/ftad/Publications/Class_Size.html.
Reducing Class Size, What Do We Know? 1999.
Paper prepared by the Federal
Government. 22 Feb. 2004 http://www.ed.gov/pubs/ReducingClass/Class_size.html.
Roberts-Miller, Trish. Class Size in College
Writing Classes. University of Texas. 19 Feb.
2004 http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~robertsmiller/Classsize.html.
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