EDUC 215
Research Paper
Spring 2012
There are many factors that influence the success of students. Class size is one of
the factors that have an effect on the academic performance of elementary students. The
number of students in the classroom directly influences the number of interactions
between the teacher and each individual student. In addition, lower-achieving students
who are placed into smaller classrooms are more likely to succeed than if they were
placed into larger classrooms. Furthermore, students in small classrooms are more likely
to participate and be engaged in the lesson. Students in small class sizes are more likely
to succeed academically than students in large class sizes.
It is very important to know and understand the effects of class size on elementary
students’ academic performance. Children need to be given the best education possible. If
class size influences performance, then it must be understood how it influences
performance so that students are given the best opportunity possible to succeed. This
topic is of interest to me because I firmly believe that, because I was placed in classrooms
with small class sizes as an elementary student, I performed better academically not only
in elementary school, but throughout my entire school career. I have also seen this
academic success in other students who were placed in small class sizes. There is a
correlation between class size and academic performance in elementary schools.
Class size affects the quality of the classroom in many ways. First, class size
affects the situations in which a teacher must work. It also affects the manner in which
teachers deal with these situations. In large classrooms, one teacher may not be able to
handle all of the situations at hand. Second, class size affects the types of activities the
students are given and to what extent they can perform these activities. Third, it affects
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the amount of interaction among the students. In smaller classrooms, students have a
better opportunity to create positive interactions with each other. With smaller class size
comes a better quality classroom, which influences the academic achievement of students
(Graue, Rauscher, & Sherfinski, 2009).
One of the most important characteristics of quality education is interaction
between the student and the teacher. In a classroom with fewer students, the teacher has
more time and opportunities to work individually with each student as opposed to a
classroom with more students. This enables the teacher to better understand the needs of
each student and address these needs. This is especially useful to students with any type
of disability who require more attention from the teacher (Folmer-Annevelink, Doolaard,
& Mascareño, 2010). Because the students receive more focus from the teacher, more
teaching and more learning takes place. In addition, in large classrooms, the interactions
between students and teachers are typically focused on classroom procedures rather than
the academic lesson; as a result, less learning takes place (Stapleton, 2012).
Another study reported a correlation specifically between class size and studentteacher interactions. For each participating classroom, teachers selected five students
whose interactions with the teachers would be observed. For each of the five students,
three were chosen based on ability (high, average, low) and two were chosen based on
behavior (disorderly and reserved). Classrooms with approximately fifteen students were
considered small while classrooms with approximately twenty-four students were
considered large. According to the observations, teachers interacted more with students in
smaller classrooms. For kindergarten students, those with disruptive behavior received
more interaction with the teacher than those students who performed with high ability. In
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the first grade classrooms, students who were considered “low-ability” received much
more interaction with their teacher than any other students. Furthermore, it was found
that all students, no matter of their ability, received more attention from the teacher. This
attention is particularly crucial in during the developmental years because it demonstrates
to children that they are important. All students benefited from the small class size,
particularly those with low-ability or disruptive behavior (Folmer-Annevelink et al.,
2010).
There have been studies which report that it is in larger classrooms that students
received more interaction with their teacher. There are many reasons as to why this may
be. One reason argued is that larger classrooms are teacher-directed, which grants
teachers more time for instruction; however, it is typically the teachers who are initiating
the interaction. It is in the smaller classrooms that students are more likely to initiate
interaction with their teacher. It is also in smaller classrooms that students are more likely
to interact with their teacher in group settings as well. According to the Tennessee
Student-Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR) study, which studied researched twentyseven schools with small classrooms (twenty students or fewer) and large classrooms
(thirty students or more), students in the small classrooms had more interaction with their
teacher when working individually and when working with a group as opposed to
students in large classrooms (Folmer-Annevelink et al., 2010).
In addition to more student-teacher interaction, small class sizes result in more
engagement and participation from the students during lessons. In small classes, teachers
can go more in depth with their lessons, which allows the students more exploration with
the concepts. In addition, in large classes, there is more off-task behavior. Students in
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small classes are more likely to stay focused on the lesson. Furthermore, students who
may not normally participate in large class discussions are more likely to participate in
small classes. There are many reasons as to why. First, shy students may feel more
comfortable to vocalize their thoughts in front of less people. Second, with fewer
classmates, students may feel more responsibility to participate. Finally, students realize
that they are more likely to be caught if they are misbehaving; therefore, they are likely to
pay attention. As a result, students become involved with their learning (Stapleton, 2012).
This has been found to have a direct relationship with positive academic
performance. In a study of over one thousand fourth grade students, there was a
correlation of .40 and .59 between the rate that students participated and the students’
achievement scores at the end of the year. It was also found that, in areas of math and
reading, there was a significant difference between the scores of children who were
considered “good” or “outgoing” and those who were considered “rebellious” or
“withdrawn.” From this research it is apparent that participation affects students’
academic performance. When students participate in class, they are becoming involved in
their own learning. When they become involved in their own learning, they retain more
information; therefore, their academic performance improves. (Finn, Pannozzo, &
Achilles, 2003).
While class size reduction studies have provided an abundance of information,
there are many people who are skeptical of the results. Some question the Tennessee
STAR study. One of the most common criticisms of STAR is that there are many factors
that can contribute to student success besides class size. This is true; however, class size
is one of these factors. While class size may not be the only factor, it does influence
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students’ academic performance. (Sohn, 2010). There are also studies that claim having a
larger class size does not negatively affect the students’ performances. While studies
have not shown that having a larger class size has a negative effect, they have shown that
having a smaller class size does positively affect the performance of students. With a
smaller class size comes many advantages; there is more opportunity for each student to
be involved. Having fewer students makes it easier for class discussions. Students also
have more one-on-one interaction with their teacher (Guder, Malliaris, & Jalivand, 2009).
There are many factors that can influence elementary students’ academic
performance. One of these factors is class size. Studies have shown that, while increasing
class size may not have a negative effect, reducing class size or the student-teacher ratio
can have a positive effect. Decreasing class size allows for more interaction between the
teacher and each student. This results in the teacher having a better understanding of the
academic, emotional, and social needs of each student. The students in smaller
classrooms also feel more comfortable about initiating interaction with their teacher as
opposed to those students in larger classrooms. As a result, students’ performance is more
likely to improve. By reducing the class size in elementary schools, students are more
likely to succeed academically.
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Works Cited
Finn, J. D., Pannozzo, G. M., & Achilles, C. M. (2003). The "why’s" of class size:
Student behavior in small classes. Review of Educational Research, 73(3), 321368.
Folmer-Annevelink, E., Doolaard, S., Mascareño, M., & Bosker, R.J. (2010). Class size
effects on the number and types of student-teacher interactions in primary
classrooms. Journal of Classroom Interaction, 45(2), 30-38.
Graue, E., Rauscher, E., & Sherfinski, M. (2009). The synergy of class size reduction and
classroom quality. Elementary School Journal, 110(2), 178-201.
Guder, F., Malliaris, M., & Jalivand, A. (2009). Changing the culture of a school: The
effect of larger class size on instructor and student performance. American
Journal of Business Education, 2(9), 83-90.
Sohn, K. (2010). A skeptic’s guide to Project STAR. KEDI Journal of Educational
Policy, 7(2), 257-272.
Stapleton, J. (2012). Do class sizes matter?. Education Today, (1), 26-29.