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Научни трудове на Съюза на учените в България-Пловдив Серия A. Обществени науки, изкуство и култура, том I., Съюз на учените сесия 31 октомври - 1 ноември 2014 Scientific research of the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria-Plovdiv, seriesA. Public sciences, art and culture, Vol. I., Union of Scientists, ISSN 1311-9400, Session 31 October - 1 November 2014.
SMALLER CLASS SIZE IMPROVES STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
. Hysen Kasumi
English Department, AAB University
Prishtina, Kosovo
Abstract -Students' performance is generally associated with many factors and variables. However, one of the variables not less important is the class size. Literature review constitutes an essential part of the research, to include a wide range of theories, tackling this issue.Meanwhile, bythis paper we brought the experience of OECD countries regarding the impact of class size on the students' performance. An empirical researchwas conducted, regarding the performance, and the data is presented in table format herein. The research question is: Can Downsizing the high school Class Sizes Increase the Student Performance?
Keywords: Communication Language Teaching- Method, teaching, class size, Performance.
Introduction
Class size plays a key role not only in academic debate in Kosovo, but also in many other countries throughout the globe. Class with a smaller number of students is often perceived to allow teachers to focus more on the individual needs of students and shorten the amount of time in the classroom that teachers dedicate such as discipline, or disruption among students. Factors that affect the interaction between teachers and students in the class are: courses subjects, teachers' sharing time between teaching and other duties, students' grouping within the classroom and teaching practice in groups or teams.
If the number of students exceeds 40, work in groups is almost impossible, compared with classes where the number of students does not exceed the number 15. Having fewer students in classrooms the possibility of interaction between teachers and students, as well as between students themselves is considerably higher. At the same time, the evaluation of small class sizes is better, where teacher has an idea, prediction and keeps complete records for each student, for their achievements or their full performance. Teachers and students shall be provided with appropriate classroom conditions and limited number of students per classroom in order to organize and develop work in groups and course related practical activities. The class size could also affect the teacher's allocation of time and, hence, effectiveness, in other ways, too—for example, how much material can be covered. Finally, it is obvious that the relationship between class size and performance is often non-linear and also it makes the assessment difficult.
According to OECD statistics, at the primary school level, on average the class size is around 21 students per class. This number is around 34 students in Korea whilst in Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg, Portugal, the Slovak Republic and Switzerland, where the number of students per class is approximately 20. While in low secondary schools, in OECD countries, the number of
students in a class with average size is around 24 students per class1.
Literature review concerning the impact of class size on students' performance
The authors2 emphasis that research on class size in colleges and universities are significantly higher than the research on class size in primary and secondary schools. Chapman, L &Lundlow3 found out that classrooms with the larger number of students had no impact on the decline of teaching in their economy classes. While other researchers have found that classes with large number of students actually associated with a decline in students' achievement and performance. Chapman, L &Lundlow3 have examined the relationship between class size and teaching perceived by students, is associated with students' efforts, such as the presence of students in the class and the amount of time spent on the relevant course. But still, they point out that according to studentsthe classes with large number of students have negative perceptions about learning. Jepsen, C &Rivkin2, stated that during 1996, California has made a very expensive reform in education in the history of USA. They reduced the number of students in classrooms for 10 students, namely from 30 students that were in previous classes to 20 students. In the research, they used social experiment and innovative statistical methods to identify the causal effects of classes with fewer students, keeping the quality of teachers constant. At the end they found out that the effect on student's performance has significantly improved to 20- student classes compared to classes with 30 students.
Large classes are less likely to make compositions and oral presentations and are more likely to mark students with multiple-choice-exams involvingmultiple solutions. Also in large classes, teachers generally use lectures as the only method of teaching, despite the small classes, which are more interactive and more attractive having more interaction in the classroom.Classes that require active participation of the students are small. Small classes tend to be effective, since students actively process the material rather than just listen and read (Mc Kenchi 1990, pg.190) cited from4. The author emphasizes that the constructivist and behaviouristssee class size from different perspectives. Constructivist point out that smaller classes are more productive as we give more importance to student engagement and interaction or work inpairs between students who, according to them, has more effect on learning.On the other hand, behaviouriststhink that lectures in large class are more productive, as they represent the behaviour of teachers as the primary/basic factor on the students' performance. However, the author states that there is a substantial interconnection between class size and class activities and furthermore he adds that small classes are more appropriate, as constructivist point5.
Research Methodology
Literature review was conducted concerning the impact of class size on student achievement, analysing MEST6 (Ministry of Education, Science and Technology) statistics, regarding the number of pupils in classes of both primary and secondary schools.
Observation in several school classes and professors was done in terms of the number of students in class and their performance in English for the academic year 2013/2014
The observation method was applied to see the class size and its impact to the students' performance. We conducted an experiment in urban and rural classes by applying the CLT syllabus to see the changes in student performance while teaching with CLT in different class sizes by applying the PET (Preliminary English Test) in different size classes.
A sample of 187 students was part of the experiment for our experimental and control groups in urban school "Hivzi Sylejmani" in Fushe Kosova and rural school "Ulpijana" in Gadime -Lypjan._
1 http://www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/48631144.pdf
2 Jepsen, C., &Rivkin, S. (2009)
3 Chapman, L &Lundlow, L (2010)
4 Johnson, I. Y. (2010)
5 Johnson, I. Y. (2010)
6 http://www.mashtgov.net/advCms/documents/Pasqyre_e_Statistikave_te_Arsimit_ne_Kosove.pdf
Results
A. Statistics according to MEST
In the Republic of Kosovo, according to MEST statistics the average number of students in the class is 24.5 students, for schools of lower secondary education. However, the figures do not indicate the large influx of students from rural to urban area, and provides noaccurate numbersof students in rural and urban areasseparately.
According to statistics of MEST, the average student / teacher ratio is 19.24. However,this proportion derives from the total number of students throughout Kosovo. Such figure should vary according to the municipalities and districts. The largest average is in Istog with 22.20 students/ teacher followed by all other major cities, where the number of students / teachers ratio is always over 20 students per teacher6.
The situation is even worse in Upper high schools, where the average number of students in the class at the state level reaches 29.2 students. Here, we must emphasize that in the first place for the number of students per class is Malisheva with 33.94 students, followed by Ferizaj 32.75 students. It shall be taken into account that the number of students per class in the cities is higher than those in the villages.
Based on observations and interviews conducted during 2013/2014 in some schools of the Republic of Kosovo emerges that the number of students is significantly higher than shown in the statistics of MEST. Such circumstance has been established because the Ministry has come up with statistics based on average number for each town of Kosovo and not for individual schools where the number sometimes comes up to 50 students per class, which has direct impact on low students' performance in English language teaching. Consequently, our high school students attend different English language courses and enrol in private schools of foreign languages as in "The Cambridge School", "Oxford Studio", or "New Age School".
B. The number of students calculating according to OECD
Number of students in class according to OECD7 is calculated as follows: in a school with 48 full-time students and also with eight full-time teachers, the ratio student/teaching personne-lare equal to six. Thus, if the working hours for teachers are estimated to be 35 hours, including 10 hours for teaching and if the timing of the instruction for each student is ¿10 hours pe r week, tlien whatever the grouping of s^udenta in school is, the avehage s ize of students' number should be calculated as follows. Estimated class size 6 students per te acher (40 hours of insaruction for students), Kneading hours per teacher = 24 otudents in class.
he. =tudents' performance after applying the CLT (Communicative Language Teaching) syllabus
FIGURE.l.shfws the difference in performance between the control and the experimental -Urban group after applying the PET testing
PET ll Exe. Urb
k
PET l Kont. Urb.
¡Series!
0
10
20
30
40
50
If we refer to "Fig.1 " we can see that experimental group lias 4 5.4p% of perfo rmance compared to controll! group which has only 28.51%> of perffrmafce. This result shows that dasa size 7 fttp:/rwww.oe ff.org/rfc/skills-bryoff-sffool/48631144.eff
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is crucial on the Student Learning Outcomes.
FIGURE.2.shows the difference in pncfbrmance between the control and the experimental-Rural group after applying the PET testing
"I__L I l
PET II Exp.Rur
PET l Kont.Rur
Seriesl
10
20
30
40
50
60
0
"Fig.2" shows the result in performance between the ruxal experimental group) with 49.53% and control group with 31 .71 %. As seen from the "Fig.2", we have almost the same difference between the two rural groups as we have in uriram area. This emphasis the re search question that downsizing the high school classes sizes can increase mhe students' performance.
Discussion and (Conclusion
We came to a c onclusion, that after testing the students of the tenth grade with PET test; the reault acco2ding to "Fig. 1" is not satisfying for control group, as those students did not achieve success to pacs the A2 leve l. There was a ligntíicent differenca while comparing the performance of the two groups, after conducting the experiment, where we implemented the CLT syllabus.
The same po sitive re sult was achieved also with the experimental rural group where we have 49.53°/oof students' performance compared to only 31.71% of performance for the control group. As a result, we conclude that implementation of CLT syllabus was undoubtedly a great success.
What we conclude is that our research was in the same line with the other authors' research that doubtfully the class size has a significant impact on the students' performance.
References
1. http://www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/48631144.pdf
2. Jepsen, C., &Rivkin, S. (2009). Class Size Reduction and Student Achievement: The Potential Tradeoff between Teacher Quality and Class Size. Journal Of Human Resources, 44(1), 223-250
3. Chapman, L &Lundlow, L (2010)" Can Downsizing College Class Sizes Augment Student Outcomes?": An Investigation of the Effects of Class Size on Student Learntngnhe Journal of General Education Volume 59, Number 2, 2010 pp. 105-123 | 10.1353/jge.2010.0012
4. Johnson, I. Y. (2010). Class Size and Student Performance at a Public Research University: A Cross-Classified Model. Research In Higher Education, 51(8), 701-723.
5. Dills, A. K., & Mulholland, S. E. (2010). A Comparative Look at Private and Public Schools' Class Size Determinants. Education Economics, 18(4), 435-454.
6. http://www.mashtnov.net/advCms/documents/Pasqyre_e_Statistikave_te_Arsimit_ne_ Kosove.pdf
7. The Common European Framework of References for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment developed by the Language Policy Divisionof the Council of Europe (Strasbourg)
Corresponding Address: PhDc. Hysen Kasumi
e-mail: hysen_kasumi@hotmail.com
hysen.kasumi@universitetiaab.com Universiteti AAB Zona Industríale Prishtine-Fushe Kosove, 10000 Prishtine, Republika e Kosoves Tel : 044/ 722/ 533
