the influence of class size on Student academic performance

CLASS SIZE AND  STUDENTS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   Background to the study

As school population increases class sizes also increase, the performances of students become an issue. According to Dror (2001), class size has become a phenomenon often mentioned in the educational literature as an influence on pupil’s feelings and achievement, on administration, quality and school budgets. In his words he noted, that class size is almost an administrative decision over which teachers have little or no control. Most researchers start from the assumption that size of the class would prove a significant determinant of the degree of success of students. In fact, with the exception of a few, many studies have reported that under ideal situation, class size in itself appears to be an important factor. The first issue that calls for immediate clarification is what number of students should constitute a large group and what should be described as a small group? In describing a small group, Bray (2000) observed that they have few teachers with small pools of talent; offer limited range of subjects and characteristically finding it hard to justify costly investment on libraries… their pupils lack competition and interest with relatively few peers as they get stucked with same teacher for an entire school career.

The description appears to be an anti-type of what obtains in large group. Large school/class size on the other hand are often impersonal, having broader curricula with teachers being given wider support, while students may suffer discipline problems as teachers cannot get to know their students very easily. They find it easy to stream students according to ability while commitment to work may stand a test of time. In terms of numerical strength, the National Policy on Education (1977 revised in 1981) specified 20 in pre-primary, 30 in primary and maximum of 40 in secondary schools. These directives appear unrealistic in urban areas as a result of high population. From studies conducted, the size of large classes range from 30-336 and small from 8-45 (Kolo, 1999). The empirical literature on class size and its relationship to academic achievement has been unwieldy and confusing. According to Jordan (2003), in his analysis of the inter-relationship of intelligence, achievement and socio-economic status of high schools, concluded that School Location among other variables was directly related to mean achievement level of students in all the sampled subjects. However, the report by some researchers on elementary school pupils revealed that the size of school and length of attendance have little or no effect upon pupils’ achievement when educational opportunities are comparable. In his conclusion, he asserted that teachers generally, have definite preference for the size of schools in which they wish to teach and that the larger the size, the lower the level of students’ achievement will tend to be. The observation which agrees with the findings of Sitkei (2005) and Walberg (2006) that a significant and consistent relationship exist in the achievement of students in small classes of about 1-20 pupils that obtained higher scores in science tests than their counterparts in large classes are necessary for student achievement.

Expressing a divergent view, Silver as cited by Bolton (2008) found that there was no significant difference in post test achievement scores between large classes and small classes control groups; he concluded that larger is sometimes better. Earlier, Keeves (2002) acceded that type of school did not make a contribution to academic achievement, however, Carpenter and Western (2001) found that school type makes a difference in students academic achievement. Hatis and Spay citing Smith and Glass and Glass et al as a corollary to the above statement indicated through meta-analyses that, compare to larger classes, small classes lead to higher pupils achievement, more favourable teacher effects (e.g morale, attitude towards students) greater attempts in

individualized instruction, a better classroom climate and more favorable student effects (e.g self concept, participation). In another development, Finn and Achilles (1999) observed in a longitudinal analysis of a portion of their large scale experiment (describing Kindergarten and teachers) that students in small classes out-perform their peers in kindergarten classes of regular size… (regular class size here means large classes). According to a study conducted in United States, Campbell (2000) remarked that students from large schools were exposed to large number of school activities and the best of them achieved standards that were unequaled by students in small schools. However, he observed that students in small schools participated in more activities, (both academics and extra- curricular activities). The study concluded that the versatility and performance of pupils in small schools were consistently higher. The assertion made by Campbell appears confusing as he failed to pin-point the one that is more reliable.

The classroom is the center of learning activities. It is business center of heavy traffic flow of learners and teacher constituting the key participants. The classroom consists of the physical and social environment (Iheanacho2002).

Fraser (1989) discusses background information about the field of classroom environment and its focus upon students' and teachers' perceptions of psychosocial aspect of the learning environment which pervade school classroom, and provides compelling evidence, that the classroom environment is a potent determinate of student outcome the should not be ignored by those wishing to improve the effectiveness of schools.

Thus, this study seeks to examine the influence of classroom environment on student academic performance in physics in selected secondary schools in …..State.

1.2 Statement of the problem

The influence of class size in academic performance has been the focus of both academic and policy debate for some time now. Obtaining credible estimates of the impact of class size on performance is challenging because both performance and class size vary with common variables like students’ background. Moreover, school principals may assign teachers to classes in an endogenous fashion, for example by assigning young and inexperienced teachers to smaller classes or exactly the opposite, i.e. to grant tenured teachers more privileges, or even to assign students with more difficulties to smaller classes. It is, therefore, usually very difficult to distinguish between the contribution of class size to students’ performance from the contribution of other factors.

Student are sometime left with no option but to receive lessons under poor ventilated classroom, poor lighting and sound system, compacted classroom. Academic achievement is an important parameter in measuring success in students. Observations and reports have shown that success or high academic achievement has become a Herculean task to accomplish by students in recent times. The decline in the academic performance of students in Nigerian universities had been highlighted by Soyinka (1999), when he observed that university system in Nigeria needed restructuring. He went further to say that academic standard had fallen drastically and the quality of graduates being produced by the nations universities is questionable and subject to re-examination. Poor academic achievement of students has been of great concern to educationists, government and the public in general.

Students' poor performance in Physics  has continued to pose a serious concern to government agencies, parents and the students themselves (Essien 2004, Akpan 2006 and Usoro 2007). Most previous studies had tended to attribute this problem to factors that are extraneous to the learner, such as poor physical facilities, school environment etc. Various strategies adopted by different governments and agencies tend not to address the problem substantially. There is therefore further need to research into other possible factors or variables underlying students' performance in Physics, since behaviour is a product of environmental and psychosocial variables. The researcher had therefore been motivated to carry out this study that is aimed at examining if class size could be linked with students academic performance.

1.3 Purpose of the study

The main purpose of this research work is to investigation the influence of class size on Student academic performance in Physics in selected Secondary School in ……L.G.A of ……State. Specially, it is aim at determining whether:

1)     Class size has any relationship with students' academic performance.

2)     Large class size has any relationship with students' academic performance.

3)     Small class size has any relationship with students’ academic performance.

4)     difference exist in academic performance of students between large class size and small class size.

1.4 Research questions

The following questions from the bedrock of this research work and as well guide this investigation.

1)     Dose classroom size relate with students' academic performance?

2)     How does large class size influence students' academic performance?

3)     To what extent does small class size improve students' academic performance?

4)     What is the difference in performance of students in large class  and their counterparts in small class?

1.5 Statement of hypotheses

this study is based on the following specific hypotheses which are formulated from above research questions to guide the study.

1)     There is no significant relationship between class size and students' academic performance.

2)     There is no significant relationship between large class and students' academic performance.

3)     There is no significant relationship between small class and students’ academic performance.

4)     There is no significant difference in academic performance between students of large class and their counterparts in small class.

1.6   Assumption of the study

Several assumptions guide this study:

1)     It was assumed that the sample is a true representative of the entire population

2)     It was also assumed that the questionnaire administered was expressed that in a language simple enough to avoid ambiguity by the respondent.

3)     It was assumed that the variables were controlled in order to create an unbiased sample.

4)     There is validity, reliability and consistency in the method that students’ academic performances are evaluated.

5)     It was assumed that the variables under study are measurable.

1.7 Significance of the study

It is justifiable to conduct the research work because the findings from the study will be beneficial to the following group of persons.

1)     The school administrators will benefit from the finding because the result will help them to effectively, manage and utilize the school facilities.

2)     Teachers will also use the result of the study to create and enabling classroom environment that will aid teaching and learning processes.

3)     The government will also find the result of this research work very relevant, because it will bring to their door step those facilities that are lacking within the classroom as to make appropriate policies to cover up their objectives.

1.8   Delimitation of the study

The research work is delimited to the dominant classroom factor that may influence the academic performance of student in physics . These factors may include class size, small class size, large class size research work covers some secondary school within …….. State and consider only physics as a subject.

1.9 Limitation of the study

The researcher would have loved to cover all schools in ……L..G.A beyond if the means was available. The researcher is however constrain by the time factor because the period given and research work is always short and resources such as money to work because the research is sponsored by individual students.

1.10 Definition of terms

Classroom:

This is the centre of learning activities centre of heavy traffic flow of learners and teachers constituting the key participants.

Class size:

Large class:

Small class:

Performance: This refers to those academic works that someone has done successfully, especially using his own effort and skills.

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