Managing large classes in developing countries

Juliana D Asodike,Victoria C Onyeike

doi:10.4314/gjedr.v15i1.4

Abstract

The reasons for large classes in developing countries are not far from the favourable government policies in the provision for free and compulsory basic education. This is in line with the global initiative for universal basic education coupled with the rapid population growth and awareness that a literate population is more productive than an illiterate one. Experience has shown that large classes or overcrowded classrooms affect the quality of education delivered in the school system. Teachers find it difficult to manage and teach effectively in large classes. This article explored the concept of large class size, its characteristics and management. The suggestions on processes of effective teaching and evaluating learning in large classes in developing economies like Nigeria preferred in this article will not only contribute to the existing literature but also assist teachers in their efforts to meet the expectations of the teaching profession.KEYWORDS: Class size, Large Class, Management, Developing Economies

Highlights

The classroom can be described as that place within the school where the teacher and students can be located regularly, where everyone supposedly knows one another and one in which everyone works together
Class size refers to the actual number of students/pupils in any natural classroom
students/pupils–teacher ratio (S/PTR) is the number of students/pupils in a school with respect to the number of teaching staff

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The classroom can be described as that place within the school where the teacher and students can be located regularly, where everyone supposedly knows one another and one in which everyone works together. These Dakar Goals include: expanded access for early childhood education; free and compulsory education; increased use of life-skill education; increased adult literacy; reduced gender disparities; and overall enhanced educational quality Of these afore-mentioned 2000 Dakar World Conference goals, Benbow, Mizrache, Oliver, and Said-Moshior (2007) report that many governments in Sub-Saharan Africa including that of Nigeria have made educational access central to their national development strategy through the elimination of school fees, or significant reduction in the costs of schooling. These factors have contributed to large classes or overcrowded classrooms, which invariably impact on the quality of education delivered in the school system. This resulted to high pupils-teacher ratio in most African countries as revealed from table I

Ethiopia

Findings

CONCLUSION