Class Size Reduction Research Articles

Health promotion and students’ well-being in secondary schools in Catalonia

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse the views of different members of the school community regarding the health and well-being of young people and health promotion in schools. Design: Case study design was used, in which the Personal Wellbeing Index–School Children’s Questionnaire was administered to young people, and focus groups were held with other members of the school community (students, teachers, families, tutors and stakeholders). Setting: Five secondary schools in Catalonia (Spain). Method: Sequential triangulation between methods. Quantitative methods evaluated the students’ perception of health and well-being, while qualitative methods described school community perceptions of health promotion in school. Results: The results revealed a generally good perception of health among young people. Reported perceptions of health were lower among students in the later years of secondary education. Findings suggest that health promotion actions do not always translate into healthy behaviours among young people. Lack of resources and school overcrowding are key contextual factors influencing the promotion of health. Conclusion: Findings advance knowledge related to health education during the secondary years of schooling. In addition, they provide professionals with relevant data for developing and implementing health and well-being actions to include as part of a holistic curriculum.

Estimating causal effects of class size in secondary education: evidence from TIMSS

ABSTRACT The effectiveness of class size reduction on student performance has been of great research interest and policy debate worldwide. Nevertheless, the evidence has been largely inconclusive partially due to potential bias arising from non-random placement of students and teachers in classrooms of different sizes. This study applied instrumental variable (IV) methods and used a regression discontinuity design (RDD) to conduct analyses of TIMSS data in 2003, 2007 and 2011. The purpose was to investigate over time the effects of class size on eighth grade students’ cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes on five mathematics and science subjects in four European countries (i.e. Hungary, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia). IV estimates indicate that in Romania in 2003 smaller classes had significant and positive effects on academic scores in mathematics, physics, chemistry and earth science and in 2007 on enjoyment to learn mathematics. In Lithuania, in 2011 small classes had significant and positive effects on enjoyment to learn biology and chemistry and learning chemistry well. In 2007 however, the effects were reversed on some of the biology related non-cognitive outcomes. Overall, the class size effects that were significant were also substantial in magnitude and typically much larger than the effects reported in Project STAR.

Through a girl’s eyes: Social ontologies of citizen identity among Jordanian and refugee students in Jordan’s double-shift secondary schools

Jordan, along with Lebanon, has the greatest influx of Syrian refugees in the world. To address the issue of overcrowding in schools, a double-shift system operates in Jordan, whereby Jordanian students receive schooling in the morning; and Syrian and other refugee students, in the afternoon. The purpose of this article is to examine the social ontological perspectives of 92 Arab female youth (Jordanian and Arab refugee) through analysis of their views on citizen identity and the citizenship discourse promoted in 3 all-girl double-shift secondary schools in Amman. The youths’ ontologies are informed by a complex set of identity markers; namely, nationality, religion, culture, ethnicity (Arabness), gender, and developmental stage (youth). The study reveals that youth ontological security is rooted in Arab heritage, Islamic identity, and the state’s emphasis on preservation of peace over student reactions to contemporary political crises in the Middle East. This empirically grounded, qualitative scholarship serves as a call for more youth studies on citizen identity in the Arab world.

Does class size matter in postgraduate education?

AbstractThe paper examines the impact of class size on postgraduate (PG) grades using administrative data from one of the largest Schools of a Russell Group University in the UK. As well as estimating fixed effects models on the population of PG candidates in the School, we exploit a policy change aimed at reducing class size to implement a regression discontinuity design. We find that class size does impact overall grades adversely; and the policy aimed at reducing class size impacts grades favourably. Our findings are robust to alternative specifications as well as being supported by the validity tests we conducted.

Effects of class-size reduction on cognitive and non-cognitive skills

We estimate the effects of class-size reduction by exploiting exogenous variation caused by Maimonides’ rule, which requires that the maximum class size is 40 students and that classes be split into two when 41 students are enrolled. Our data cover all fourth to ninth graders in 1064 public schools in an anonymous prefecture of Japan for three years. We find that the effects of class-size reduction on academic test scores are statistically and/or economically insignificant when school fixed effects are controlled. We find no evidence that small class size improves non-cognitive skills.

Do the disadvantaged benefit more from small classes? Evidence from a large-scale survey in Japan

This study examines whether class size has heterogeneous effects for students from different socio-economic backgrounds by exploiting rich student-level data obtained from a nationwide survey in Japan. We find substantial disparities in cognitive skills among students from different socio-economic backgrounds. While the overall effect of class size on cognitive ability of ninth-grade students is small, we find that class-size reduction has a larger effect on cognitive ability of economically disadvantaged students. We find no signs related to systematic enrollment manipulation.

The role of the school in promoting the value of striving against the self-reliance of the secondary students from the perspective of the teachers in the city of Riyadh

This study aimed to reveal the reality of the role of the school in promoting the value of striving against the self-reliance of the secondary students, and the detection of obstacles to be strengthened, and identify the ways proposed to reinforcement it.The researcher used descriptive approach (scanning), survey tool to collect data and information, and distributed them to a sample of (445) a teacher, by 6.9 from the original community, they chose the stratified random manner, the most prominent of the results of the study: 1- Across the role of the school in promoting the value of striving against the self-reliance of the secondary students on average (3.50) the assessment (high) according to the first solution dimensions of the role of the teacher in promoting self-striving against the average (3.79), followed by after the role of the school curriculum at an average (3.54), both the assessment (high) and thirdly the role of school management the average (3.37), and finally the role of the school activity the average (3.16) Both the estimation (medium). 2- The axis of impediments to the performance of the school for its role in promoting the value of striving against the self-reliance of the secondary students, on average (3.53), the estimation (high), is the most prominent in the "overcrowding in classrooms with students." 3- The focus of the proposed ways to activate the role of the school in promoting the value of striving against the self-reliance of the secondary students, on average (3.81), the estimation (high), is the most prominent in the "Investing religious seasons in stimulating the students to wrestle with the self.

Leading change in a South African school

Subject area: Human Resource Management Study level/applicability: Postgraduate business students Learning outcomes The learning objectives to be drawn from the case are as follows: To discuss the challenges of a leader within a resource-constrained environment. Students are required to highlight aspects of transformational leadership and assess the leader against those criteria. To highlight the connection between employee mindset, actions, and organisational performance. Students need to identify the key issues underlying the personnel challenges facing the leader. To explore the influence of leadership on employee engagement. Students should identify the actions taken by the leader to engage employees and analyse the intention behind them, as well as the actual outcomes. To discuss the potential solutions that the leader may institute to achieve the overall transformational objective for the organisation. Case overview/synopsis This case puts students in the shoes of Siya Zwane, the newly appointed principal of Green Acres Primary School in the South Africa’s Eastern Cape. Having recently completed her PhD in education after 10 years of teaching, Zwane is well versed in the best practices for organisational development and eager to apply them in a public school setting. Her leadership is particularly relevant in the context of a struggling school system that faces, among other issues, an economically disadvantaged population, overcrowding in classrooms, poor infrastructure, and a general lack of resources, including qualified staff. As a newcomer to this school system, Zwane learns quickly how these systemic issues manifest in her teaching team and realises that her first priority must be to empower her staff and enhance employee engagement. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 1: Accounting and Finance

NET COSTS OF CLASS-SIZE REDUCTION: THE PORTUGUESE CASE

Abstract This article aims to promote further reflection on the benefits derived from class-size reduction, seeking to demonstrate that the expenditures resulting from this are usually overestimated when they are determined on the basis of gross employee cost to the State, and not taking into account the corresponding net costs. This scholarly exercise analyzes the Portuguese case and the costs of a teacher in the public education system in Portugal. This work intends to contribute to a better understanding of this subject, raising awareness of different educational actors of the relationship between cost and direct and indirect benefits of a class-size reduction policy.

Effects of Class-Size Reduction on Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Skills

We estimate the effects of class-size reduction by exploiting exogenous variation caused by Maimonides’ rule, which requires that the maximum class size is 40 students and that classes be split into two when 41 students are enrolled. Our data cover all fourth to ninth graders in 1,064 public schools in an anonymous prefecture of Japan for three years. We find that the effects of class-size reduction on academic test scores are statistically and/or economically insignificant when school fixed effects are controlled. We find no evidence that small class size improves non-cognitive skills.

Os Impactos Financeiros decorrentes da Redução do Número de Alunos por Turma: o caso português

O presente artigo pretende promover a reflexão em torno dos benefícios decorrentes da diminuição do número de alunos por turma procurando, neste sentido, demonstrar que as despesas daqui resultantes são habitualmente sobrevalorizadas ao serem determinadas em função dos custos brutos de um trabalhador para o Estado e não tendo em conta os custos líquidos correspondentes. Para este exercício académico levou-se em linha de conta o caso português e os custos de um professor para o sistema público de ensino em Portugal. Tendo presente um percurso metodológico destinado a estimar não apenas os custos brutos, mas, igualmente, os custos líquidos da contratação de um docente a preços de referência de 2015/2016, e cruzando esse custo com as projeções de turmas a criar no sistema educativo português, no ano letivo de 2017/2018, a partir de um cenário de redução do número máximo de alunos por turma, estimou-se que os custos líquidos desta medida se irão situar na ordem dos 20 milhões de euros, um valor significativamente inferior aos que habitualmente são assumidos pelos decisores políticos e considerados no debate científico sobre essa medida de política educativa. Com este trabalho pretende-se contribuir para uma melhor reflexão sobre esta temática, sensibilizando diferentes atores educativos para uma aproximação mais fina à relação entre custos e benefícios diretos e indiretos que podem resultar de uma política de redução do número de alunos por turma.

Teachers’ Perspective on Implementation of the Double Track Senior High School System in Ghana

The study sought to explore teacher’ perspective on the implementation of the double track senior high school education system in Ghana; specifically, in the Effutu Municipality and Gomoa East Districts of Ghana. The study employed sequential exploratory design. Semi structured interviews and structured questionnaires were used to gather data for the study. The population comprised head teachers and teachers. The purposive and simple random sampling procedures were used to select head teachers and teachers respectively. The sample size of the study was 95 which comprise five (5) head teachers and ninety (90) teachers within the Effutu municipality and Gomoa East Districts of the Central Region of Ghana. Majority of the respondents perceived that the implementation of the double track senior high school system in their school has resulted in increased enrollment, reduced class sizes, and increased contact hours, recruitment of new teachers and optimal use of school facilities. Challenges confronting the implementation of the double track senior high school system in the study area were inadequate stakeholder consultation, inadequate provision of logistics and funds by the government, quality of education being compromised, possible incompletion of syllabus owing to increased number of holidays and maintenance of school facilities becoming a problem. The study, therefore, recommends that policy makers (Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service) should strategically involve head teachers and teachers in the development of policies since the teachers are the key implementers of the policy. Government should also ensure adequate provision of resources and logistics for successful implementation of its policies.

Relating preschool class size to classroom quality and student achievement

This paper examines the effects of preschool class size on classroom quality and student achievement by drawing upon data from 21 teachers and 354 children that were collected during the 2008–2009 school year. Regular class sizes contained 20 students and reduced class sizes contained 15 students. Either the AM or PM session was randomly assigned to be 15 students for each teacher, so that each teacher taught both a regular and reduced class size.Children who attended reduced size classrooms were found to partake in more one-to-one interactions with teachers than children in regular size classrooms, but there were no differences between groups in the quality of classroom interactions as measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). Children in smaller classrooms also were found to gain more in literacy skills by the end of preschool. In contrast, there were no significant differences between groups in vocabulary or math gains.These results indicate that an assigned difference of five children in a preschool classroom can benefit children's cognitive development after just one school year. However, these benefits are not explained by differences in a commonly used measure of classroom quality, which were minimal. Future endeavors to reduce class size in preschool might be enhanced if coupled with professional development strategies that aim to maximize teachers' effectiveness with smaller classes.

Does Class Size Matter in Postgraduate Education?

The paper examines the impact of class size on postgraduate grades using administrative data from one of the largest Schools of a Russell Group University in the UK. As well as estimating Fixed Effects models on the population of postgraduate candidates in the School, we exploit a policy change aimed at reducing class size to implement a regression discontinuity design (RDD). We find that class size does impact grades adversely overall; and the policy aimed at reducing class size impacts grades favourably. Our findings are robust to alternative specifications as well as being supported by the validity tests we conducted.

Early academic gaps and Title I programming in high poverty, high minority schools

Since 1965 the purpose of Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act has been to improve the educational outcomes of economically disadvantaged students and reduce achievement gaps. This paper presents analysis of data from a nationally representative sample of African American and Latinx kindergartners who attended public schools operating school-wide Title I programs in the 2010–11 school year. The purpose of analysis was to examine the associations between Title I programming and achievement gaps. The results indicated that African American students in high poverty, high minority schools made greater gains in reading in schools that used Title I for reduced class size. African American and Latinx students in high poverty, high minority schools made greater gains in mathematics in schools that used Title I for professional development. Findings were scrutinized via propensity score weighting, which revealed the tangled nature of school context, child and family characteristics, and student learning. Suggestions for future research include random assignment studies and local partnerships to determine effective uses of Title I monies.

The Effect of Teacher's Aides in the Classroom: Evidence from a Randomized Trial

Abstract Teacher's aides are used worldwide, in various school systems, although, there is no strong evidence of their impact on student outcomes. We use a randomized trial to challenge this state of evidence. We randomly allocate 105 schools to two types of treatments—aides with or without a teaching degree—compared to a control group. Both types of aides have positive impacts on test scores and the effects are persistent over time for disadvantaged students. Exploratory analyses of mechanisms suggest that a teacher's aide is not just a class-size reduction, but especially impactful when sharing instructional responsibility for the classroom.

Reducing the number of pupils in French first-grade classes: Is there evidence of contemporaneous and carryover effects?

This study aims at investigating the contemporaneous and carryover effects of a class size reduction experiment. This experiment initially involved 100 reduced classes (average 10.5 pupils; range 8–12) that were contrasted with 100 full-size classes (average 21.3 pupils; range 15–27). Although the experiment was implemented only in Grade 1, the pupils have been followed up over a two-year period until the end of Grade 2. Multilevel growth curve modelling estimates show significant positive contemporaneous effect of the class size reduction in Grade 1, but no carryover effects during the following year. At the end of Grade 2, the effects have faded. Practical implications for a class-size reduction policy and limitations of the study are discussed.

Beyond class size reduction: Towards more flexible ways of implementing a reduced pupil–teacher ratio

The effect of a reduced pupil–teacher ratio has mainly been investigated as that of reduced class size. Hence we know little about alternative methods of reducing the pupil–teacher ratio. Deploying additional teachers in selected subjects may be a more flexible way, both pedagogically and financially, to exploit the opportunities for adapting instruction inherent in reducing the number of students under a teacher’s responsibility. In this paper, we discuss limitations to previous class-size research and suggest more flexible ways to implement a reduced pupil–teacher ratio. One alternative approach is illustrated with a change in national policy in Norway to increase teacher density as well as research following this initiative.

Implementing small class teaching in East Asia: Problems and possibilities

Recently, East Asian countries have sought to reduce the size of primary classes, in contrast to current Western perspectives which are based on the argument that other factors are more important in bringing about improvements in literacy and numeracy. This shift in thinking arises because the rationale for class size reductions in East Asia differs from that which influenced previous Western efforts.Initially, the paper explores the consequences of these different approaches and the problems and attempted solutions which arise when class size reductions are implemented. A specific case study is described and key elements in the implementation process identified. Finally, the paper suggests ways that present small class practice might be modified to meet current East Asian educational goals.

How information affects support for education spending: Evidence from survey experiments in Germany and the United States

To study whether current spending levels and public knowledge of them contribute to transatlantic differences in policy preferences, we implement parallel survey experiments in Germany and the United States. In both countries, support for increased education spending and teacher salaries falls when respondents receive information about existing levels. Treatment effects vary by prior knowledge in a manner consistent with information effects rather than priming. Support for salary increases is inversely related to salary levels across American states, suggesting that higher salaries could explain much of Germans' lower support for increases. Information about the tradeoffs between specific spending categories shifts preferences from class-size reduction towards alternative purposes. Additional German experiments indicate that information effects extend to specific reform proposals and to other areas of public spending.