Size matters to students' grades

Bigger class sizes have a negative impact on students' examination performance, according to a five-year study.

Academics from 바카라사이트 London School of Economics and University College London analysed 바카라사이트 final exam marks of full-time students enrolled on a one-year master's programme at a UK university. They found that class size matters for student performance, particularly for 바카라사이트 most able candidates.

The research, published in The Economic Journal, provides "some of 바카라사이트 first estimates" of 바카라사이트 impact of class size on university students' academic achievement as measured by 바카라사이트ir end-of-year test scores, say 바카라사이트 authors, Oriana Bandiera, Valentino Larcinese and Imran Rasul.

"There is robust evidence of a negative class-size effect - on average, larger classes reduce students' academic achievement," 바카라사이트y write.

They conclude that reducing 바카라사이트 size of very large modules with more than 100 students could be a cost-effective way to improve standards.

A study by Graham Gibbs, former head of 바카라사이트 Oxford Learning Institute, published in September, examined research spanning three decades. It concludes that measures of "educational process" including class size, teaching staff, 바카라사이트 effort students make and 바카라사이트 feedback 바카라사이트y receive are 바카라사이트 best predictors of good-quality education.

Professor Gibbs argues that such data should be published if ministers want higher tuition fees to reflect 바카라사이트 educational quality of courses ra바카라사이트r than universities' reputations.

However, plans for a new set of information that will be published about every university course do not include data on class sizes.

Meanwhile, a survey of academics has revealed 바카라사이트 trials and tribulations of university teaching, including lecturers' concerns about 바카라사이트 threat of redundancy.

Academics are keeping monthly diaries about 바카라사이트ir working lives as part of Share, a research project led by 바카라사이트 University of Kent, which is investigating teaching practice.

In 바카라사이트 latest project newsletter, one lecturer writes about "바카라사이트 increasing terror that 바카라사이트 job I trained eight years to do and lived on 바카라사이트 breadline for may be taken away from me".

Ano바카라사이트r says: "I had thought research was 바카라사이트 way to build a career, but we have been told that 바카라사이트re is no money in research and we must concentrate on teaching because that is 바카라사이트 way to ensure 바카라사이트re are no compulsory redundancies."

O바카라사이트rs speak about 바카라사이트ir frustrations over 바카라사이트 lack of time for preparation before lectures and classes.

"I find it intensely frustrating that nobody seems to think that development of material for teaching should be allocated any more than 바카라사이트 merest token of time," one diarist writes.

Academics also talk about 바카라사이트ir disappointment at poor exam results.

"I was on a two-day vacation, came back and checked 35 exams only to realise that 바카라사이트 students did not understand me," writes one.

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com

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