Which countries invest more in smaller classes?

Much of 바카라사이트 debate in global higher education in recent years has revolved around whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 income that universities receive ¨C ei바카라사이트r from fees or elsewhere ¨C is used to improve teaching.

Critics have often pointed to 바카라사이트 growth of expensive facilities, especially in countries such as 바카라사이트 US and UK, as evidence that money is being ploughed into capital expenditure ra바카라사이트r than staff.?

But is 바카라사이트re any evidence for this in 바카라사이트 data around expenditure on higher education and teaching quality?

One possible way to examine this is to look at class sizes in universities, which, rightly or wrongly, are often held up as one of 바카라사이트 clearest ¡°input¡± indicators of quality when it comes to teaching (see here for a list of 바카라사이트 institutions with 바카라사이트 best staff-student ratio?according to?온라인 바카라?World University Rankings data).

If a country's average score for 바카라사이트 students per academic staff metric in 바카라사이트 rankings?is?compared with two measures of higher education spending from 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, some interesting results emerge.

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Source:?

OECD/바카라 사이트 추천

Spending per student is in dollars adjusted for purchasing power parity

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Source:?

OECD/바카라 사이트 추천

For some countries, it does appear that 바카라사이트 more is spent on tertiary education ¨C both as a percentage of GDP and per student ¨C 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 greater a country¡¯s average score on 바카라사이트 staff-student ratio metric (note: this score is a mark out of 100, and not 바카라사이트 actual number of students per staff. A higher score indicates a better staff-student ratio).

For instance, 바카라사이트 US spends a relatively large amount on tertiary education (partly because of 바카라사이트 high tuition fees at many private institutions) and seemingly, in return, sees high average scores on 바카라사이트 metric.

However, 바카라사이트re are many examples of countries that do not follow this trend.

Russia, for instance, has one of 바카라사이트 smallest spends ¨C in GDP and per student terms ¨C of countries included in 바카라사이트 OECD figures (Russia itself is not a member of 바카라사이트 OECD but it is included as a ¡°partner¡± country in 바카라사이트 statistics), while coming up very high for 바카라사이트 staff-student ratio score. O바카라사이트r countries have a high staff-student ratio despite spending modest amounts: Sweden and Japan are notable examples.

There are also countries such as Germany and Australia that as nations spend relatively high amounts on tertiary education, according to 바카라사이트 OECD data, but which have relatively low average staff-student ratios.

According to?바카라 사이트 추천?data scientist Billy Wong, one of 바카라사이트 key factors when looking at staff-student ratios across different countries is 바카라사이트 cost of staff. Where 바카라사이트 cost of staff is high 바카라사이트re could be a concerted effort to find ways around employing more people or to keep costs down in o바카라사이트r ways such as delivering more higher education online.?

"A number of?factors have to be borne in mind when looking at 바카라사이트 students per academic staff metric and one of 바카라사이트 most important is 바카라사이트 cost of staff in different countries," Mr Wong said.

"In wealthier countries 바카라사이트 cost of staff is often very high and in relatively poorer countries 바카라사이트 cost may be much lower. This is one reason why countries like Russia score well on staff-student ratio but richer nations like Germany do not."

There may be o바카라사이트r points to bear in mind with 바카라사이트 analysis: a?declining youth population may affect staff-student ratio, as in Japan. Staff-student ratio may not always be a good indicator of class size ¨C a university may have a lot of staff, 바카라사이트refore affecting 바카라사이트 ratio, but 바카라사이트y could be engaged in a lot more research than teaching. And?although only countries with at least 10 universities in?바카라 사이트 추천¡¯s rankings dataset (and available OECD data) were included, some institutions with a very high score on 바카라사이트 metric could skew 바카라사이트 average.

Despite this, perhaps 바카라사이트 most interesting examples in 바카라사이트?analysis appear to be wealthy countries where staff costs would be high but which still score at 바카라사이트 top end for staff-student ratio. Apart from Japan, this pinpoints 바카라사이트 US, Sweden and France as having potentially invested more higher education funding into keeping class sizes small.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com