Class size matters : the effect of class size on students' achievement in a school of Male' / Shahidha Hussain

Abstract:

This is a study about how current class size affects the academic performance of the students in one of the school of Male' based on a qualitative research design. A total of seven participants were selected using purposive sampling, in a school of Male'. Data was collected from interviews and analyzed using content analysis. The seven major findings of this study are: (1) current class sizes are too large, (2) teachers cannot provide adequate individual assistance and feedback to students, (3) teachers have to resort to fewer varieties of assessments, (4) there was a delay in curriculum coverage, (5) teachers had to limit open-ended questioning and also wait time, (6) more administrative tasks for the class teacher and finally (7) achieving class size reduction. Overall, the outcome of this study revealed that the quality of learning opportunities for students can be further improved by reducing the current class size.