Questions about Classrooms and Research
From LiteracyTentWiki
Are there any recommendations for best practices on adult education class sizes?
From: afscmelocal3506@sbcglobal.net
Subject: [AAACE-NLA] Class Size Questions
Date: October 31, 2005 1:56:21 PM EST
To: aaace-nla@lists.literacytent.org
I teach ESL classes at the Chicago City Colleges, and I was wondering, are there any studies about student to teacher ratios?
Are there any recommendations for best practices? Have there been studies done which show what are the average class sizes for adult education?
The only information I know is that at the literacy level, it is recommended to have smaller class sizes. But what is small? 15 students? 25 students? Is this the same for GED versus ABE?
I would really appreciate if anyone could direct me in the right direction on student/teacher ratios.
Tracy Kurowski, President
AFSCME Local 3506
Adult Educators and Coordinators
City Colleges of Chicago
111 N. Wabash, Suite 2012
Chicago, IL 60602
312-641-0431/Cell #312-282-6787
From: dp.capegirardeau@sbcglobal.net
Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] Class Size Questions
Date: November 1, 2005 6:14:38 PM EST
To: aaace-nla@lists.literacytent.org
Tracy and others,
While I don't have my fingers on class-size research at the moment, the following excerpt from H.D. Brown (2001). _Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy_ (p. 196) may be helpful:
"Ideally, language classes should have no more than a dozen people or so. They should be large enough to provide diversity and student interaction and small enough to give students plenty of opportunity to participate and to get individual attention."
Douglas goes on to note, however, that "classes of fifty to seventy-five are not uncommon across this globe," and suggests "diminishing returns of classes in excess of twenty-five or thirty."
Douglas does not provide research citations for these assertions which presumably grow out of his professional experience. Certainly, though, his observations are consistent with my own ESL teaching experience and I suspect many others on this list. Still, hard data would be nice.
-David
From: david@collings.com
Subject: [AAACE-NLA] Fw: Research on class size
Date: November 3, 2005 1:05:44 AM EST
To: aaace-nla@lists.literacytent.org
The message below is courtesy of Cecil Smith.
David C.
David Collings
AAACE-NLA Moderator
david@collings.com
Original Message:
From: M Cecil Smith
To: aaace-nla@lists.literacytent.org
Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2005 9:40 AM
Subject: Research on class size
There is no research on class size effects in adult basic education of which I am aware, although it is obviously an issue that is talked about. There is an abundance of research, which has a long history, regarding class size effects in K-12 education, of which the STAR project in Tennessee is perhaps the most well-known.
Suffice it to say that, for students in lower grades, smaller classes are better for academic achievement, as students receive more individual attention. Class size does not seem to have a significant impact on achievement at the high school level. Mostly, parental pressure on school districts functions to maintain reasonable class sizes in secondary schools.
Unfortunately, this research tells us very little about what are appropriate class sizes for ABE, and particularly for English language learners who may need more individual attention. Dividing a large class into small groups may not work well if everyone is speaking a different language!
So, until we have some research evidence, the best approach appears to be professional judgment informed by cold, hard classroom experience (and a willingness to adapt when the situation changes).
Finally, I think the Partnership for Reading report written by John Kruidenier (2001) on Research-Based Principles for Reading Instruction in ABE may have some relevant comments regarding class size (I'm writing this from home and don't have my copy at hand).
Cecil Smith
M C. Smith, Ph.D.
Professor of Educational Psychology
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60115
(815) 753-8448
(815) 753-8750 (fax)
mcsmith@niu.edu
www.cedu.niu.edu/~smith
From: gdemetrion@msn.com
Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] Fw: Research on class size
Date: November 3, 2005 7:01:12 AM EST
To: aaace-nla@lists.literacytent.org
Class size is particularly on issue when teaching writing, especially if individual consultation is needed, which at our level it is.
Getting a small group to focus on each others' drafts and working one person at a time, especially on revision work is especially challenging. It can be done, but is generally more productive if the group is small enough so that each student gets air time with his or her draft.
I speak from experience rather than from the position of research on this one, which, perhaps some work from a teacher research angle could illuminate.
George Demetrion
Is there research on optimum learning groups size for basic literacy students?
[This question was posted on the NIFL-FOBASICS electronic list on June 7, 2005 by Mari Keane.]
From: djrosen@comcast.net
Subject: [NIFL-FOBASICS:1406] Re: Learning group size
Date: June 7, 2005 6:54:46 AM EDT
To: nifl-fobasics@literacy.nifl.gov
The Massachusetts Department of Education has guidelines on an optimum range of learning group size for basic literacy students (7-15 learners.) You will find this at: http://www.doe.mass.edu/acls/rfp/classsize_hours.html
These guidelines were first developed nearly two decades ago using extensive practitioner input. As far as I know, over the years practitioners have found these reasonable and effective.
Another useful document may be the Massachusetts DOE's Guidelines for Effective Adult Basic Education.http://www.doe.mass.edu/acls/abeguide.pdf
It addresses some other issues which lead to program effectiveness.
For more information you could contact the Massachusetts state ABE Director, Anne Serino, at aserino@doe.mass.edu or (781) 338-3801 ....
David J. Rosen
djrosen@comcast.net
