Does Classroom Size Affect Students? It sure does.

By Zahraa Bader

May 28, 2024

The class sizes can range from five students to thirty three students at Colonie Central High School. With that large range of a difference, students are able to experience different environments. This causes different students to perform better in certain classes than others, and this is due to peer pressure that different class sizes create. 

“When I’m in a smaller class I learn better because I'm not intimidated and I can focus better,” senior Fiona Amale said.

In large classes, many students almost feel like all their classmates are watching them when they start to speak, which leads to them being silent.

Intimidation can also cause students to not ask questions or for help when they need it. 

According to the National Council of Teachers of English, when compared to their counterparts in bigger classes, research generally indicates that students in smaller classes do better in all disciplines and on all examinations. Students in smaller classrooms typically have material knowledge that is one to two months ahead of the rest of the class and do better on standardized tests. 

“The teacher can help me more and can interact with me better,” a student in a small class explained.

Smaller class sizes assist in student engagement and participation. With fewer students wanting attention, students in smaller classes feel more comfortable asking questions, engaging in discussions, and seeking help when needed.

Teachers can get to know the students and understand individually what certain students need to work on. The higher the student-to-teacher ratio, the less attention each person receives, resulting in a worse quality of education, and vice versa, but this is easier said than done.

A decades-long drive by parents, administrators, and policy officials to reduce class sizes is being undermined as millions of public school kids nationwide face larger classes due to budget cuts and teacher layoffs.

Maine has the lowest average ratio of 11:1, while California has the greatest ratio of 22:1 students to teachers, according to the AAA State of Play. As a result, Maine outperforms Californian students.

Many schools struggle to keep class numbers under control due to a lack of resources and an increase in student enrollment. This creates a number of issues that limit efficient learning environments.

Mrs. Botta, a math teacher at CCHS, third period class had thirty students which she says was hard for her to get the class moving forward due to the large number.

“A perfect number of students for a college or regents class level is around 20 students.” Mrs. Botta said.

“I like that number of students since I can split them up and they can work in groups,” Botta goes on to explain.

According to the American Federation of Teachers, AFL, they aim for classes between 15 and 19 students each. Which is the number of students that is considered to be the “optimum”.

“Even a small class of 10 students can be bad since students don't treat it like a class.” Botta says.

Teachers have found out what is meant by a “class size that is not too small or too large” is, and it’s where the students can excel along with their classmates, without having to feel overwhelmed by the amount. This also holds true on how true classroom engagement is benefiting the students into learning topics in a different way. Classroom size can greatly affect the ability of students since the environment dictates the schools performance as a whole. Schools should consider classroom size as a factor when implementing a new goal of student achievement.