Class size refers to the number of students in a classroom, specifically either the number of students being taught by individual teachers in a classroom or the average number of students being taught by teachers in a school or educational system. The term may also be the number of students participating in learning experience. Class size is almost an administrative decision over which teachers have little or no control.
Class size refers to an educational tool that can be used to describe the average number of students per class in a school. There are large and small sizes in school. The smaller the class, the greater the likelihood is that a teacher will spend more time with individual pupils. Large classes present more challenges for classroom management, pupil control, marking, planning, and assessment. In smaller classes, it can be easier for teachers to spot problems and give feedback, identify specific needs and gear teaching to meet them, and set individual targets for pupils. Teachers also experience better relationships with, and have more knowledge of individual pupils.
One of the pillars of a successful implementation of effective education progamme is the availability and adequacy of teaching and learning resources.
Large class size has negative implications on effective teaching, it leads to poor classroom management, ineffective students’ control, poor planning and assessment and increase strain Large class size encourages disruptive behaviour, frustrate the teacher’s effort and affect teacher’s health.
It was revealed that very low relationship exist between large class size and effective teaching. Also, effective teaching seems impracticable for teacher educators having large class, effective learning becomes difficult in a large class. Large class affects student’s assimilation in and that information from the teacher is not properly disseminated.