Nine generalizations are made about what takes place in smaller elementary and secondary school classes (those with 25 students or less). The generalizations are based on findings from nearly 60 studies. (RC)

This volume is a synthesis of interviews conducted with 48 teachers who are infusing their large classes (over 100 students) with small-group activities or are working explicitly to create student communities within large classes. The chapters are: chapter 1, "The Argument for Making Large Classes Seem Small" (James L. Cooper and Pamela…

Literature on the subject of the relationship between class size and student achievement is briefly reviewed. It is pointed out that while researchers often come to the conclusion that class size has small impact on student achievement, teachers feel that a class of under 20 students permits better and wider learning. The financing of smaller…

Interviews with teachers of 17 small first-grade classes at 10 Edmonton (Alberta) schools found that teachers drew on the contextual benefits of small classes to support students' skill development in a creative and integrated curriculum. Teachers used individualization; active learning; integration of reading, writing, and speaking; and a variety…

Innovations which were incorporated into large, introductory, educational psychology lecture classes are described and compared to smaller classes that did not make use of the innovations. Four innovative pedagogical techniques are used: (1) a mastery approach, (2) formative evaluation, (3) a modified pyramid-like structure using small group…

A study was conducted to describe change (and lack of change) in instructional processes and teacher and student behavior when class size was reduced by one-third midway through the school year. Two second grade classes from two schools participated; one school was in rural Virginia, the other an inner-city school in California. Information was…

Recent research by Smith and Glass indicates that academic achievement is often correlated with class size. Findings from the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study suggest that teachers can do a better job with smaller classes partly because they are able to individualize instruction. Yet the possibility of reducing class size significantly is…