This paper explores mathematics teachers' perceptions about class size and the impact class size has on teaching and learning in secondary mathematics classrooms. It seeks to understand teachers' views about optimal class sizes and their thoughts about the education variables that influence these views. The paper draws on questionnaire responses…

A survey with open-ended questions investigated the attitudes of 54 urban Chinese teachers about issues related to the functions and benefits of having small classes (for both teachers and students). Findings indicated that most of the urban Chinese teachers preferred teaching small classes. While they perceived small class size as a beneficial…

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…

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…