Scientific research on why you should choose small group classes
More and more research studies are coming out every year showing the benefits of small group classes as opposed to larger group classes. It is important to examine why this is the case.
A study conducted by the Australasian Canadian Studies in the paper ‘From large to small classes: A class room window’ revealed that by reducing class sizes, teachers were able to improve students’ academics. It showed that this was achieved as teachers were able to have more time with each student which is impossible in large classes of 20-40 students. Another important reason is that small classes are much more manageable and easy to control which allows teachers to maximise time spent on assisting students rather than wasting time trying to keep students quiet.
Similarly, the National Education Policy Centre of Colorado came to the same conclusion in its article ‘The Effectiveness of Class Size Reduction’. It found that lowering class size improves student results and test scores as teachers have more time to talk to parents and students and provide more attention to each student. Students also felt less shy about asking questions which increases their willingness to learn and improves their focus in class.
Articles by both the Campbell Collaboration and Education Coordinating Group (‘Small class sized for improving student achievement in primary and secondary schools: a systematic review’) and the American Department of Supervision and Curriculum Development N.E.A (‘Small Class Size and its Effects’) both also found that smaller class sizes lead to a massive improvement in teaching quality and student results. Teachers were able to better address their students’ needs and changed their teaching to match the students’ level of understanding much more closely.
After looking at these studies, it is easy to see that small classes give students amazing benefits. The main reasons are: greater amounts of accurate feedback, more time to address individual questions and amazing improvements in student focus. Large group tutoring means that students miss out on these great benefits.
Interested in enrolling your child in a small group class? Book your free trial today!
Published on 24th April 2019, last edited 17th February 2022
