The effects of large class size on the english learning environment

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(1)Running head: EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM 1. The Effects of Large Class Size on the English Learning Environment. Jorge Acuña Marín. A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Seminar and English Bachelor Degree of Alberto Hurtado University. December, 2017.

(2) 2 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. Abstract This investigation was conducted to understand the impact of large class size on the English teaching and learning in a 6th grade. The data collection included an interview with the English teacher, a survey administered to 40 students of the class and a focus group with students. The aim was to understand the participant’s perceptions of being part of a large class. The qualitative analysis followed a thematic coding approach. The study revealed that students have normalized their context and that they see their classroom generally positively, regarding it as a space to socialize. Additionally, it was found that the main factors affected by large class size were students’ behavior and the opportunities to develop their speaking skill. Finally, the main teaching aspects affected by this situation were the difficulties to complete the activities of the class, and the effective teaching considering students’ differences. Key words: large class size, learning environment, teaching practice, EFL.

(3) 3 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. The Effects of Large Class Size on the English Learning Environment One of the most significant characteristics of many Chilean classrooms, especially in big cities, is the number of students, which is normally of around 45 students per class. According to a number of studies, this is considered a large class size (Hayes, 1997; Blatchford, 1998; Miao, 2014). This situation has been addressed as one of the main factors that affects the learning environment of a class (Blatchford and Martin, 1998). It has been widely discussed that a learning environment characterized by a small class size is more effective for teaching and learning (Shapson, Wright, Eason and Fitzgerald, 1980; Bourke, 1986; Finn and Achilles, 1990). Furthermore, teachers around the world claim that this is an important impediment for teaching an EFL class effectively (Hayes, 1997; Al-Jarf, 2006; Bahanshal, 2013; Meriem, 2013). In order to better understand this issue, this research was conducted in the 6th Grade B at Colegio Nuestra Señora de Andacollo, a subsidized school located in Santiago, Chile. This was a mixed class with 42 students. They sat in rows and the teacher had her own table in front of the class. The classes were taught with a teacher-centered approach, with the teacher being the one who made most of the decisions of the class (Garret, 2008; Ahmed, 2013; AlAsmari, 2015). English was taught mostly using a textbook provided by the Ministry of Education. The textbook was projected and the students completed the activities with the guidance of the teacher. The classes were taught two days a week in a 90-minute module scheme. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of large class size on the learning environment of this class. The research was aimed at finding the aspects affected by this particular factor, both for its tangible effects on students and on the necessary pedagogical decisions of the English teacher, taking into account the previously mentioned characteristic of.

(4) 4 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. this context. Consequently, the question to be answered by this research was: What is the effect of a large class size on the learning environment of an EFL 6th grade class? Methodology For this research, it was important to firstly explore what the students felt about learning English in this type of context, and to what extent they felt affected by being part of a large class. Additionally, the teacher’s perspective regarding teaching a large class was fundamental to understand the effects this had on her work, and her strategies to deal with this situation. This research adopted qualitative methodology, as this approach was best able to respond to the research question which needed to understand data from the participants’ perceptions of being part of a learning environment characterized by a large class (McKay, 2006; Bahanshal, 2013). Firstly, student surveys were used to understand students’ perception of learning in a large class. Of the 42 students in the class, 40 completed the survey. The survey administered used a mixed-method design, consisting of both open-ended questions and questions with scales (McKay, 2006). This was decided with the aim of guiding students throughout the survey and facilitating the process for them. It was taken into account that these students easily lose focus; therefore, having only open-ended questions could have affected the credibility of the instrument. For instance, the first question was intended to know if the students considered that they were in a large class (See Appendix 1). To facilitate the answer, students had to select from a five-point scale (Mckay, 2006): A) Muy grande, B) Grande, C) Normal, D) Pequeño, E) Muy pequeño. It is important to firstly know if they are aware of the characteristics of their own context (Bahanshal, 2013). Al-Jarf’s (2006) study was consulted to have an idea of the type of open-ended questions to ask students concerning class size. The objective was to inquire into students’ perception of.

(5) 5 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. their participation in the class, their opportunities to practice the target language, their perception of their own learning (Meriem, 2013), and their perception of the interaction with their English teacher (Ijaiya, 1999). To ensure the validity of the instrument, it was administered in Spanish as these students did not have the proficiency level to answer questions in English. Secondly, a focus group was conducted with 8 students of the class. They offered themselves voluntarily to participate in the conversation. An authorization document had to be signed by the participants’ parents as it is the protocol at Colegio Nuestra Señora de Andacollo (See Appendix 2). The purpose of this focus group was to gain a deeper understanding of the topics previously mentioned. The model of the focus group was of a semi-structured interview. This means that fixed questions were asked by the researcher, with the possibility of formulating more questions if deeper information was needed (Perry, 2005, in Bahanshal, 2013). This focus group was also conducted in Spanish to ensure validity (See Appendix 3). Thirdly, an interview with the English teacher was conducted to triangulate the information received from the students, with the objective of ensuring the internal validity or credibility of the project (Mckay, 2006). A large class not only affects students, but also teachers (Hayes, 1997; Ijaiya, 1999; Bahanshal, 2013). Therefore, the English teacher’s perception was essential for the purpose of this study. The type of interview used was a semi-structured one, with questions aimed at inquiring into the English teacher’s perceptions about the disadvantages and advantages of teaching a large class, and her strategies to deal with this type of learning environment (See Appendix 4). Finally, all the obtained data was analyzed with the thematic-coding approach, as a qualitative research deals with words or narrative data instead of numbers (Bryman and Burgess,.

(6) 6 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. 2002; Renner and Taylor-Powell, 2003; Gibbs, 2008). The process of analysis included the organization of the data provided by the surveys, and notes or transcriptions from the focus group and the interview (Renner and Taylor-Powell, 2003). Following that, the information was triangulated by comparing the data focusing the analysis by question or topics, searching for consistencies or differences (Renner and Taylor-Powell, 2003). Additionally, the information was categorized identifying themes or patterns (Gibbs, 2008), which finally led to the main and secondary findings presented below. Findings Many Students Have Naturalized Class Size as Part of Their Context Many of the students manifested in the surveys that they considered their class size normal. According to the students, this normalization of their context happened because “ésta es la realidad que conocemos” (Focus Group, October 25th, 2017). Furthermore, this became more relevant after two of the students claimed that they previously attended rural schools. The reality they knew consisted in very small class sizes, which they considered normal until they started to attend this new school. With respect to this normalization of the context, the teacher agreed that students did not know another reality, making difficult for them to compare. Most of the Students See Their Classroom as a Space First to Socialize and Then to Learn When asked whether they liked or not their class size, most of the students agreed that they did. The most common reason was that in a large class “podemos tener más amigos y ser una comunidad más grande” (Survey, October 4th, 2017). Additionally, participants of the focus group affirmed that a large class was good to socialize. However, other students disagreed.

(7) 7 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. claiming that the classroom was a place to learn. As to that, the teacher suggested: “a classroom is not a place to make friends, but to learn” (Interview, October 30th, 2017). Behavior Is the Most Affected Factor by a Large Class Size in the Learning Environment of This Class According to both the students and the teacher, a large class size had a particular impact on behavior. For instance, students manifested that, as they liked to socialize, noise was generated causing distraction. Students also claimed that “como somos tantos, a la profesora le demora su clase porque tiene que estar llamando la atención y eso nos perjudica a todos” (Survey, October 4th, 2017). Referring to the effect of a large class size on students, the teacher affirmed that there is “bad behavior, lack of attention, the class ends up being for a few” (Interview, October 30th, 2017). Individual Differences Make Large Class Size a More Difficult Condition to Deal With When discussing the disadvantages of teaching a large class, the English teacher expressed that one of the main issues was that in a class there were different types of students in terms of styles, difficulties and attitudes. She claimed: “A class should include teaching methods for each group of students and that is very difficult” (Interview, October 30th, 2017). Moreover, many students also alluded to this issue, affirming that not everybody had the same opportunities in the classroom. One student affirmed that “el hecho de que hayan tantas personas hace que los profesores tengan que lidiar con muchos problemas a la vez, por lo que no pueden interactuar con todos los estudiantes” (Survey, October 4th, 2017). Speaking Is the Most Affected Skill by Large Class Size Because Students Do Not Know How to Work in Groups.

(8) 8 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. Students were asked about how the learning of English was affected by a large class size. They agreed that they did not have activities in which they had to speak in English. One student expressed that “falta conversar en inglés. Sólo aprendemos palabras y eso no sirve para poder hablar. Faltan actividades, por ejemplo, en las que podamos aprender y practicar expresiones” (Focus Group, October 25th, 2017). When the teacher was asked about the disadvantages of a large class size, she explained that “we don’t practice speaking. It would be possible if students could work in groups, but it is very difficult in this class” (Interview, October 30th, 2017). In fact, she also suggested that part of her strategies to deal with the class was to focus on writing, reading or listening activities. Establishing Clear Rules and Consequences Is the Most Effective Strategy to Deal with Large Class Size The English teacher was asked about her strategies to deal with the issue of class size. As to this, she mentioned that her strategies included “clear rules of behavior, establishing consequences for both good behavior and misconduct (…) once regulated, you can start working” (Interview, October 30th, 2017). Concerning these, many students expressed that having rules helped them focus on the activities. Nevertheless, they also expressed that rules were usually unfair as they were used to punish a minority who do not know how to behave, but at the end, they were all affected. The Real Problem Is Not Class Size, but Students’ Autonomy and Self-control When discussing the disadvantages of a large class, many students considered that this was not the main factor affecting its learning environment. Instead, students expressed that autonomy and self-control were the key issues. For instance, one student said that “no es culpa de.

(9) 9 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. los demás que yo no quiera participar” (Survey, October 4th, 2017). Furthermore, one of the students who attended a rural school claimed: “éramos solo 7 alumnos y había uno que no se portaba bien y por culpa de él las clases no funcionaban” (Focus Group, October 25th, 2017). Moreover, the students also contrasted class size with the complexity of learning English affirming that “el inglés es súper difícil, entonces también se requiere trabajo autónomo para poder mejorar y avanzar” (Focus Group, October 25th, 2017). When asked about the same topic, the teacher agreed that, regardless of the number of the students, it depended on each individual to have self-criticism with respect to personal work. Implications This section provides with a discussion on the main implications of the present study. In order to achieve said objective, literature and other research on the topic were consulted. As expected, many similarities and differences in terms of outcomes were found. Firstly, this research found that an important element to consider in a large class context was behavior. Participants noticed that a large class size directly affected the time needed to complete the activities of the class because of the distractions. Similarly, Bahanshal (2013) found that discipline issues of students lead teachers to use productive time behaving them. Additionally, behaving students was a strategy teachers used in both contexts. As for this strategy, Meriem (2013) found that discipline to reduce the level of noise was necessary in large class. A similarity was also identified in the studies conducted by Hayes (1997) and Al-Jarf (2006) who found that large class sizes not only affected teachers’ and students’ attitudes, but also led to discipline problems..

(10) 10 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. Secondly, this study revealed that large class size became a difficult condition for the English teacher to deal with when considering students’ diversity. According to Banks et al. (2005), many of the problems teachers face to teach meaningful classes to all their students is the great diversity present in the classroom, and the low preparation and knowledge teachers have in the area. This has been proved in the present study due to the fact that the teacher of this class had great difficulty focusing her efforts on many different learning styles and attitudes towards English. As to this, both Bahanshal (2013) and Al-Jarf (2006) found that diversity of students in a large class meant confusion and extra pressure for teachers. This is relevant to bear in mind as both the teacher and the students of this context noticed that, at the end, the class ended up being for a few. Therefore, this not only affects teachers in terms of stress and exhaustion, but also students who do not have a meaningful learning experience (Banks et al., 2005). Another important outcome of this investigation related to the opportunities students had to practice speaking during class. According to Brown (2002), large classes could represent a learning environment with fewer opportunities to practice speaking. This has been proved in this research, since it was revealed that one of the strategies of the English teacher to work with students in a large class consisted in working with all the English skills except for speaking. Similarly, Bahanshal (2013) revealed that in a large class, students had less chance to participate and practice the target language, losing interest in the class. Moreover, Meriem (2013) concluded that when students were taught in a large class, their speaking skill was poor and limited. Also related, Al-Jarf (2006) found that large class size negatively affected students’ achievement. On the other hand, in relation to the strategy of using other skills, Miao (2014) found that with welldesigned tasks, teaching writing, as the teacher of this context does, could be a good strategy in large classes..

(11) 11 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. In relation to the previous outcome, in this study emerged the connection between group work and speaking skills. Johnson and Johnson (1990) suggested that students must be taught how to work in groups or it would be very unlikely for them to do it effectively. This was proved in this research since the reason of the teacher not to consider speaking in her classes was that students did not know how to work in groups. This is significant considering that the students who participated in this study claimed that they needed to practice more in class as they felt they were not improving. They were also aware of their weakness regarding group work. Moreover, it was revealed in this research that autonomy was fundamental for students’ progress in the English class. In this regard, Meriem (2013) found that “autonomy should be developed in students since it is a technique that helps students to learn by themselves and have learning strategies because in large classes, time is always insufficient” (p. 82). Concerning the normalization of the students’ context, Sacristán (2001) suggests that human beings tend to naturalize school and everything related to it, as it becomes part of our lives. Therefore, this was also proved in this research. Nevertheless, it is important to mention that this was not found in other research, making it an exclusive finding of this particular study. Likewise, other studies related to class size have had particular findings. This is because every research has been conducted in a particular context and with diverse purposes. In this case, this investigation aimed at inquiring into the effects of large class size on this particular 6th grade B at Colegio Nuestra Señora de Andacollo Limitations This study was conducted with participants of a 6th grade class. As expected, many of these students lost focus easily when answering the surveys. Consequently, some surveys were.

(12) 12 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. answered quickly, without the needed depth. That could have affected the results of the instrument, limiting the analysis to the students who answered thoroughly and with honesty. Moreover, the little time to conduct this research was another factor that could have undermined the depth of the outcomes of the present study. Conclusions This research has served as an example of how a large class size, which is a typical characteristic of many Chilean classrooms, negatively affects the teaching and learning in an EFL class. A better understanding has been achieved about how a large class can impact on a learning environment of a class, where both teachers and students are affected. Firstly, this study suggested that it is pivotal to take into consideration that many important aspects of teaching and learning are normalized and, therefore, taken for granted (Sacristán, 2001). Hopefully, this research will serve to raise awareness on the issue of class size. Secondly, it is necessary to consider further investigation on the topics of behavior and students’ differences in large classes, which emerged as important factors to take into account to improve students’ learning conditions and teaching practices (Banks et al., 2005). Finally, further investigation on teaching group work should be considered as it appeared as an essential tool to tackle the issue of lack of opportunities to develop speaking skills in a large EFL class (Johnson and Johnson, 1990)..

(13) 13 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. References Ahmed, A. K. (2013). Teacher-centered versus learner-centered teaching style. Journal of Global Business Management, 9(1), 22. Al-Jarf, R. (2006). Large student enrollments in EFL programs: Challenges and consequences. Asian EFL Journal Quarterly, 8(4), 8-34. AlAsmari, A. A. (2015). Instructors’ Perceptions and Barriers of Learner-Centered Instruction in English at the University Level.Higher Education Studies, 5(2), 38. Bahanshal, D. A. (2013). The effect of large classes on English teaching and learning in Saudi secondary schools. English Language Teaching, 6(11), 49. Banks, J., Cochran-Smith, M., Moll, L., Richert, A., Zeichner, K., LePage, P., DarlingHammond, L., Duffy, H. & McDonald, M. (2005). Teaching diverse learners. Preparing teachers for a changing world: What teachers should learn and be able to do, 2005, 232274. Blatchford, P., & Martin, C. (1998). The Effects of Class Size on Classroom Processes:‘It's a Bit Like a Treadmill–Working Hard and Getting Nowhere Fast!’. British Journal of Educational Studies, 46(2), 118-137. Brown, D. (2002). Teaching by principles: and interactive approach to language pedagogy (2nd Ed.). New York: Pearson Education. Bryman, A., & Burgess, B. (Eds.). (2002). Analyzing qualitative data. Routledge..

(14) 14 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. Bourke, S. (1986). How smaller is better: Some relationships between class size, teaching practices, and student achievement. American Educational Research Journal, 23(4), 558571. Finn, J. D., & Achilles, C. M. (1990). Answers and questions about class size: A statewide experiment. American Educational Research Journal, 27(3), 557-577. Gibbs, G. R. (2008). Analysing qualitative data. Sage. Garrett, T. (2008). Student-centered and teacher-centered classroom management: A case study of three elementary teachers. The Journal of Classroom Interaction, 34-47. Hayes, D. (1997). Helping teachers to cope with large classes. ELT journal,51(2), 106-116. Ijaiya, Y. (1999). Effects of Over-Crowded Classrooms on Teacher-Students Interactions. Ilorin Journal of Education, 19, 1-11. Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1990). Social skills for successful group work. Educational leadership, 47(4), 29-33. McKay, S. L. (2006). Researching second language classrooms. Routledge. Meriem, Z. (2013). The Negative Impact of Large Classes on Students‟ Oral Performance (Master's thesis). Miao, H. Y. (2014). The task-based teaching of writing to big classes in Chinese EFL setting. English Language Teaching, 7(3), 63. Renner, M., & Taylor-Powell, E. (2003). Analyzing qualitative data. Programme Development & Evaluation, University of Wisconsin-Extension Cooperative Extension..

(15) 15 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. Sacristán, G. (2001) “La educación obligatoria: su sentido educativo y social”, Madrid, Morata. Cap.1: “La escolarización forma parte de nuestras vidas”, págs. 9-12 Shapson, S. M., Wright, E. N., Eason, G., & Fitzgerald, J. (1980). An experimental study of the effects of class size. American Educational Research Journal, 17(2), 141-152..

(16) 16 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. Appendix 1 Student Survey. Encuesta 6ºB. Número de Estudiantes en mi clase 1. En tu opinión, ¿cuán grande es tu curso según el número de compañeros? a)Muy grande b)Grande c)Normal d)Pequeño e)Muy pequeño 2. ¿Te gusta que los cursos tengan ese número de estudiantes? a)Me gusta mucho b)Me gusta c)Indiferente d)No me gusta e)No me gusta nada 3. Explica aquí tu respuesta anterior: _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 4. De 1 a 10, ¿cuánto puedes participar en la clase de inglés? Escribe el número aquí: ____ 5. De 1 a 10, ¿cuánto puedes practicar en la clase de inglés? Escribe el número aquí: ____ 6. En relación a las preguntas 4 y 5, ¿crees que eso tiene que ver con el número de estudiantes? Explica: _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 7. ¿Qué tipo de interacción tienes con tus compañeros en clase de inglés? (ejemplo: practican inglés, sólo conversan, no interactúan) _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 8. De 1 a 10, ¿cuánta interacción tienes con tus profesores de inglés? Escribe el número aquí: ____ 9. De 1 a 10, ¿crees que la cantidad de compañeros afecta la interacción entre ustedes y los profesores? Escribe el número aquí: ____ Explica: _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________.

(17) 17 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. Appendix 2 Authorization Document. SOLICITUD PERMISO DE INVESTIGACION Santiago, 23 de Octubre de 2017 Estimado(a) apoderado(a): Por medio de la presenta, se solicita su autorización para permitir a su pupilo(a) participar en una conversación/debate grupal el día miércoles 25 de Octubre durante la hora de Consejo de Curso. El estudiante Jorge Acuña Marín, practicante de la Universidad Alberto Hurtado, está desarrollando una investigación cuya temática es: “Efectos de cursos grandes en la enseñanza y aprendizaje del inglés.” Su pupilo(a) discutirá, junto a otros compañeros, diversos temas relacionados con la cantidad de alumnos en la sala, incluyendo la participación en clases, la cantidad de tiempo para practicar el idioma, y la interacción con los compañeros y con la profesora o profesor, entre otros. El objetivo de esta petición es contar con su autorización para realizar este trabajo. Sin otro particular y esperando una buena acogida, se despide atte.. ___________________________ Jorge Acuña Marín Estudiante de Pedagogía en Inglés. ___________________________ Alicia Coderch D. Directora de Ciclo Básico CNSA.

(18) 18 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. Appendix 3 Focus Group. 1. ¿Qué piensan del número de compañeros? Creen que su curso es grande, normal o pequeño? 2. ¿Por qué piensan que es normal/grande? 3. ¿Les gusta que su curso tenga este número de compañeros? 4. Si no, ¿cuál sería el número ideal? 5. Si sí, ¿por qué les gusta? 6. ¿Qué piensan de que les guste por tener más amigos? 7. ¿Cuánto participan y practican en la clase de inglés? 8. ¿Creen que el número de los compañeros afecte la participación y la práctica del inglés? 9. ¿Cómo interactúan en la clase? 10. ¿Cómo afecta el número de compañeros en la interacción entre ustedes? 11. ¿Cómo afecta el número de compañeros en la interacción con la profesora? 12. En conclusión, ¿cuáles serían las desventajas de aprender en una clase grande? 13. ¿Cuáles son las ventajas?.

(19) 19 EFFECTS OF LARGE CLASS SIZE ON AN EFL CLASSROOM. Appendix 4 Teacher Interview. The effect of the number of students on an EFL class 1. Do you consider that your class is large? 2. What is your ideal number of students per classroom? 3. What are the main disadvantages of teaching a large class? 4. What about in this 6th grade? 5. How is the teaching of English affected? 6. What is the effect of a large class on these students? 7. What strategies do you use to deal with this issue? 8. What about the strategies related to the English teaching? 9. What are the advantages of large classes?.

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