Educationalists know that large classes have a negative impact. Yet they don’t know enough about how skilled teachers still manage to cope with huge student numbers. The high pupil-to-teacher ratios in developing countries will not disappear. What coping strategies do successful teachers adopt?

A paper from Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick looks at a sample of Ugandan teachers and asks how they manage to teach over 70 students in one class. The author shows that it is possible for some teachers to teach large classes effectively. It is also possible for some children in large classes to learn more effectively than some pupils in smaller classes.

In much of Africa lower primary grade classes are considerably larger than upper primary classes. There may be a hundred pupils in early primary classes. Distribution of teachers is one reason: instead of using more teachers in lower primary grades, head teachers use them as subject teachers for the smaller upper primary classes.

Since Uganda introduced Universal Primary Education in 1997 the number of primary level students has more than trebled. Most teachers use rote learning and often complain the curriculum is too extensive and beyond the capacity of many students. They also note that many children come to class too hungry to concentrate.

The author videoed lessons taught to large classes and interviewed pupils to assess what they had learned. Key lessons from successful lessons include:

• Enthusiastic teachers praised the children, asked many questions, explained clearly, scanned the classroom constantly, used eye contact and used repetition without letting it degenerate into mindless boring chants.
• Group work was effectively organised: students knew the routine and on a signal from their teacher formed themselves into groups, chose a leader, and set to work on the tasks assigned.
• Pupils were not simply asked to recite and then copy information into exercise books.

The notion that large classes necessarily result in learning deficits needs to be challenged. As large classes will remain the norm, education planners in developing countries need to focus on the 3Rs - reading, writing and arithmetic, and avoid broad curricula. If teachers are to remain motivated they must be better paid and not be asked to work long days with double shifts.

It is also important to:

• prepare student teachers for large classes, discourage rote learning and encourage group work and effective use of questioning
• commission research on the impact of class size in developing countries – almost all studies are based in industrialised countries
• realise that curricula seeking to be child-centred will not work in large classes: students in big classes will not perform as well as they might with more attention
• understand that when resources are limited, it may be more cost effective to purchase additional textbooks rather than reduce student numbers
• share best practices more widely.

Source(s):
‘Teaching Large Classes: The International Evidence and a Discussion of Some Good Practice in Ugandan Primary Schools’, International Journal of Educational Development, no 26, pp 24-37, by Margo C. O’Sullivan, 2006

Funded by: Development Cooperation Ireland (DCI)

id21 Research Highlight: 19 July 2006

Further Information:
Margo C. O’Sullivan
Mary Immaculate College
University of Limerick
South Circular Road
Limerick
Ireland

Tel: +353 61 204592
Fax: +353 61 204300
Contact the contributor: Margo.OSullivan@mic.ul.ie

University of Limerick

Other related links:
'How much time do teachers in South Africa spend on each of their required activities?' ELDIS

'Education For All Fast Track Initiative' ELDIS

'Global data on teachers and their working conditions' ELDIS

'The relationship between educational expenditures and outcomes' ELDIS