Social diversity and class size

Class size remains a contentious issue. While studies appear to agree that smaller class sizes are effective for students from under privilege background and in the earlier schooling years not much has been written in regard to the broad spectrum of student diversity. In this study, teachers recommended small classes for diverse cohorts such as students from low socio-economic, low and high academic performance, non-English speaking, gender, Indigenous, rural background and a range of learning exceptionalities. The qualitative analysis of teachers’ responses shows that class size generates, for each cohort a particular instructional dynamic, although differentiation and classroom management are commonly perceived as the best outcomes of having smaller numbers of students.