OUR public schools are plagued by large classes. Most educators agree that the number of students in a class directly impacts student achievement. It is also widely agreed that the optimum high school classroom should have only 15-20 students. This is definitely not to be found in our public educational institutions, largely because of limited resources.

The challenges posed by a larger class size will definitely make it harder for students to get the individualised attention and engagement they need to achieve their full potential. It also predisposes the class to added disruptive behaviour. Unruly behaviour is more prevalent in large classes and serves as a major distraction and time waster.

Large class sizes increase the teachers’ workload, particularly where assessment and marking is concerned. Teachers may also feel overwhelmed by having a variety of students coming from different backgrounds and achievement levels. This can lead to low morale in our teachers.

We must, however, do the best we can with the little that we have. There are available strategies that teachers can employ to enhance learning and make large classrooms more manageable, but it needs to be intentional and requires passionate teachers.

Here are a few examples:

1) Establish clear classroom rules and positive messages. It is essential for students to be aware of classroom rules at the beginning of the school year, such as no cellphones, raising the hand before you speak, etc. It is also important for teachers to bring across positivity and encouragement to students. A positive classroom culture should be established. This helps to reduce disruptive behaviour.

2) Use a variety of teaching methods. In large classes, there are bound to be students that have different learning styles and/or are neurodivergent. Using a variety of methods will enable the teacher to keep all students engaged and interested in the material and increase student participation.

3) Building relationships. It is necessary for teachers to be welcoming and supportive to each student. While this may be difficult in large classes, if effort is made, this can be done within the first month of the school year. Taking time to get to know each student and showing an interest in their lives will build positive connections which will create a more manageable classroom.

4) Student feedback. Switch things around and instead of only the teacher providing feedback, afford occasional opportunities for students to offer feedback in a respectable fashion. This can help teachers tailor their teaching approach to better meet the needs of students.

5) Provide additional resources for students. Utilise the online space by providing online resources, such as lecture notes, video explainers, recordings, and worksheets to supplement in-class learning and deepen understanding of concepts. Classroom instruction is not to be replaced and, therefore, this should only be supplementary and not the primary tool for disseminating information.

It is necessary that our shrinking resources for education be carefully allocated to achieve the best outcomes for our students and to offer equity in the education system. Capping class size is understandably difficult in our economic climate, compounded by teacher shortage, low salaries, and the cost of new classroom space.

In addition to teacher-student ratio, there are many other variables in the average classroom affecting student achievement. These include the quality of the teacher, home and socio-economic environment of student, the quality of the curriculum, leadership and administration of the school. Therefore, it is not just class size that affects student achievement and student behaviour; however, it is a key ingredient.

Dr Karla Hylton is the founder and CEO of Your Empowerment Solutions (YES) Institute, offering mathematics and science tutoring as well as a host of workshops for parents, teachers, and students. She is the author of Yes! You Can Help Your Child Achieve Academic Success and Complete Chemistry for Caribbean High Schools. Contact her at (876) 564-1347; e-mail: ceo@yes-institute.com; or visit www.yes-institute.com, or www.khylton.com.