The general increase in class size from the teacher’s perspective.
Class size is a question throughout a child’s education. In K-12 education parents have the option to send their children to public, private, or to homeschool. One of the main variables in these options is class size. Public schools generally have large class sizes which can make learning slower and more difficult for students, but large class sizes allow for group work and effective social skills to be developed. Private schools are expensive, but they provide class sizes that allow for more individualized attention and group work is still done. Homeschooling is a big time commitment and social skills are not developed as much, but it provides a one on one environment for the student. Is class size a comparable variable to cost and other time commitments? This is the question many parents have to answer for themselves. Unfortunately, the reality is many times parents do not have many options due to cost and time commitment reasons.
Weighing the options when selecting the right college for you.
Regardless of the mode of K-12 education a student goes through they have the option to go to college. If they decide to go to college, then they must decide whether they want to go to large school such as Penn State University or a smaller school such as Albright College. Personally, class size was a major variable in my decision. I could have chosen a smaller school where the class sizes are small as well and this decision undoubtedly would alter my educational experience. Ultimately, I decided to attend a large school where the class sizes are large during your first two years, possibly up to 300 students in one class! This seems harder than it actually is. Many professors genuinely care about their students in their large sections. There are also other students and assistants to help you along and answer any questions in these classes.
Selecting a class size is often a very individualized problem because its often an option between large and small. If there was a perfect medium option that was affordable, had individualized attention, and provided a group atmosphere, it would make the selection process easier for all involved and students would be set up to succeed. It is difficult to pinpoint an ideal number, but approximately 15 students per class gives students the best chance to succeed. Therefore, should the state governments mandate that high school class sizes not exceed approximately 20 students? This would require more money to be distributed to high schools, but it would be at the benefit of the nation. Regardless, class sizes at the college level will remain the same because it is the students option, but K-12 education gives students the foundational knowledge and skills they need for life.
How has class size affected your education and college choice?
April 21, 2021 at 11:47 pm
I went to a high school with a graduating class of about 600 students, I’d say most classes had 22-25 students? Maybe slightly less than that? I honestly think that having large class sizes can have merits, especially from a financial viewpoint tax-wise (as you mentioned). I personally don’t think that large classes negatively impacted my high school experience, but of course, I have nothing to compare it to. I also went to State High (in State College), which is a very large public school that gets a lot of funding, so I’m sure if I was at a high school with fewer opportunities I would have a different opinion.
April 22, 2021 at 10:45 am
I feel as large classes put a limit to how much you can learn. I agree that professors of large classes may care about their students just as much as professors with smaller classes. However, professors of larger classes are somewhat limited. For example, a professor of a 300 person class may have no choice but to make an exam multiple choice even if the professor feels short answer questions would be a better method of testing. For this reason, I do think students can learn in large class sizes but there is certainly a limit to what a professor can achieve in one semester.
April 22, 2021 at 11:18 am
Class size was a notable factor in deciding which college I attended. Something that always resonated with me while selecting a university was when my mom said “You can make a large school small, but you can’t make a small school large.” In essence, even though Penn State is daunting due to its large student body, you can find your niche community of people. Moreover, such a large institution provides constant room for growth and expanding your circle. When I was a first-year, I was in multiple classes that were several hundred students deep. A strategy I employed was sitting within the first few rows of class. When most of the class is seated behind you, it feels like a more personalized experience.
April 22, 2021 at 1:42 pm
I did consider class size in choosing my college, but I think that cost was a bigger factor. I went to a public high school where class size was around 30 students, which is definitely larger than a private school, and certainly homeschooling, but I don’t think the large class size hindered my schooling in any way. In contrast, I think it helped because I made a lot of friends in my classes and we helped each other. It also made school more enjoyable knowing that I knew other students.
April 22, 2021 at 9:44 pm
I also considered class size when deciding where to go for college, and since I prefer more individualized attention I was fearful of attending PSU. But once I learned that many of the honors classes functioned very similarly to my high school classes it became a fantastic option. I never cared if there was 300 students in gen eds, but I do care about the harder, more specialized classes like major-related ones. I think that many people consider PSU’s class sizes to be very large, but that’s only a few classes and many classes (including the large ones) have understanding professors or TAs that will go out of their way to help you. Great Post!
April 23, 2021 at 3:43 pm
Hey Jayden! This was a very different blog post with a really unique topic! I also considered class size as a factor while considering my college. I always preferred individual attention and the convenience to talk with world-renowned professor to clear subject doubts. Personalised experience can enhance the college education and help the student to grow more within the core values.