INFLUENCE OF CLASS – SIZE ON THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ENGLISH IN SELECTED SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ADO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EKITI STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Class size appears to be one of the crucial elements that are often considered by education planners in order to achieve the set out objectives in any educational system.  This is because of the obvious negative implication of a crowded classroom on the teacher and the learners.  Ozochie, (2009) opined that to make the correct estimate of the resources needed is the function of population.  This point suggests that the essence of having a definite number of learners in a classroom is to ensure that the resources (the teacher, the  instructional materials, class space, seating arrangement) are adequately provided for smooth teaching and learning.

Apart from the need for adequate provision of resources, effective teaching and learning seem to be the function of the teacher understanding the individual differences of each of the learner as this forms the basis for the appropriate teaching skill to be applied.  Onah (2008) apparently notes in this regard that the essence of having a manageable class-size is to ensure that the understanding rate of each of the learner and their respective general background are put into consideration by the teacher in the course of his teaching.

The national policy on education revised in 2010 stipulates that the maximum teacher – student ratio is one teacher is to thirty students (ratio 1:30).  The obvious reason for this standard is to ensure that the teacher not only controls the class but also understands the learning capabilities of each of the learner in the classroom.  Ozochie, (2009) affirms that there is a limit to which a teacher can effectively control an overcrowded Classroom. Mulryan-Kyne, (2010) defines an overcrowded or large class as “a class that is too large for effective teaching to occur”. Teachers’ perception of large class-size differs from one context to another. Hess, (2001) assumed that a class is considered large if it has 30 students or more. As regard to Nigeria context, a class of 50 students is considered to be large, while in some far countries, such as Japan, China, Pakistan and India, a class of 80 students and more is deemed to be large. In contrast, small class-size is a class in which there is less or no concentration on class control and management of students’ delinquencies and deviances (Pong. et al, 2001). A small class-size is a class with the population of students ranging from 1 to 30.

Teaching and learning of English, like every other subject requires observation and learner centered activities.  In order to achieve the desired result, the teacher should ensure that he monitors the activities of the learner.  As Heppner, (2007) rightly notes and portrays class size as the entire instrument to ensuring child centered purposeful set of activities within a coherent and structured frame work.  This cannot be achieved unless it can be translated into meaningful action.  For Heppner, this requires more than simply presenting children with organized activities, rather, such becomes meaningful when the purpose of the activities becomes meaningful, explicit and shared between students’ and teacher under a class that could be managed effectively by the teacher.

In an overcrowded classroom, the learner-centered activities would pose great challenge to the teacher, hence the desired behavioral changes may not be easily achieved. It is therefore the focus of this study to find out the influence of class size on the teaching and learning of English with particular reference to senior secondary schools located in Ado Local Government Area.

Statement of the Problem

In most of Nigeria secondary schools today, the teacher – student ratio has gone far beyond the stipulation in the national policy on education. There are where Students stay more than fifty in each of the classes. The seating arrangements are altered, thereby making teaching and learning difficult. Ozochie, (2009) an education planner, attributed the over – bloated class – size to the explosion of the students’ of school age.

English, like all other subjects is an activity based subject. The learner is exposed mainly to the practical learning process under the guide and supervision of a teacher.  Ozochie, (2009) opines that the result of an effective classroom management is achieved when the teacher and students achieve the purpose of which they are together in a class. Under an overcrowded classroom environment, like what is obtains in most of the schools today, it becomes pertinent to ask, how effective is teaching and learning particularly in subject like English which requires close monitoring of the learner by the teacher. Therefore, this research study is to look into the influence of class-size on teaching and learning of English.

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