appears that little or none of the class size effects can be “explained” by the process
variables.
The effect of staff and adults, in addition to the teacher, on educational progress
The effect of additional staff and additional adults on pupils’ educational progress in
maths and literacy was examined. The results can be easily summarised. There was
no evidence for any year for either literacy or maths that additional staff or additional
adults in the class had an effect on children’s progress.
Results for the second cohort produced similar results.
Conclusions
Class size and classroom processes
In this study we found that class size is related to several classroom processes. We argue
that the effects of class size are likely to be multiple not singular and presented Fig 3 to
summarise the relationships we found on the basis of integrating the quantitative and
qualitative data. The relationships are taken up more fully in Blatchford (in press,a).
Here we note that we found little evidence from the full statistical analysis that the
classroom processes had a mediating role in the relation between class size and
achievement. To take an example, although class size is related to teaching time, it is not
possible to say on the basis of our statistical results that teaching time mediates the effect
of class size differences on attainment. This is in a sense a disappointing result though
methodological features of our study might have underestimated some effects. Some of
the ‘process’ measures, e.g., on teaching time, were relatively broad and measured not at
the child but the more general class level. They are therefore less sensitive than measures
on the individual child.
Having said this, the statistical analyses have been helpful in narrowing down the likely
processes connected to both class size and progress, and this study has, therefore, helped
identify the variables that could be fruitfully examined in future research. The more
qualitative analyses have also indicated aspects possibly linked with class size that could
be followed up. There are, therefore, a number of leads from this study concerning
where future research should be best targeted, in particular the aspects of teacher and
pupil behaviour listed in Figure 3.
Class size and children’s educational attainment
The effect of class size on children’s educational progress over the first year of school
is impressive, even after adjusting for possible confounding factors. The effect is
comparable to that reported by the experimental STAR project (see Blatchford,
Bassett, Goldstein and Martin, submitted), and this trend is therefore confirmed by
both experimental and non-experimental research designs. Several main points can be
made about the relationship between class size and children’s attainment.
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