Re: [Phys-l] Interactive Lecture at U. Maryland (was Article about interactive lecture. . . . )

[Robert Carlson <rcarlson@physicstoolkit.com>]

Perhaps Richard would like to comment on "Results show
no differences for pedagogy and student achievement
until class sizes fall to 10 or fewer students",
posted
by Patricia T. Viele below to phys-l under the Class
Size subject heading.

Bob Carlson

Title: High School Class-Size and College Performance
in Science
Authors: Wyss, Vanessa L.; Tai, Robert H.; Sadler,
Philip M.
Descriptors: Physics; College Science; Multiple
Regression Analysis; 
Academic Achievement; Class Size; High Schools;
Student Experience; 
Biology; Chemistry; Teaching Methods; Racial
Differences
Source: High School Journal, v90 n3 p45-53 Feb-Mar
2007

> This paper focuses on the influence of high school
science class size
 
> on students' achievement in introductory college
science courses and 
> on the variation of teacher practice across class
size. Surveys 
> collected information about high school science
class experiences
 from 
> 2754 biology, 3521 chemistry, and 1903 physics
students across 36 
> public and 19 private institutions from 31 different
states. The
 first 
> analysis includes a cross-tabulation of 6 different
class sizes and 
> the frequencies of teacher practices reported by
students. The second
 
> analysis includes a multiple linear regression of
class size and 
> student achievement. Results show no differences for
pedagogy and 
> student achievement until class sizes fall to 10 or
fewer students. 
> These findings suggest that incremental reductions
in class size are 
> likely not to have a significant impact on later
student achievement.
 
> (Contains 1 figure, 1 table, and 5 footnotes.)