Chapter 1

PROBLEM AND IT’S BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

Many teachers in Asia find themselves working in primary school classrooms that contain

many students, sometimes almost filling the room! Actually, though, a large class has no “exact

size.” Usually it is measured in terms of the number of students per teacher (student-teacher

ratio). In some countries, 25-30 students per one teacher is considered large, while in other

countries this is seen to be normal or even quite small. From a teacher’s perspective, though, a

class is “large” whenever it feels large. While a class of more than 50 students is usually

considered a large class, to those of you who normally teach 25 or fewer students, a class of 35

can be large and overwhelming. For many of us faced with large classes, we might be tempted

to give up, thinking that there is no chance of getting so many students to learn. The problem is,

however, that we assume that learning occurs in proportion to class size. The smaller the class,

the more students learn. However, research shows that class size does not automatically

correlate with student learning. Students in large classes can learn just as well as those in small

ones. What counts is not the size of the class, but the quality of the teaching. Evidence shows that

students place more emphasis on the quality of teaching than class size.

A Teacher is a manager who is responsible for the effective management of his/her class from the

start to finish. But how can he/she manage a large class? Do they have any teaching styles?

Before one can really answer this, it is important that the term teaching be defined. Garcia

quotes Ronald Hyman (1970) states that a teacher must know what teaching is because his

concept of teaching guides his/her behavior and his own interpretation of teaching becomes

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essential to his performance as a teacher. It serves as his guide as well as direction in every

classroom work he conducts for his student.

Many School especially public schools which has a thousand of student enrolled. Do the

capacity of every classroom meet that large number of students? If in every classroom capacity is

only 50 students. How did the student learned well without being interrupt by his/her

environment? What could be the techniques of teachers to be easily adapt the lesson by the

students?

Paradise Farms National High School is one of the public schools in San Jose del Monte,

Bulacan which has a thousand of student enrolled in this institution. What could be the problem

of this school related in the “effective management styles in a crowded classroom?” Do they

have enough classroom to provide students good environment? According to Aquino, a good

classroom has a stimulating climate-one that result not only from desirable physical surroundings

and healthful but also from social relationship and emotional studies. It is hoped that the findings

from this study will provide actionable directions for faculty charged with teaching large classes.

Therefore, a little effort was made to know the effective management styles in crowded

classrooms.

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 Chapter 2

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Managing large classes

Effective management of large classes is a popular topic among faculty in higher

education. Carbone (1998) and Stanley & Porter (2002) have produced books focused on the

large class environment, offering strategies for course design, student engagement, active

learning, and assessment. The advantages of large classes include decreased instructor costs,

efficient use of faculty time and talent, availability of resources, and standardization of the

learning experience (McLeod, 1998). However, there are significant disadvantages to large

classes, including strained impersonal relations between students and the instructor, limited

range of teaching methods, discomfort among instructors teaching large classes, and a perception

that faculty who teach large classes are of lower status at the institution (McLeod).

Class size and student performance

Extant research on the relationship between class size and student performance has

identified conflicting results (Toth & Montagna, 2002). The results of some studies show no

significant relationship between class size and student performance (Hancock, 1996; Kennedy &

Siegfried, 1997), while other studies favor small class environments (Gibbs, Lucas, & Simonite,

1996; Borden & Burton, 1999; Arias & Walker, 2004). Results vary based on the criteria used to

gauge student performance, as well as the class size measure itself. When traditional

achievement tests are used, small classes provide no advantage over large classes (Kennedy &

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Siegfried, 1997). However, if additional performance criteria are used (e.g., long-term retention,

problem-solving skills), it appears that small classes hold an advantage (Gibbs et al., 1996; Arias

& Walker, 2004).

Effectiveness of teaching methods

The traditional passive view of learning involves situations where material is delivered to

students using a lecture-based format. In contrast, a more modern view of learning is

constructivism, where students are expected to be active in the learning process by participating

in discussion and/or collaborative activities (Fosnot, 1989). Overall, the results of recent studies

concerning the effectiveness of teaching methods favor constructivist, active learning methods.

The findings of a study by de Caprariis, Barman, & Magee (2001) suggest that lecture leads to

the ability to recall facts, but discussion produces higher level comprehension. Further, research

on group-oriented discussion methods has shown that team learning and student-led discussions

not only produce favorable student performance outcomes, but also foster greater participation,

self confidence and leadership ability (Perkins & Saris, 2001; Yoder & Hochevar, 2005).

Hunt, Haidet, Coverdale, and Richards (2003) examined student performance in team

learning methods, finding positive learning outcomes as compared to traditional lecture-based

methods. In contrast to these findings, a study by Barnes & Blevins (2003) suggests that active,

discussion-based methods are inferior to the traditional lecture-based method. A comparison of

lecture combined with discussion versus active, cooperative learning methods by Morgan,

Whorton, & Gunsalus (2000) demonstrated that the use of the lecture combined with discussion

resulted in superior retention of material among students.

Students’ preferences for teaching methods

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In terms of students’ preferences for teaching methods, a study by Qualters (2001)

suggests that students do not favor active learning methods because of the in-class time taken by

the activities, fear of not covering all of the material in the course, and anxiety about changing

from traditional classroom expectations to the active structure. In contrast, research by Casado

(2000) examined perceptions across six teaching methods: lecture/discussion, lab work, in-class

exercises, guest speakers, applied projects, and oral presentations. Students most preferred the

lecture/discussion method. Lab work, oral presentation, and applied projects were also favorably

regarded. Hunt et al (2003) also noted favorable student attitudes towards active learning.

Three Philosophies of How to Manage a Large Class

 Treat the classroom as a “sacred temple of learning.”

This management style or philosophy is marked by a strong notion of control and preparation.

In this model of management, teachers are very prepared and plan for as many aspects of the

class as they can. Teachers do not tolerate latecomers, side talking, reading, or early departures.

They establish at the beginning of the term that the classroom is a place to be respected and

students must behave in ways that are appropriate. The consequences for inappropriate behavior

are public notice of the inappropriate behavior and embarrassment. In this management style,

the teacher is not afraid to act as the policeman.

 Treat the classroom as a relaxed, “laissez-faire” place of learning.

This management style or philosophy is very relaxed and “hands off.” Teachers who use this

style of management are very flexible and respond to changes easily. They do minimal planning,

and while they can be quite prepared to deliver course content and material, they dislike rigid

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control and value the ability of respond to changes. The focus in this type of classroom is a

comfortable, relaxed atmosphere where the teacher tolerates reading, talking, and late

arrivals/early departures. Usually, the more attentive students sit in the front half of the

classroom, and the teacher speaks to them.

 Treat the classroom as something in between a sacred temple and a laissez-faire

place of learning.

This management style or philosophy is right in the middle of the two extremes. Here, teachers

choose which aspects of the course they wish to control, how they decide to control those

aspects, and what they are willing to let go. With this type of classroom management, the

teacher decides which behaviors are tolerated and which are not. There is an expectation of

respectful behavior, and the teacher will speak to students who are disruptive after class (rather

than calling attention to the disruptive students during class). Also, some instances of late arrival

and early departure are acceptable, with permission in writing from the teacher.

Four different Teaching Method

(lecture, lecture/discussion combination, jigsaw, case study, team project) Jason M. Carpenter

For the lecture format, the instructor used PowerPoint slides and delivered in the traditional

manner of the lecture style, with no student input/feedback. In the lecture/discussion

combination, the instructor used PowerPoint slides to deliver the material, but discussion

questions were included on several slides throughout the presentation. The instructor paused and

generated student input/discussion several times during the class session using discussion

questions. Students discussed and debated issues relevant to the chapter.

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The jigsaw method involved grouping the students into teams of four, with each member

being given responsibility for reading/learning a portion of the chapter outside of class. Teams

were allowed to meet during the next class and deliver their assigned chapter portions to the rest

of their team members.

Under the case study method, students were assigned a case study to read

prior to class time. They were also required to individually prepare written responses to several

discussion questions related to the case study. Once in class, students were then organized into

groups of four and instructed to share their individual responses to the questions in order to

develop a set of “team” responses to showcase the best of all of their individual responses.

The team project assignment required teams of four students to develop a profile of a retail firm,

with the entire project being completed outside of class.

It is clear that the keys to classroom management are advanced organization, detailed

planning, establishing routines and consistently enforcing the rules. Effective classroom

management is essential before we can begin to think about real teaching. “There is no unique

solution to the problem of managing a large class, since individual instructors vary and different

institutions uphold different requirements and maintain a variety of expectations. It is our

opinion, however, that managing a large group of students requires advanced organization and

detailed planning.

Students in a well set up course are better able to focus on their learning rather than

dealing with logistical issues… One big challenge in teaching a large class is to make

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students aware that, regardless of its size, a large class is still a class with the

instructor in charge. Any sign of the instructor’s insecurity will be met with students’

negative reactions resulting in loss of control and the ability to teach the class

effectively. It is helpful for the students to spend a few minutes of the very first

lecture articulating policies for the course, which include rules of conduct

(regarding cell phones, talking in class, tardiness, etc) and address unacceptable

behavior. Occasionally, the instructor has to be tough and reinforce the rules.

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 Chapter 3

METHODS OF RESEARCH

This chapter deals with methodology and procedure adopted to conduct the study. This study was

descriptive in nature and was conducted to know the effective management styles in crowded

classroom.

3.1 Population

The study was concerned to know the techniques or strategies used by the teachers in Paradise

Farms National High School regarding to effective management styles in crowded classroom.

3.2 Sample

The teachers registered in these institutions are different in numbers. There are about ten teachers

who shared there teaching styles in this research.

3.3 Research Instruments

An interview and personal information sheet were develop to collect the data from the secondary

school teachers in Paradise Farms National High School.

3.4 Data collection

The researcher personally visited the institutions to collect the data. Clear instructions were

prepared first for the respondents. They were requested to go through the general instructions

first and then to respond. The researcher herself was also there to guide the respondents properly.

The respondents were asked to decide about their agreement with the statements and mark the

relevant information sheet were distributed to the subjects with the request to complete and

return it as soon as possible.

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3.5 Analysis of Data

Out of ten teachers that the researcher have interviewed, eight of them are agreed that

“groupings” or “jigsaw method” is commonly used by the teachers in teaching in large classes or

in crowded classroom. She found out the different styles or strategies of teachers used in a

crowded classroom to be an effective teacher. The different of teaching styles of these groups and

the comparisons, therefore were undertaken to find out the differences in the teaching styles.

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 Chapter 4

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF

DATA

The main objective of the study was to know the effective management styles used by

teachers in a crowded classrooms.

Teaching large classes is a challenge, but it can also offer many opportunities for you to

improve your teaching and to make it more enjoyable and rewarding for you and your students.

In a large class setting, you have the opportunity to improve your organizational and managerial

skills as you work to creatively organize your classroom into a comfortable, welcoming learning

environment and to manage the many students within it.

Teachers have different techniques or styles in teaching. Some of the teachers in Paradise

Farms National High School that I’ve interviewed says their teaching styles as it follows:

According to Ms. Remedios Palman, one of the Science Teacher in PFNHS, her teaching styles

are:

 You have to set rules, what the students will observe during your period.

 Vocabulary widening, question and answers.

 Have group work.

 Role playing.

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  Laboratory experiment.

According to Mr. Arnold Dela Peña, a Teacher in Mapeh, his Teaching Styles are the following:

 Group the class and assign a leader.

 Strict implementation of your rules.

 Make the classroom conducive for learning.

 Use multi-media as tool in Teaching.

According to Ms.Hermina De Leon, a Science Teacher, her Teaching Styles are the following:

 Set rules.

 Translation.

 Groupings.

 Role playing.

 Brain Storming.

According to Mr.Mark, a Science teacher , his teaching styles are:.

 Strictly implementation of the rules and regulations upon the agreement of both teacher

and students.

 Giving different sets of activities.

 Group students according to learning styles.

According to Mr. Evasco, a math teacher, his teaching styles when he teaches large classes is:

 I preferred jigsaw method or what we called “groupings”.

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According to Ms. Elisa U. Jarabe, a chemistry and physics teacher, she preffered this following

styles in teaching.

 Groupings

 Task-oriented activities

 Student-centered activities

In analyzation of the result, it sees that jigsaw method is commonly used by most of the teachers

when they are teaching in a large classes or in a crowded classroom. Because of many student in

a classroom, it’s difficult to teach them all individually. So that many teachers preffered student-

centered styles. To be more assured that learning process occurs.

NUMBER OF TEACHERS WHO ARE USING “JIGSAW METHOD” OR”

GROUPINGS”

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Finding results, it is seen in the graph that out of 12 teachers 8 of them prepared a “grouping”

styles in teaching. And 2 of them prepared other teaching styles that can reach the cognitive level

of the students.

Overall, the findings of this study suggest that faculty teaching large classes should

attempt to include constructive, active teaching methods in their subject whenever possible.

Structured, controlled collaboration (e.g., jigsaw, case study) would probably be most

comfortable to students as opposed to uncontrolled, unstructured experiences (i.e., team

projects).

Results indicate that most students prefer to be active in their learning process. The

active and collaborative teaching methods examined in this study are not only desirable to many

students, but they also appear to produce significant improvement in terms of learning outcomes.

Future research should investigate the effectiveness of additional active and collaborative

teaching methods in the large class environment. Future studies should also incorporate measures

of learning outcomes in addition to examination scores. Measuring improvement in higher level

comprehension, critical thinking, and problem solving skills could provide more insight into the

value of the teaching methods. Based on enrollment projections, large classes are going to

become a way of life for most faculty at least during the short term. Therefore, further

investigation of large class issues is paramount.

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 Chapter 5

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

SUMMARY

Teaching large classes is a challenge, but it can also offer many opportunities for you to improve

your teaching and to make it more enjoyable and rewarding for you and your students. In a large

class setting, you have the opportunity to improve your organizational and managerial skills as

you work to creatively organize your classroom into a comfortable, welcoming learning

environment and to manage the many students within it. Large classes offer you the opportunity

to improve your interpersonal skills as you try different ways to get to know each student as an

individual through their work in class or their lives outside of it. They will also equally enjoy

getting to know you. Large classes give you the opportunity to improve your teaching and

presentation skills. As the teacher above mentions, constantly Lecturing to a large class or even a

small one – can become boring and bothersome. The value of a large class is that it contains a

diversity of students and learning styles, and you can use many different, active, and fun ways of

teaching. The cumulative knowledge, experiences, skills, and interests of your many students,

furthermore, can be valuable starting points for planning lessons and activities so that learning

becomes meaningful for your students. In addition, by involving your students’ families, you will

also have greater access to resources for learning. You will also improve your evaluation skills as

you devise a variety of ways to tell whether your students have really learned the material,

instead of relying only on short answer exams, which may seem necessary for large classes. For

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instance, you can give your students in-class and out-of-class assignments that ask them what

they have learned and what questions they have about what they have learned. Rather than

following your students’ failures, you can also track their successes, which are also your

successes in teaching. You will find also that involving your students in their learning and in

assessing how well they have done can save you time and reduce your workload. Your students

can also benefit from being in large classes. When ideas and interesting life experiences. This

stimulates the students and enlivens those parts of your lessons where students can discuss and

learn from each other. During project work, students can learn to share responsibility and help

each other, as well as to listen, to have patience, and to express themselves within a diverse

group of people – skills that will be valuable for them throughout their lives. This also brings

variety and speeds up the work.

Evaluating learning and teaching in large classes, so that you can provide good opportunities for

students to show what they are learning, and you can reflect on your own teaching practices.

Please remember, however, that there is no “best way” to teach large classes. You must develop

the approach that works best for you based on your teaching style, the characteristics of your

students, and the goals and objectives of your lessons and curriculum. However, there are some

ideas that do work well for many people, and you will find many in this study that you can adapt

to your way of teaching. Decide which ones are most likely to work for you and try them, or

modify promising ones to fit your situation. Some suggestions may seem rather obvious, and

many are really principles for good teaching.

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CONCLUSIONS

On the basis of the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn.

a) Creating a well-managed classroom community, so that you and your students are ready to

learn in a comfortable physical and psycho-social environment.

b) Teaching in large classes, including planning lessons for large classes and choosing effective

alternatives to the standard.

lecture format; and

c) Evaluating learning and teaching in large classes, so that you can provide good opportunities

for students to show what they are learning, and you can reflect on your own teaching practices.

Please remember, however, that there is no “best way” to teach large classes. You must develop

the approach that works best for you based on your teaching style, the characteristics of your

students, and the goals and objectives of your lessons and curriculum. However, there are some

ideas that do work well for many people, and you will find many in this study that you can adapt

to your way of teaching. Decide which ones are most likely to work for you and try them, or

modify promising ones to fit your situation. Some suggestions may seem rather obvious, and

many are really principles for good teaching. However, they become even more important in

large classes where problems can become magnified. If you’re teaching a large class for the first

time, or simply want to try a new approach, it’s a good idea to review and follow these points.

Most of all, don’t be doubtful! Be creative! It will make your teaching much more enjoyable.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

The classroom environment encompasses the physical environment including learning resources

for lessons as well as the psycho-social environment; for instance, using ways to promote

learning as a community to reduce the feeling of crowdedness and to deal effectively with

misbehavior. Your ability to create well-managed physical and psycho-social environments can

make the difference between a calm and functioning classroom and a classroom in chaos.

organizing the physical environment. Ideally, a class is held in a bright, clean, well-equipped

room that accommodates every student comfortably and allows them to move around and work

well either individually or in groups. To encourage active learning and student involvement, seats

are arranged so students can see each other as well as the teacher.

Unfortunately, very few classrooms are ideal settings for learning and, especially in large classes,

space is usually limited. Often hot, crowded, and noisy, small classrooms overflowing with many

students.

Offer a poor learning setting for you and your students:

 You will need all of your ingenuity and planning skills to create a classroom that is a

comfortable place in which to learn. But your hard work will be worthwhile, since it will

make your job easier and more rewarding. Below are some areas associated with the

classroom’s physical environment that you might consider as you plan on how to

accommodate all of your students and reduce feelings of crowdedness, confusion, and

frustration that often plague large classes.

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 Maximize classroom space. While many of us don’t have control over where we teach,

we may have the opportunity to arrange our assigned classroom as we see fit. The

arrangement of a classroom may be flexible or a challenge, but the idea is to draw

students into the group and to create a physical space that makes them comfortable and

want to enter into a discussion or group situation. In large class settings, space is often a

luxury. To maximize what learning space is available, consider removing unnecessary

furniture to reduce the feeling of overcrowding and to facilitate movement. If you really

don’t need a large teacher’s desk, ask for a small one. Instead of desks or chairs for

students, consider using mats or rugs with your students being seated so that everyone

sees each other and feels a part of the group. In some classrooms in Bangladesh, for

instance, the lack of desks and chairs is beneficial. A large learning space, covered with a

clean, locally made carpet or mat, can be easily changed from a science investigation

space to a drama space, and groups can easily be formed and reformed without disturbing

other classes.

 Store books, instructional materials (such as chalk, rulers, paper, paint, and scissors), and

teaching tools (such as portable chalkboards, easels, chart paper, and work tables) so that

they can be obtained and put away easily, and, in crowded classrooms, do not take up

valuable space.

 Facilitate movement. Develop plans in advance for how students can best enter and exit

the classroom; for instance, students who sit in the back of the classroom can enter first,

followed by those seated in the middle, and lastly by those seated at the front. A reverse

strategy can be used for exiting the classroom. Plan in advance how you will change the

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 classroom arrangement depending on what is being taught, such as moving from a whole

class arrangement for test taking to small groups for art or science lessons.

 Plan on how routine activities will be conducted, such as handing out written assignments

and then handing them back to students after grading. Also plan so that your students’

individual needs can be met.

 Use space outside of the classroom. School grounds can be a rich resource for learning,

and they can serve as an enjoyable complement to crowded classrooms.

 They are also important sites for students to develop both social and cognitive skills and

to learn important lessons about cooperation, ownership, belonging, respect, and

responsibility.

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