DO SMALLER CLASSES REALLY HELP? In an experiment in Canada, ten-year-old children were put in classes of four sizes: 16, 23, 30 and 37 children in (31)____ class. Their teachers said that the smaller classes would result in more individual attention and better marks. However, when the children were (32)____, those in the smaller classes didn’t get higher marks than the others, except in mathematics. Moreover, children in the larger classes said they liked school (33)____ as much. Perhaps the ...

DO SMALLER CLASSES REALLY HELP?

In an experiment in Canada, ten-year-old children were put in classes of four sizes: 16, 23, 30 and 37 children in (31)____ class. Their teachers said that the smaller classes would result in more individual attention and better marks. However, when the children were (32)____, those in the smaller classes didn’t get higher marks than the others, except in mathematics. Moreover, children in the larger classes said they liked school (33)____ as much. Perhaps the most surprising result was the difference between what teachers expected and the actual results obtained. More than 90% of the teachers expected the smaller classes to (34)____ well. After teaching these smaller classes, over 80% of the teachers thought the pupils had done better. However, according to the researchers, nothing of the (35)____ happened. Class size seemed to make a difference only to the teachers’ own attitudes - and not to the results they obtained. (Source: “Longman Tests in Contexts” by J.B. Heaton)