Difficulties, Managements and Benefits of Large Classes Patel Dhrunal K.1,*, Chaudhari Priti2 1Research Scholar, Department of Education [CASE], Faculty of Education and Psychology, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat-390002, India 2Assistant Professor, Department of Education [CASE], Faculty of Education and Psychology, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat-390002, India *Corresponding author: Dhrunal K. Patel, Research Scholar, Department of Education [CASE], Faculty of Education and Psychology, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat-390002, India. E-mail: dhrunal.kapatel@gmail.com
Online published on 1 May, 2018. Abstract Large classes are a reality in India and they pose particular challenges. People have varying opinions on how large the number of students should be in a so-called ‘large class ’. “There can be no quantitative definition of what constitutes a “large ” class, as perceptions of this will vary from context to context”. The two major educational challenges are that they make students feel anonymous and passive. Then, depending on how the teacher responds to these challenges, there may be second-level problems of class morale and discipline. In addition, the teacher faces inherent logistical problems, e.g., distributing and collecting homework, tests, handouts, posting grades, etc. To come over these problems, this research has been organized around a set of questions related to the two major educational challenges mentioned previously. In a language class in which student participation contributes greatly to the success of lectures, the number of students should be kept small so that interaction between teacher and students, and between one student and another, can be maximized. Unfortunately, education budgets in Vietnam are often too small to realize this ideal, which means that for most BJEers of this article classes are quite large. This article looks at problems faced when teaching large classes, possible solutions that might make them less of a burden, and even some possible advantages of teaching such classes, along with a discussion of how to exploit their positive aspects. Top Keywords Large classes, Logistical problems. Top |