Introduction
. Education policies are adopted with the intent to influence student performance. Students cannot learn if they are absent from school; as a result, many districts have adopted policies to encourage and even to compel students to attend classes (Blatchford 2003). The measure people use is the average percentage of students who attend school, although this might also be an environmental variable measuring commitment to education by students or their families. Class size is also perceived as relevant to student (Brophy 2004). It is important to know the major problems in teaching and learning and to transfer skills and knowledge from generation to generation. A number of factors could affect teaching learning activities. Some of these factors are external, while others are internal to the classroom situation. Among the internal factors to the classroom situation are: problems of classroom management; problems of large class size are the main focus of this study. These problems hinder the smooth interaction between teachers and their students. This paper is a proposed study that will attempt to solve some of the effects related to large class size and suggests some solutions to the problems.
Statement of the problem
One of the concerns of the education and training policy is to provide quality education at every level. If the criteria mentioned in the new educational policy are fully implemented, the goals and objectives can be achieved. In order to implement the new educational policy observing the effect of large class size is one of the very important factors for the improvement of quality in education. Depending on this a case of Homi Secondary School grade 9A - B the class size or the number of students in one section the class size or the number students in one section in average are 85, these number of students in one class may not be correctly managed or it is difficult to assess them efficiently and effectively. So this is the reason that why this research is needed to be conducted. Therefore, Does large class size affects classroom management? Does large class size affects classroom assessment? Is it possible to solve problems of classroom management and classroom assessment, if the number of student in one section is minimized?
Significance of the study
Education in its modern form is an important human right and remains an essential tool for achieving the goals of equality in development. To achieve a better quality and quantity of education a country should make a continuous and thorough evaluation of its educational system in general and schools in particular. Using the feedback from the evaluation it may be possible to correct weaknesses and to promote the stronger sides. Based on this, the writer of this paper will try to assess and identify the main causes and possible solutions; hence this study has the following importance:
1. The study will initiate the Woreda educational office, to principal of the school and the teachers to take appropriate measures in order to decrease or reduce the problem by construction or building additional classrooms and increasing the number of teachers by discussing with the community and other concerned individuals or groups.
2. It may invite other interested groups or biology teachers or individuals for further in depth studies on the problem to arrive at better results and valuable solutions.
3. Initiate the community to discuss on the problem and motivate them to participate in solving or reducing school problems, especially the large class size.
4. The feedback of this study is to use for the concerned education sector authorities to deal with the prevailing problems.
5. It is hoped that the solutions pointed out as recommendations might be used as possible alternatives
Objectives of the study
General Objective:
The study indicates or targets to solve or reduce the problems of large class size in Grade 9 of Homi Secondary school.
Specific objectives:
· To address the effect of large class size on classroom management in grade 9 of Homi Secondary School.
· To solve or minimize the effect of large class assessment in Homi secondary Grade 9 of the same school.
· To indicate possible solutions to overcome these problems.
· To examine major effects that impairs quality of education in large class size.
Limitations of the study
The writer of this paper believes that it may be more effective and reliable if the study is conducted in more than two secondary schools. However due to some problems the researcher limits this study only at the above mentioned school. The problems include: Lack of reference materials Shortage of finance Shortage of times as the researcher is engaged in full-time teaching Failure of the respondents not to return all the questionnaires Because of the and other problem the breadth and depth of the study is limited.
Delimitation of the study
The boundary of the study is limited to Homi Secondary School grade 9 students, teachers and school principal due to the factors mentioned under limitation of the study.
Methodology of the Study
Study area and period This research will conducted in Homi Secondary School which was opened in the year 2007 which intends to focus on the problem of large class size in teaching and learning processes.
Study design
This research will be done on grade 9students, teachers and the school principal. The numbers of teachers included in this research population are those who teach in grade 9 only. The profile of these teachers indicates that two of them are diploma holders and the rest eight are first degree holders.
Study population
In case of students, stratified random sampling method is used in which 60 students will be taken out of a total of 170 students.
Variables included in the study:
In the study three major independent variables will be selected to be in use.
a. Student- related variables which includes student’s personal characteristics such as sex
b. Teachers- related variables such as teachers' sex and educational levels.
c. School- related variables such as principles qualification age, sex, etc. 1.7.5.
Date Sources and Methods of the Study
The main source of primary data is the one collected be employing questionnaires by, observations and interviews, Questionnaires will be prepared in English and later on translated into Afaan Oromo language and distributed to the respondents (students and teachers) of the sample and then the questionnaire distributed to the population and collected. Percentages are used to analyze the obtained data. The obtained data will be interpreted and the findings will be put in to summary, conclusions and recommendations. By observation method, Six times of observations will be carried out
These are:
1. When the homeroom teacher is attending before the class has started
2. When the teachers are teaching
3. When the teacher is giving test and final exam by interview method, the principal of the school will interviewed for the number and qualification of teachers the total number of males and females of students grade 9 all are open ended question.
Time schedule
Activities Tentative time schedule 1 Literature review October-2009 2 Questionnaire preparation Noveber-2009 3 Pilot survey November- 2009 4 Primary and secondary data collection November- 2009 5 Data analysis and draft thesis preparation February- 2010 6 Instructor comment June- 2010 7 Final thesis submission June- 2010
References
Blatchford, P 2003, The class size debate: Is small better?,
Open University Press, Philadelphia.
Brophy, J 2004, Motivating students to learn, Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates, Mahwah, NJ.
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