CLASS SIZE AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE IN SECONDARY AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The paper focuses on the issue of class size as it relates to students’ academic performance in mathematics and science. Class size was viewed in the paper from various perspectives, ranging from student-teacher ratio, students' number per class and instructional materials available to cater to the needs of students in the class. The issue had, over the years been hotly debated and it was found that class size has an effect on the academic achievement of students. Theoretically, the paper argued that there are some difficulties encountered by learners in the process of learning that are environment-based while some are considered to be personal to the learner; each of which has bearing on how the classroom is structured to take care of such difficulties. The paper, in the end, recommended that the existing structures should be expanded so as to allow for decongesting the present ones and teachers should be recruited to complement the expansion.