Class Size in Foreign Language Classrooms

The idea of reducing class size is often regarded as an attractive move by students, teachers and parents.However, there is conflicting evidence that such a strategy consistently improves education achievement.This mixed methods case study investigates the thoughts and opinions of educators and students regarding class size in foreign language classrooms.Universities in Japan were targeted for the study, especially English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers and students.Data was collected using surveys consisting largely of Likert scale questions and multiple choice questions.The presumed opinion before the study was that teachers and students largely preferred classes with fewer students, the data indicated that sentiment as well.The study also reviews the literature regarding classroom size studies in the past and compares that to the results of the teachers and students.