Class size as a pedagogical challenge

This study examines when class size becomes a pedagogical challenge in management education, shifting the focus from numerical thresholds to the pedagogical conditions under which difficulties arise. Drawing on a survey of 217 faculty members across disciplines in a Canadian business school, the findings show that while challenges occur in both classes perceived as too small and those perceived as too large, they are more frequently associated with large classes. No universal threshold was identified; instead, a hierarchy of challenges emerged, indicating that class size matters most when faculty aim to develop higher-order cognitive skills, implement active learning methods, and foster meaningful pedagogical relationships. The study contributes by examining student cognitive skills, teaching methods, and pedagogical relationships simultaneously, showing that class size becomes a pedagogical challenge under specific pedagogical conditions rather than at specific numerical thresholds. More broadly, it reframes the debate from “how big is too big?” to “under what pedagogical conditions does class size become a challenge?” It also invites researchers and business schools to consider the longer-term consequences of large classes for pedagogical relationships, which may erode not only student engagement but also the development of the interpersonal skills that management education seeks to cultivate.