Further Study of the Effect of Group Size on Student Performance

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Further Study of the Effect of Group Size on Student Performance A. A. Sutko Manufacturing Engineering Technology, Midwestern State University, 3410 Taft Blvd., Wichita Falls, TX 76308 U.S.A. Abstract In a 1992 issue of the International Journal of Engineering Education, this author reported on the effects of laboratory group size on student performance. Most of the information was obtained from a material science laboratory. The data indicate that individuals in groups of two or four students tended to receive better final course grades than those from groups of three. Discussion was given concerning the possible reasons for this finding along with information from the then current literature. This paper includes the key components of the 1992 paper and updates it with data obtained since then. It also includes information from other literature published in the recent past. The conclusions reached in the 1992 paper appear to remain valid. Introduction Engineering technology students at Midwestern State University are required to take several courses which require laboratory work. Most of these laboratories are, by nature, relatively expensive to build and maintain. To allow for reasonable class size, it is necessary for most laboratories to have students work together in groups. The size of these groups depends on such things as the number of students enrolled in the class, the number of laboratory sections, and the number of work stations. Any increase in the number of sections or work stations usually results in higher costs, i.e. more instructor time with more sections and more direct expense with more work stations. With the above in mind, questions arise when funds are requested for laboratories. Do students in smaller groups get more out of their laboratory work and hence more out of the course? If so, how does this relate to the number of sections to be offered and the amount of laboratory equipment to be obtained so as to enhance that which the student takes from the course? Studies of Class Size In the 1992 paper[1], information from six sources was reported. Most of this information dealt with class size rather than group size and, in most cases, dealt with elementary school classes. Hallinan and Sorensen[2] discuss work done by others that shows on the one hand reducing class size alone would not increase pupil achievement, and on the other that sufficient reduction of class size led to achievement increases of several percentage points. Cahen et al.[3] indicate research findings that suggest smaller seems better in some cases and not in others. They reported that individuals in smaller classes engaged in “meaningful”

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activity 75% of the time as compared to 57% for the larger classes; “waited for help” percentages were 5 for smaller classes versus 9 for larger classes;