Teaching large classes: The international evidence and a discussion of some good practice in Ugandan primary schools

It seems to be accepted in educational debate that class size has a negative impact on teaching and learning. However, how much do we know about the impact that class size has on teaching and learning, particularly in developing country contexts? This article will engage with this question. It will review the research evidence on teaching large classes. It will then present descriptions of four ‘good’ lessons observed in Uganda, all of which had more than 70 children in each class. These lessons, though not perfect, are presented because they were effective in bringing about some learning. The article will use these lessons to explore the effectiveness of various large class teaching strategies in the literature. Finally, there will be a discussion of the issues raised and the implications of these for various stakeholders in developing countries.