Class Size Difference in the Five-year Transition of Elementary School Students' Japanese-language Achievement

Abstract

 This study examined class size difference in the transition of elementary school students' achievement by analyzing panel data composed of Japanese language standardized test scores at five points from around the end of first grade to around the end of fifth grade. The data for 103 schools, 162 classes, and 3,460 students were analyzed. Multilevel analysis with a model postulating three levels (student and time, student, and school) was conducted. The results indicated that smaller classes are advantageous for students' five-year Japanese language achievement trajectories. The study also discussed the advantages of long-term panel data gathering when examining class size impact on academic achievement, as well as the necessity of further research, including large-scale classroom observation, to discover how class size affects students' academic achievement trajectories.