In recent years, there has been a growing concern amongst parents about the inadequate amount of attention that their child receives both in school or in tuition centres. When lessons are held in classes of twenty to forty students, it stands to reason that a teacher’s attention is divided by that number of students. Therefore, an individual child may not get attention that he or she requires, nor will lessons be conducted in a manner optimal for his or her learning. This is especially applicable to the subject area of mathematics, where complex theories are handed to students and fundamentals of core topics are at a premium.
An alternative that is increasingly growing in popularity is that of small group maths tuition lessons. By reducing the number of students in a class, several benefits have been observed. Firstly, it increases the flexibility of a class as a teacher is able to adjust classes to one or two students’ needs. For example, if a student is struggling with a particular sub topic, the tutor could make the class attempt extra questions on that sub topic. If a teacher in a class of forty were to replicate this, it would be unfeasible as too many variations of areas of need may arise from the students. However in a class of six or less, the likelihood of having all sub topics being questioned is less likely.
Secondly, in conjunction with the first point, tutors are better able to devote time to individuals in small groups. In large classes students are often left out of discussions leading to them zoning out due to a lack of involvement. In contrast, tutors can easily bring all students into a discussion if they are only teaching a small group. This gives them encouragement, participation and appreciation over time which leads to engagement in class.
Thirdly, small group classes encourages teamwork and peer to peer learning. Rather than provide a direct solution to a question, tutors have the freedom to instead open the question to the class, and invite collaboration to solve the problem. As the old saying goes, the best way to learn is to teach. Students who have a better understanding of the topic can be encouraged to teach their peers while the tutor observes for any misconceptions. This forms a win-win situation amongst the class for all students.
Lastly, students are placed under less pressure when clarifying doubts or ask questions. When in a class of forty, asking questions can be a daunting class for individuals who do not want to appear silly or of less capability. In contrast, students are likely to feel more comfortable when placed in smaller groups. This makes small group math tuition classes a popular choice amongst parents looking to give their child a boost in his or her academics.
