EFFECTS OF OVER-CROWDED CLASSROOMS ON

TEACHER STUDENT INTERACTIONS.

By
Yetunde Ijaiya
Department of Educational Management, University of Ilorin, Ilorin.

Abstract
The study was carried out to find out the most serious effects of overcrowded
classroom on teacher-student interactions and the frequently used coping
strategies adopted by the teachers. Using Spearman rho correlation coefficient, a
weak positive correlation was found between the opinion of teachers and
students on the most serious effects of over-crowded classroom, while a
moderate positive correlation was found in their opinions on the coping
strategies. Both sides however considered rampant noise making as the most
serious problem. Findings showed that over crowdedness diminishes the
quantity and quality of teaching and learning with serious implications for
attainment of educational goals. To solve this problem, it is suggested that both
the federal and state Government make the building of additional classrooms and
provision of students' furniture a priority in their educational planning at all
levels.

Introduction
Since Western education became firmly rooted in Nigeria, it has faced myriads of
problems. Most of these problems are hardly lost on the various governments, whether during
colonial or post-independence era. It has resulted in the setting up of various commissions (e.g.
the Ashby Commission of I960; the 1969 curriculum conference, etc) to examine Nigeria's
educational problems and make recommendations. These problems pertained to the quantity and
quality of teachers, educational facilities, curriculum planning and development, etc. Adaralegbe
(1983:16) noted that "a recurring feature in Nigerian secondary school system from its inception
about 120 years ago was its poor staffing". Adesina (1990:76) speaking on the physical facilities
also observed "Post-independence Nigeria saw most Nigeria's primary and secondary school
buildings no better than they were during the colonial era". In fact, most of them are worse now
having suffered from lack of maintenance and weather conditions (e.g rain-storm). Though the
various Governments, military and civilian, have given considerable attention to the provision of
more teachers and schools, the reality in most schools today, from the primary to the tertiary
levels, confirms that the problems still linger.
The problems of shortage of teachers and classrooms are intricately interwoven and
when both combine with large pupil enrolment, the consequence is over-crowded classrooms.
This is the sad truth in many Nigerian classrooms especially in the major towns and cities with
many classes registering fifty (50) to one hundred (100) students and above which is clearly
above the internationally recommended standard (See Table 1).
The poor state of the physical facilities in the schools confirms Adesina's (1990 p.76)
observation that this aspect of the educational problem has been consistently ignored in
educational "plans and reports". He cited the example of Banjo Commission (1961) in the then

Western Nigeria and a similar one in the old Eastern Nigeria which failed to mention 'inadequate
physical facilities' as one of the fifteen factors considered responsible for failing standard of
education. Only the Old man Report on Northern Nigeria gave some attention to buildings and
furniture in schools (Adesina, 1990). The consequence as noted by the West Africa study group
of the Nuffied Foundation (1952) in their report on educational policy and practice in Tropical
Africa is that "... most of the school buildings are poor and made worse by over-crowding..."
(Adesina, 1990 p.70).
Ordinarily, the phenomenon of rural-urban drift in an emergent nation like Nigeria
normally exerts pressure on the facilities and services such as hospitals, schools, transportation
etc. However, the introduction of the Universal Free Primary Education (U.P.E.) first in the old
Western Region in 1955 and later in the Eastern Region in 1957 as well as the launching of the
U.P.E. Scheme by the Federal Government in 1976 compounded the problems of providing
adequate facilities in schools to meet the resultant unprecedented upsurge in pupil enrollment
(Akinyemi, 1983). With inadequate planning for the expected population explosion in schools,
over crowded classrooms now become a permanent feature of academic setting at all levels of
thee educational system.
In addition, Educational planning in Nigeria has always been thought of in terms of
quantitative growth, which is usually above the financial capacity of the Government (Adesina,
1990). A recent example is the implementation of the current 6-3-3-4 system of education, which
is seriously affected by lack of adequate funding and poor preparation. Even though the Federal
and State Governments have shown serious commitment to educational development through
their annual budgetary allocation to Education in recent years (allocation to Education sector is
second only to Defense), the attention given to physical facilities is far from being adequate. The
issue at stake is not how 'huge' the allocation is but how 'adequate'. In a study by Ndagi (1983)
on educational financing under military rule (1968-1978) it was found that:
of the financial resources allocated to secondary level institutions, over 80%
went to the personal emolument of staff and the maintenance of students while
less than 10% went to the purchase of educational materials and equipment, (p.
195).
And in the case of the State Governments, the same study found out that.
of the resource allocated to secondary level education, on average, over 50%
went to the personal emoluments of Staff and over 30% to the maintenance Of
students while less than 15% was Used for the purchase of educational Materials
and equipment; (pp. 195-196).
In the case of students' furniture, some state Governments have completely handed off
the supply. Students either pay to the school to purchase for them or they bring from home. The
latter is more popular. Such furniture now come in all shapes and sizes presenting an ugly sight
in the classroom.
The phenomenon of overcrowded classroom as well as poor quality and inadequate
furniture in the classroom due to unlimited expansion has taken its toll on the educational system.
Only few people will deny that the quality of teaching and learning is on the decline at all levels of
the educational system. The poor result of the Senior Secondary School examination (SSCE) in
almost all subjects in recent years is one potent indicator. The increase in examination
malpractices cannot be divorced from poor seating arrangement in classrooms. The quantity and
quality of interaction in the class are likely to be adversely affected due to lack of space for
moving round the class and the over whelming number of students that the teacher has to deal
with within a forty-minute lesson. Nolasco and Arthur (1988) also identified five likely problems of

large classes:
coping with the noise, persuading the class to use English, managing the
introduction and setting up of activities, making limited resources go a long way
and monitoring the work of individuals within the class (p.5).
These and many other problems inform the decision to conduct this study with the hope
that it will help to draw more attention to this ugly situation under which learning is expected to
take place and educational objectives are to be attained.

The Problem
The classroom is the heart of any educational system. No curriculum planning is
complete without implementation and evolution, both of which are mainly carried out in the
classroom. Most of the class activities take place while students are seated. The seating
arrangement is therefore too important to suffer the kind of neglect being experienced by many
secondary schools in the country. As rightly observed by Cohen and Manion (1983 p.221) "a
careful attention to seating arrangement contributes as effectively as any other aspect of
classroom management and control to overall success with a class subsequently". Adesina
(1990 p.73) also affirms that one potent index for evaluating educational standards and quality is
an examination of the physical facilities available for learning experiences".
The seating arrangement can make or mar any lesson. Ideally, in a secondary school,
especially in a mixed ability grouping, as found in Nigeria schools, seats should be arranged in
rows with a reasonable amount of space between them to allow for proper teacher-student and
student-student interactions as well as allow for individual and group work (Cohen and Manion,
1983). To this end, the ratio of teacher to students should not exceed 1:30 or ai most 40 judging
by the size of the classrooms. But what one finds in many o these classes is between ratio 1: 50
and 1: 150 in certain cases.
This study was therefore interested in identifying the major problems caused by overpopulated classes in Nigeria growing towns and cities with a view to making suggestions that
could help to alleviate the problems.

The Research Questions

The study addressed the following questions:
1.

Is there any correlation between the ranking of teachers and students with regard to the
effects of over-crowded classrooms on classrooms interactions?

2.

Is there any correlation between the ranking of teachers and students concerning the coping
strategies adopted by teachers in over-crowded classroom?

Methodology
The sample used in this study consisted of teachers and students from secondary
schools in Ilorin metropolis. Ilorin is considered a typical example of the growing cities in Nigeria,
which has been feeling the pinch of population explosion in schools. Using simple random
sampling technique, eight schools were selected out of thirty secondary schools in the township.
A total of 250 students randomly selected \\ere served a researcher-designed questionnaire
though their teachers out of which 206 were found usable. The teachers' sample consisted of 141
teachers also randomly selected from the eight schools. The total sample was three hundred and
forty seven (347).

The Instrument
Two types of instrument were used. One involved the use of class registers to obtain
pupil enrolment by classroom J.S.S. 1 to S.S.S. 1. It was assumed that most SS ! students would
eventually make it to SS 3. The schools are indicated by letters A to H (Table 1). The second
instrument was a questionnaire made by the researcher to determine the most serious effect of
over-crowded classroom on Teacher - student interactions. It consisted of two sections. Section A
consisted of thirteen (13) statements which the respondents had to rank in descending order
according to their view of their seriousness on classroom interactions. Section B presented seven
(7) coping strategies which could be adopted by the teacher to combat the problems of overcrowdedness in the class. Respondents were required to identify the ones commonly used by
their teachers. The questionnaire was validated by experts in Educational Management. The
reliability co-efficient of the questionnaire was 0.85. The data was analyzed by sing Spearman's
rho correlation coefficient.
Table 1: Class-by-class Enrolment of some Secondary Schools in Ilorin Metropolis.
Schools
Class
JSS 1A
JSS 1B
JSS 1C
JSS ID
JSS IE
JSS IF
JSS 2A
JSS 2B
JSS 2C
JSS 2D
JSS 2E
JSS 2F
JSS 3A
JSS 3B
JSS 3C
JSS 3D
JSS 3E
JSS 3F
SSS 1A
SSS 1B
SSS 1C
SSS ID
SSS IE
SSS IF

A
90
88
82
61
94
95
100
84
85
78
77
90
133
123
-

B
70
73
70
52
50
56
43
43
79
-

C
107
109
110
119
104
99
104
101
100
110
82
79
85
79
83
65
70
123
85
84
-

D
100
98
95
100
100
94
81
825
74
75
74
21
85
96
61
-

E
71
69
72
73
52
52
56
31
68
67
-

F
62
69
71
69
66
62
59
70
69
58
50
63
58
52
46
47
56
50
56
53
59
63
60
66

G
80
85
80
60
55
58
50
48
45
50
-

H
77
81
86
83
80
79
885
77
60
58
65
70
30
65
70
-

Source: Class Registers through the counseling Department of each school.

*
Note that all the classes are over-populated except SS !A in school. D.E and
are science classes.

which

Data Analysis and Results

Below is the analysis and results of the data collected in relation to the research
questions.
The first question sought to find out if there was any relationship between the ranking of
the teachers and students with regard to the problem of over-crowed classroom. Table 2 below
presents the analysis and result of the data collected.
Table 2: Result of Spearman's Rho performed to compare the rankings of Teachers and Students

on the problems of over-crowed classroom and Teacher- Student interactions.

S/
No

Items

1.

Noise-making
is very rampant
during lessons
Securing
students total
attention during
lessons is
almost impossible
Many pupils at
the back do not
participate
much in the
lesson.
Quiet students
often get
neglected
Only brilliant
students answer
questions in
class
Teachers
questions cannot
spread
round the class

2.

3.

4.
5.

6.

7.

9.
10.
11

12.
13.

Teachers
movement is
restricted to the
front of the
class because
students'
lockers have
blocked every
space.
Teachers cannot
move round the
class to mark
students'
assignment.
It is impossible
to catch students
cheating.
Late-comers
sneak in
unnoticed.
It is difficult for
teachers to see
students who are
not paying
attention.
Truants go
unnoticed in the
class.
Teaching aids
cannot go round
everybody.

No of
Teachers'
response

Ranking
by
Teachers

Students'
Response
students

Ranking
by

24

40

16

18

-1

17

10

-5

10

20

36

10

-3

30

25

22

13

11

121

12

12

49

13

35

11

121

11

-2

11

15

25

12

12

25

10

-3

d2 =450
P = 1 - 6(450)
13(132 - 1)
P = 1 - 2700
2184

P = 1 -1.236
P = 0.236
The result in table 2 above showed a weak positive correlation (P = 0.236) between the
ranking of teachers and students. This result implied that both sides shared a slight consensus on
the problems associated with over crowded classroom. Both teachers and the students ranked
item 1 - " noise-making is very rampant during lessons" as the most serious problem of overcrowed classroom. Other rankings are not so similar. The teacher's other rankings showed item 7
- " teacher's movement is restricted to the front of the class because students lockers have
blocked every space" and item 3 - "many pupils at the back do not participate much in the lesson"
received second and third place respectively. Students on the other hand, ranked item 9 - " it is
impossible to catch students cheating" second (ranked last by teachers) and item 6 - "teachers'
questions cannot spread round the class due to time limit", was ranked third, though ranked
eighth by teachers. For the student item 7, ranked second by the teachers, was the least of the
problems and was ranked last (thirteenth) by them. Other rankings are as shown in Table 2.
The second question desired to know if there was correlation between the rankings of
teachers in dealing with the problem of over-crowded classrooms. The result is presented in
Table 3 below.
Table 3: Result of Spearman's Rho performed to compare the Teachers' and Students' Ranking
of the Coping Strategies adopted^ by Teachers.
TEACHERS
No of
Ranking by
Teachers'
Teachers
Response

S/No

Items

a.

Standing in front of
the class all the time
48
Teacher raising his or
her voice.
72
Dividing students
into groups for lessons 0
Re-arranging students
from time to time so that
those at the back come
to the front for some pan
of the term.
12

b.
c.
d.

e.
f.
g.

Class assignments are

always collected to be
marked after the lessons 54
Punishment for
students who disturb.
84
Sending disobedient
students off the class.
66

P= 1-

STUDENTS
Students
Ranking
Response
students

144

2.5

2.5

625

134

-2

36

66

102

-1

144

25

-1.5

2.25

156

6(17.5)
7(72 - 1)

P = 1 - 105
336
P = 1 - 1 - 0.313
P = 0.687
As shown in Table 3, a moderate positive correlation (p=0.687) was found between the
ranking of both teachers and students with regard to the coping strategies used by teachers, thus
implying that both sides had a most similar view of the frequently used teachers' coping

strategies. According to the teachers, the most frequently used coping strategies is "punishment
for students who are disturbing". This is followed by " teacher raising his or her voice" and
"sending disobedient student out of the class", both ranked second and third respectively.
"Dividing students into groups for lessons" was found to be unpopular as a coping strategy for the
problem of over-crowded classes. For the students, the most frequently used strategy by
teachers is "sending disobedient students out of the class". Table 3 also showed that " standing
in front of the class all the time", and 'punishment for students who are disturbing" received equal
ranking from the students.

Discussion
The main objective of this study was to identify the major problem associated with overpopulation of students in classrooms resulting in poor seating arrangement as they affect teacherstudent interactions in the class. The findings showed that noise- making, difficulty of catching
students, restriction of teacher's movement to the front of the class and inadequate participation
in the lesson by students sitting at the back are the major problems caused by overcrowded
classes. Findings also showed that questions cannot spread much round the class. The findings
of this study revealed the trend or direction of concern for both the teachers and the students.
While both of them consider noise making as a number one problem, the students were however
more concerned with catching fellow students who indulge in cheating during tests and
examinations than do the teachers. This is not strange since the students are expected to know
each other better than the teachers, being together most of the time. This, coupled with the
teachers' movement restricted to the front of the classroom, makes it difficult for the teachers to
catch those cheating. That teachers were also concerned about their movement being restricted
also showed that they were aware of the limitations that the seating arrangement has forced on
them. Both the teachers and student were however concerned about lack of enough opportunity
for students' participation in the lessons due to the size of the class (See Table!).
The pedagogical-cum-educational as well as management implications of these findings
cannot be over-emphasized. That both the teachers and students identified noise- making as
most serious problems of over-populated classroom is significant. This confirms Nolasco and
Arthur's (1988) observation that noise is a major problem of large classes. Any experienced
teacher would agree that very little meaningful learning, if at all, could take place in a noisy
environment. Noise making implies that such students are not paying attention to the on going
lesson. Besides, noise making has been recognized as a barrier to effective communication and
effective teaching (Ogunsaju, 1990). The finding also indicated the level of class control problems
in such classes. This therefore raises serious questions about the quality and quantity of teaching
/ learning in such classes.
Also, a close observation of classroom behavior shows that noisemakers tend to
concentrate at the back of the class. The finding that student s at the back do not participate
much in the lesson is therefore not surprising. This however calls for better strategies or skills
from the teachers to handle this section of the class more constructively.
Questioning is an integral part of teaching. In fact, no teaching is complete without
evaluation. It is through evaluation that the teacher determines whether the lesson objectives
have been achieved or not. The finding that teachers' questions cannot spread round the class
seems to suggest that many students have no opportunity to participate in the evaluation. How
then does the teacher identify their strengths and weaknesses so as to assist them especially
when the teachers rely so much on oral evaluation for every lesson? All these have serious
implications for curriculum development and implementation.

Also, where teachers are glued to the front of the classroom, it becomes near impossible
to go round either to mark pupils' work or assist the individual student. They are also forced into
using the lecture method all the time because of the rigidity in the seating arrangement.
On the issue of coping strategies adopted by teachers, findings showed that punishment
is the most popular measure. The use of punishment over and above other more positive
strategies is not in the best interest of the students. Such punishment sometimes turn to be
negative reinforcement and acceptable to the student. And though its use cannot be totally
avoided, educationists would rather recommend the use of positive reinforcement (Fontana,
1981). By using punishment, teachers seem to have picked the most convenient way of getting
out of the problem of class control (for example, sending erring student out reduces the number
of student to cope with). More positive options like dividing students into groups will likely make
more demand on their energy and time, hence the avoidance.

Conclusion and Suggestions

From the findings of this study, one can conclude that seating arrangement in overpopulated classes places limitations on the quality and quantity of interactions between the
teachers and the students as well as on the quality of teaching and learning. The findings also
cast some doubt on the skills of the teachers in dealing with the problems. Indulging in negative
reinforcement like punishment is not educationally expedient These are direct result of poor
quality training of teachers.
In view of the above, the following suggestions are made. Shortages of classrooms and
teachers in secondary schools need to be treated as a national crisis worthy of the attention of
both the Federal and State Governments. A lasting solution is therefore building of additional
classrooms and employing more teachers. In fact, judging by Table 1, there is a need to double
the existing facilities. A ratio of 1:35 teacher to student is hereby suggested Federal and State
Government should lift embargo specifically on the employment of teachers. School plant need
read to be totally over-hauled.
On student' furniture, the Ministries of Education should direct school managers to treat
them like school uniform which is organized by each school in order to ensure uniformity. In the
alternative, the Government could design a standard set (chair and desk) for students to buy from
specified local furniture shops at an affordable price.
On the coping skills of the teachers, a more positive approach as suggested by Nolasco
and Arthur (1988) is to establish some formality in class activities right from the beginning of the
lesson. This could be in form of class routines and convention that would keep the students busy
as soon as the lesson starts. Adequate planning and implementation of lesson would also keep
them busy throughout the lesson. To this end, seminars and workshop should be organized for
teachers to sharpen their skills of teaching.

References
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(Eds), Nigerian education trends and issues, lle-lfe University of Ife Press.

Akinyemi, K, (1983). Trends in development of primary education in Nigeria, in Adesina, S,

Akinyemi, K and Ajayi. K (Eds), Nigerian education trends and issues. Ile-Ife: University of
Ife Press.
Adesina, S. (1990) Educational management. Nigeria: Fourth Dimension.
Cohen, & Manion, L. (1983) A guide to teaching practice. London: Methuen.
Fontana, D, (1981) 'Class control and management'. In D. Fontana, (Ed.), Psychology for
teachers. London: The Macmillan Press.
Ndagi. J.O (I983). Financing of education in Nigeria under military rule (1968-1978)' In S.
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