Children's Momentary Behavioural Engagement and Class Size: A National Systematic Observation Study
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| Title: | Children's Momentary Behavioural Engagement and Class Size: A National Systematic Observation Study |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Jennifer E. Symonds (ORCID |
| Source: | Frontline Learning Research. 2025 13(2):51-66. |
| Availability: | European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction. Peterseliegang 1, Box 1, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. e-mail: info@frontlinelearningresearch.org; Web site: http://journals.sfu.ca/flr/index.php/journal/index |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 16 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Elementary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Elementary School Students, Class Size, Learner Engagement, English Instruction, Mathematics Instruction, Science Instruction, Irish, Small Classes, Large Group Instruction, Academic Ability, Correlation |
| Geographic Terms: | Ireland |
| ISSN: | 2295-3159 |
| Abstract: | This study used systematic observation to test the direct and moderating effects of class size on children's momentary behavioural engagement in learning. Data were collected with 632 children (50.6% girls) in 121 classrooms in 92 schools recruited into the Children's School Lives national cohort study of Irish primary schooling. The Observational and Research Classroom Learning Evaluation (ORACLE) systematic observation tool was used to observe individual children's behaviour at 30-seconds intervals across a five-minute period in ordinary lessons of English, mathematics, science and Irish. Multilevel path models identified that behavioural engagement was higher in smaller classes and behavioural disengagement was higher in larger classes. Class size also moderated the impact of several individual differences and classroom composition factors on momentary behavioural engagement. For example, smaller classrooms protected lower ability children from disengaging whereas higher ability children were more likely to stay engaged in larger classes compared to lower ability children. Implications for research, practice and policy are discussed. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1465213 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 CustomLinks: – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ1465213 Name: ERIC Full Text Category: fullText Text: Full Text from ERIC |
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| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: EJ1465213 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Children's Momentary Behavioural Engagement and Class Size: A National Systematic Observation Study – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jennifer+E%2E+Symonds%22">Jennifer E. Symonds</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4259-6124">0000-0003-4259-6124</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ricardo+Böheim%22">Ricardo Böheim</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2905-848X">0000-0002-2905-848X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Matthew+P%2E+Somerville%22">Matthew P. Somerville</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3460-4369">0000-0002-3460-4369</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Edward+Baines%22">Edward Baines</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5643-7506">0000-0002-5643-7506</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Xin+Tang%22">Xin Tang</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0155-4967">0000-0002-0155-4967</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Niamh+Oeri%22">Niamh Oeri</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3685-8220">0000-0003-3685-8220</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Raven+Rinas%22">Raven Rinas</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8907-0352">0000-0001-8907-0352</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Florian+Jonas+Buehler%22">Florian Jonas Buehler</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3107-2042">0000-0003-3107-2042</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gertraud+Benke%22">Gertraud Benke</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6710-191X">0000-0002-6710-191X</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Aisling+Davies%22">Aisling Davies</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4314-0949">0000-0002-4314-0949</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Seaneen+Sloan%22">Seaneen Sloan</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1643-3690">0000-0002-1643-3690</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Dympna+Devine%22">Dympna Devine</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1201-6611">0000-0002-1201-6611</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gabriela+Martinez+Sainz%22">Gabriela Martinez Sainz</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9886-5410">0000-0002-9886-5410</externalLink>) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Frontline+Learning+Research%22"><i>Frontline Learning Research</i></searchLink>. 2025 13(2):51-66. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction. Peterseliegang 1, Box 1, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. e-mail: info@frontlinelearningresearch.org; Web site: http://journals.sfu.ca/flr/index.php/journal/index – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 16 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research – Name: Audience Label: Education Level Group: Audnce Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Class+Size%22">Class Size</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learner+Engagement%22">Learner Engagement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22English+Instruction%22">English Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics+Instruction%22">Mathematics Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Science+Instruction%22">Science Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Irish%22">Irish</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Small+Classes%22">Small Classes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Large+Group+Instruction%22">Large Group Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+Ability%22">Academic Ability</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Correlation%22">Correlation</searchLink> – Name: Subject Label: Geographic Terms Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ireland%22">Ireland</searchLink> – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 2295-3159 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: This study used systematic observation to test the direct and moderating effects of class size on children's momentary behavioural engagement in learning. Data were collected with 632 children (50.6% girls) in 121 classrooms in 92 schools recruited into the Children's School Lives national cohort study of Irish primary schooling. The Observational and Research Classroom Learning Evaluation (ORACLE) systematic observation tool was used to observe individual children's behaviour at 30-seconds intervals across a five-minute period in ordinary lessons of English, mathematics, science and Irish. Multilevel path models identified that behavioural engagement was higher in smaller classes and behavioural disengagement was higher in larger classes. Class size also moderated the impact of several individual differences and classroom composition factors on momentary behavioural engagement. For example, smaller classrooms protected lower ability children from disengaging whereas higher ability children were more likely to stay engaged in larger classes compared to lower ability children. Implications for research, practice and policy are discussed. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2025 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1465213 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1465213 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 16 StartPage: 51 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries Type: general – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students Type: general – SubjectFull: Class Size Type: general – SubjectFull: Learner Engagement Type: general – SubjectFull: English Instruction Type: general – SubjectFull: Mathematics Instruction Type: general – SubjectFull: Science Instruction Type: general – SubjectFull: Irish Type: general – SubjectFull: Small Classes Type: general – SubjectFull: Large Group Instruction Type: general – SubjectFull: Academic Ability Type: general – SubjectFull: Correlation Type: general – SubjectFull: Ireland Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Children's Momentary Behavioural Engagement and Class Size: A National Systematic Observation Study Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Jennifer E. Symonds – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Ricardo Böheim – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Matthew P. Somerville – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Edward Baines – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Xin Tang – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Niamh Oeri – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Raven Rinas – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Florian Jonas Buehler – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Gertraud Benke – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Aisling Davies – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Seaneen Sloan – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Dympna Devine – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Gabriela Martinez Sainz IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 01 Type: published Y: 2025 Identifiers: – Type: issn-electronic Value: 2295-3159 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 13 – Type: issue Value: 2 Titles: – TitleFull: Frontline Learning Research Type: main |
| ResultId | 1 |
