THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLASS SIZE AND EFFECTIVE TEACHERS’ CLASS MANAGEMENT OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN OREDO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE
 CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY:
    Education is the primary agent or ingredient of transformation towards sustainable development. It increases people capabilities to bring into reality their visions for society. All countries strive for quality education for their sustainable development.
    Quality education has significant impact and useful contribution to the area of human development; therefore secondary school students have right to receive an education of good quality which is associated with different academic and institutional factors. Researchers such as Mobegi, Ondigi and Obure (2010) Digolo (2003) and Eshiwani (1993) suggested that a number of factors contributed to the establishment of quality education in secondary schools. They observed that the maintenance of factors such as curriculum, instructional materials, equipment, teacher training and competencies of teachers are some of the indicators of quality education. Quality education students in order to develop[ heir cognitive, effective and challenging which nurture them to become confident, have good self-esteem and willing to strive forward yet at the same time feel a sense of responsibility towards other in the society.
    Despite the efforts to provide quality education, the secondary school system continues to face challenges that could compromise the quality of education provided. One of such challenges is poor classroom management. The quality of classroom management in our secondary school system appears below the expected standard because of infrastructural and human capital inadequacies.
    It has been observed that over-crowded classrooms have a negative impact on the ability of the teacher to manage a class effectively. This has led to increased stress on the part of the teacher and a low academic achievement on the part of the students too.
    Large classrooms are also prone to disruptive behaviors and also increase the rate at which teachers are exposed to burn-out. Indeed, the single most common request for assistance from teachers is related to behavior and classroom management (Rose and Gallup, 2005). Large classrooms which are often exposed to frequent disruptive behaviors have less academic engaged time, and students in such classes tend to have lower grades and do poorer on standardized tests. Furthermore, attempt to control disruptive behaviors cost considerable teacher  time at the expense of academic instruction. There is a significant body of research attesting to the fact that classroom organization and behavior management competencies significantly influence the persistence of new teachers in their teaching careers. (Ingersol and Smith, 2003).
    This therefore became an issue of concern to the researcher to research on the relationship between class size and effective teachers’ class management in senior secondary schools.
Statement of the Problem
 In Nigerian secondary schools, the most common problem reported by teachers are those related to behavior management in the classroom (Igbo, 205). The evidence is irrefutable as surveys of graduates’ education schools and colleges indicate that sometimes in an attempt to maintain order n the classroom, sometimes teachers can actually make the problem worse which leads to known implications such as, lackadaisical attitude towards learning, loss of interest kin the subject and in general a poor academic performance of such a child.
    In recent times, there are divergent views about class size and teachers’ effective class management. One school of thought has it that classroom size or population can limit a teacher’s class management technique.
    On the other hand, another school of thought believes that class size and population are no issues, rather the methodology of classroom management matters. It is therefore evident that these view need to be balanced, and so this study is an attempt to investigate the actual effect whether positive or negative that may come from class size on effective teachers’ class monument.
    This research therefore tend to look at “if class size have significant influence on effective teachers’ class management”
Research questions
To guide the study, the following research questions are raised:
Is there any correlation between class size and effective teachers’ classroom management in senior secondary schools In Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State?
Is the teacher’s class management technique more effective in less populated classes than in large populated classes?
Do differences in effectiveness exist between grade levels?
Research hypothesis
The research hypotheses are gotten from the research questions. These are:
There is no significant relationship between class size and effective teachers’ class management in senior secondary schools in Oredo Local government Area of Edo state.
There is no significant relationship between effective teachers’ class management and grade levels.
Purpose of the study
    The purpose of this study was to find out the relationship between class size and effective teachers’ class management of senior school students in Oredo Local Government Area Edo State
Significance of the study
 This study is important for several reasons
This study is significant because the finding will enable researchers to proffer useful suggestions on the problems of classroom management.
The finding of the study will be useful to educational planners, as it will help them to find out how school resources play an important role in the teaching /learning process.
This study will lead to further in-depth study on the impact of class size on effectiveness of the teacher’s class management techniques in Nigeria by other researchers who might want to carry out research in related areas.
Scope and limitation of the study
 This research work will cover senior secondary schools in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo state. However, four (4) school secondary schools will be used as a case study based on the population of the schools selected for the study. Two will be mixed senior secondary schools.
While the rest two will be single senior secondary schools.
Definition of terms
 Class size: this refers to the number of students in a given course or classroom, specifically either  (1) the number of students being taught by individual teachers in a course or classroom or (2) the average numbers of student being taught by teachers in a school.
Senior secondary school: this is an institution designed for teaching students between the ages of 16 and 19 years under the direction of teachers.
Overpopulation/overcrowded classroom:  this is when the number of students in a particular class exceeds the standard of teacher student ratio of 1:40.