Small-group instruction to improve student performance in mathematics in early grades: Results from a randomized field experiment

•RCT using additional teachers to provide small-group instruction in mathematics.•Pull-out strategy with all students treated and instruction time held fixed.•Treatment: grades 2–4, 4–6 students per group, 4–6 weeks, 2 periods per school year.•Led to increased performance on national test by0.06of a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of public economics 2022-12, Vol.216, p.104765, Article 104765
Main Authors: Bonesrønning, Hans, Finseraas, Henning, Hardoy, Ines, Iversen, Jon Marius Vaag, Nyhus, Ole Henning, Opheim, Vibeke, Salvanes, Kari Vea, Sandsør, Astrid Marie Jorde, Schøne, Pål
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
C93 (Field Experiments)
Class size
Education economics
Field experiment
H52 (Government Expenditures and Education)
I21 (Analysis of Education)
Intervention
Randomized controlled trial
Small-group instruction
Teacher-student ratio, mathematics
Tracking
Tutoring
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Summary:•RCT using additional teachers to provide small-group instruction in mathematics.•Pull-out strategy with all students treated and instruction time held fixed.•Treatment: grades 2–4, 4–6 students per group, 4–6 weeks, 2 periods per school year.•Led to increased performance on national test by0.06of a standard deviation.•No differential effect by pre-ability level, suggesting that all students benefit. We investigate whether small-group instruction improves student performance in mathematics in the early grades using a large-scale RCT covering 159 Norwegian schools over four years. The students − 7–9 years old - are pulled out from their regular mathematics classes into small, homogenous groups of 4–6 students for mathematics instruction for 3 to 4 h per week, for two periods of 4–6 weeks per school year. Unlike many other recent tutoring experiments, all students are pulled out, not only struggling students. In our intention-to-treat analysis, we find that students in treatment schoolsincreased their performance by0.06of a standard deviation in national tests, with no differential effect by baseline test score level, parental education, or gender. Our study is particularly relevant for policy-makers seeking to use additional teaching resources to target a heterogeneous student population efficiently.
ISSN:0047-2727
1879-2316
DOI:10.1016/j.jpubeco.2022.104765