Purpose
While many business schools use large classes for the sake of efficiency, faculty and students tend to perceive large classes as an impediment to learning. Although class size is a contested issue, research on its impact is inconclusive, mainly focusing on academic performance outcomes such as test scores and does not address classroom dynamics. This study aims to expand the focus of class size research to include classroom dynamics and subjective educational outcomes (e.g. student learning outcomes and satisfaction).
Design/methodology/approach
Using Finn et al.’s (2003) theoretical framework and research conducted in introductory business classes, this study investigates how student academic and social engagement influence educational outcomes in different class sizes.
Findings
Results highlight the critical role that student involvement and teacher interaction play on student success and student satisfaction regardless of class sizes. In addition, the results indicate that students perceive lower levels of teacher interaction and satisfaction in larger classes.
Originality/value
This study applies Finn’s framework of student engagement in the classroom to understand the dynamics of class size in business education. The results reveal the influential roles of academic and social engagements on educational outcomes. Practical strategies are offered to improve learning outcomes and student satisfaction in large classes.
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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated containment measures had a substantial impact on pathogens causing pneumonia in adults. The objective of this study was to determine the etiology of hospitalized community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) among adults in Germany in 2021, the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: Since January 2021, this on-going, prospective, population-based surveillances study enrolled adult patients with clinically and radiographically confirmed CAP at three hospitals in Thuringia, Germany, serving a population of approximately 280,000. Urine samples were collected from patients and tested forS. pneumoniaeusing the pneumococcal urinary antigen test (PUAT, BinaxNOWS. pneumoniae) and the proprietary serotype-specific urinary antigen detection (UAD) assays. Nasopharyngeal swabs were tested for 10 respiratory viruses by PCR.Results: A total of 797 patients were enrolled, of whom 760 were included in the analysis. The median age of patients with CAP was 67 years; in-hospital case-fatality rate was 8.4%. A respiratory pathogen was detected in 553 (72.8%) patients. The most common pathogen was SARS-CoV-2 (n=498, 68.2%), followed byS. pneumoniae(n=40, 6.4%). Serotypes contained in the 13-valent, 15-valent and 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine were detected in 42.5%, 45.0%, and 70.0% of the pneumococcal CAP cases. Between the first and second half of 2021, the proportion of CAP cases associated withS. pneumoniaeincreased from 1.1% to 5.6% in patients aged 18-59 years and from 2.5% to 12.4% in those aged ≥60 years; coinfection of SARS-CoV-2 andS. pneumoniaeamong COVID-19 patients increased from 0.7% (2/283 cases) to 6.0% (13/215) in patients aged ≥18 years, and from 1.0% (2/195) to 8.7% (11/127) in those aged ≥60 years.Conclusion: In Germany, the proportion of CAP cases associated withS. pneumoniaerebounded to a near-pandemic level in the second half of 2021 and many pneumococcal infections occurred in patients with COVID-19. Vaccination uptake against respiratory pathogens, includingS. pneumoniae, should be strengthened.
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