Effective schools research has extended its research agenda by
focusing on an expanded number of variables that are presumed to be
related to student achievement. Schools are now perceived as a
cultural entity where the complex interplay of multiple variables
affect the lives of all who learn and teach in those institutions. As
the metaphor for American schools has shifted from an assembly line to
that of a caring, learning community, the class size research agenda
has also shifted to include such variables as instructional method,
teacher morale and stress, teacher work load, student behavior and
attitudes, content areas, student characteristics, and grade level.
Bennett (1987), in a review of more recent research, found broad
agreement among researchers on the following general conclusions: