The Effect of Class Size on the Final Course Grades of Second Language Speakers in Higher Education Public Health Accredited Program

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of class size on academic achievement within an accredited program at a private higher education institution in Lebanon. It addressed two research questions: (1) Is there a relationship between public health course classroom size and student final course grades? (2) Does this relationship differ between undergraduate and graduate students? A quantitative, non-experimental study design was employed to examine predictors of course grade by analyzing secondary panel data of 3,712 course entries from 349 students (2019–2024) using a linear mixed-effects model, while controlling for semester GPA, cumulative GPA, and course credit hours. Results showed that class size was a statistically significant negative predictor of student final course grades for graduate students. A key moderating effect was found: class size had a significant negative impact on graduate student grades (p < .001), but no statistically significant effect was observed for undergraduates. The findings suggest that graduate-level public health education, which relies heavily on interactive, competency-based pedagogy, is more susceptible to the constraints of larger classes. This study contributes to the limited research on class size in higher education within the Arab region and offers evidence to inform institutional policy and instructional design in specialized accredited programs.