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The Effect of Class-size Reduction on Students’ Well-Being in School

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  • Soichiro Sugita

    (Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University)

Abstract

The empirical literature on the causal effects of class-size reduction on academic outcomes is crowded and yields mixed results, with particularly limited and inconsistent findings in the Japanese context. This study examines whether smaller class sizes enhance classroom climate and student-teacher relationships, using large-scale panel data from a student achievement survey conducted in a Japanese prefecture. Employing an instrumental variable approach based on the Maimonides rule, I find that a reduction of 10 students per class yields modest improvements—up to 0.07 standard deviations—in measures of teacher-student relationships. The analysis does not provide sufficient evidence to conclude that class-size reduction is effective in improving students’ well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Soichiro Sugita, 2025. "The Effect of Class-size Reduction on Students’ Well-Being in School," Keio-IES Discussion Paper Series DP2025-012, Institute for Economics Studies, Keio University.
    • Handle: RePEc:keo:dpaper:dp2025-012
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    File URL: https://ies.keio.ac.jp/upload/DPDP2025-012_EN.pdf
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    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • H52 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Education

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