In a commentary, SMU Assistant Professor of Sociology Jacqueline Ho discussed how attention matters not simply because it enables students to get the academic support they need but because relationships are foundational to a student’s learning and development. Asst Prof Ho noted that the literature does not argue that class size is an unimportant factor, but it suggests that reducing class sizes may have a positive impact, under specific circumstances. Citing a recent neuroscience research led by Professor Mary Helen Immordino-Yang from the University of Southern California (USC), she said that learning is a deeply emotional process, not just a cognitive one. She argued that students become more emotionally invested in their work if they can see its relevance to their lived experiences and identities.
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