Hasbeen, you have a very valid point - and one that is backed up by evidence that could have been cited in this article.

Class sizes ALONE make very little difference (check out what John Hattie's broad research has revealed on the matter) - but smaller classes do have potential to enhance learning. The problem is that many teachers have continued to do with their small classes the same things they did with their bigger classes. I teach a remedial class of eleven students, and have helped them to develop their skills and achieve at a higher level than they did in larger classes where they were 'lost in the crowd'. I don't pretend to be a better teacher than my predecessors, but I certainly don't employ the same teaching methods I use with classes of twenty-seven or thereabouts. The key here (in my opinion) is that employers have come to the party by providing opportunities for reduced class sizes. Teachers need to meet that commitment by adapting their pedagogy to take full advantage of the opportunity given to them.