Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Abbigale Duncan
EDUC 509
THE EFFECTS OF ASSIGNED SEATING 2
Abstract
The goal of this study was to explore how students’ grades are impacted when assigned
implemented in one classroom, while students in a different room had free range to any seat.
Throughout the course of five different formal assessments, students took the same five tests as
they normally would, the only factors which had change was assigned seating for the
experimental groups. The results of this study found that the experimental groups assessment
scores benefitted from the assigned seats they were placed in, with evidence shown through the
improvement gap of scores between the two classrooms. This study was inspired by the curiosity
The purpose of this study is to identify how students’ grades are impacted when assigned
seating is implemented into a mathematics learning environment. The study will focus on
More specifically, the study will take place in a middle school mathematics classroom.
Students’ achievement in the classroom will be measured by the increase or decrease in students’
grades.
During this study, the teacher will implement an assigned seating chart in their 1st period
classroom that will focus on separating students who usually gravitate towards sitting together.
The same teacher will give their students in 2nd period free range of the seats in class. After two
semesters of implementing both of the strategies, student achievement will be compared between
the two class periods. The results of this study could be used to assist teachers in deciding
whether or not implementing assigned seating in their classrooms would be worth their effort.
popular belief that “seating arrangements are important classroom setting events because they
have the potential to help prevent problem behaviors that decrease student attention and diminish
available instructional time.” (Wannarka and Ruhl, 2008) However, my inquiry is, are students’
students’ achievements through grades. However, I predict that my study will rule against
implementing an assigned seating arrangement in the classroom, I believe that assigned seating
THE EFFECTS OF ASSIGNED SEATING 4
will not impact student achievement in the classroom. Wannarka & Ruhl (2008), conducted a
synthesis study on how seating arrangements promote positive academic and behavioral
outcomes. Their findings concluded that there is no single classroom seating arrangement that
promotes positive academic outcomes. Similarly, Oginyi, Chris, Mbam, Ehigie, & Joseph
(2016), report that a previous comparison study of self-selection and assigned seating found no
grade differences between the students. They also report that another study suggests that student
I plan to determine through research and exploration if assigned seating has an effect on
student achievement.
Literature Review
students required by the teacher. Assigned seating is dependent on how a classroom is laid out. If
a classroom is split into rows, a teacher may find themselves deciding which students will sit in
the front of the room, and which will sit in the back. If a classroom is arranged by grouping, a
teacher may find themselves having to decide which students work best together.
Oftentimes, teachers face the difficulty of deciding whether or not they should assign
seats to their students, or let them sit in a place of the choosing. There are things to consider
when deciding on whether or not assigned seating should be implemented in your classroom,
student achievement being one of them. With this information in mind, there are only a few
sources who have reported studies on the subject of what should be considered when deciding
where students should sit in the classroom. According to Gremmen, Van Den Berg, Segers, &
Cillessen (2016), seating arrangements should be decided upon with the following goal in mind.
THE EFFECTS OF ASSIGNED SEATING 5
arrangement in small groups may be chosen to promote student interactions.” (Gremmen, Van
There are different ways to justify a teacher's decisions for assigned seating. According to
Roy (2012), with the changing needs of our students, there cannot be one ideal arrangement for a
single classroom. For example, a teacher may focus on taking a student's physical needs into
consideration, such as auditory/visual problems or height differences. A teacher may also focus
on social considerations, such as whether close friends should be kept together or separated.
focus, such as doing what they can to increase peace and order in their classroom. (Gremmen,
Van Den Berg, Segers, & Cillessen, p. 753) If it is decided to implement assigned seating, it is
important for a teacher to decide what is best for that particular classroom. “In fact, an
arrangement that is disagreeable to the students may erect a needless barrier, possibly one that
will prevent learning in spite of other appropriate behaviors of the teacher.” (Roy, p. 13)
to know if it is working for it’s intended purpose. This particular study focuses on whether or not
assigned seating has a positive impact on student achievement, specifically grade improvement.
Wannarka & Ruhl (2008), conducted a synthesis study to determine if seating arrangements
promote positive academic and behavioural outcomes, and if so, which arrangements have this
potential. In this synthesis, eight studies were investigated to find a conclusion to the idea stated
above. Results such as, “A student’s location in the classroom is related to the number of
THE EFFECTS OF ASSIGNED SEATING 6
questions received from the teacher; this may influence the student’s opportunity to respond and
thus learn.” (Wannarka & Ruhl, p. 89) After further research, Rachel Wannarka and Kathy Ruhl
found the various texts to lack consensus. Their synthesis study concluded that “Results indicate
that teachers should let the nature of the task dictate seating arrangements.” (Wannarka & Ruhl,
p. 89)
Another study by Amanda Careena Fernandes, M.Ed. and Jinyan Huang, Ph.D. was
impacted their students in the classroom. Specifically, the question that impacts the study is ,
“What is the relationship between seating arrangements and student achievement?” (Fernandes
& Huang, p. 51) Their conclusions upon further research suggests that teachers agree, for the
most part, that assigned seating does affect student achievement. These results suggest that
participants tend to agree that if assigned seating was to occur, participants are more likely to
place high-achieving, well-behaved students near the front of the class. (Fernandes & Huang, p.
51)
A study conducted by Dr. Ronald C.N. Oginyi, Abojei Chris, Ofoke S. Mbam, Prof. B.O.
Ehigie, and Chia Francis Joseph in 2016 suggests different findings. They tested the effects of
students’ seating position in response to the decline of students’ academic performance. The
sample that was tested included 108 total male and female students at a secondary level. They
designed a test to assess students recall abilities in order to measure achievement. The conclusion
of this study agreed that their findings showed no significant effect of seating on recalling of
Conflicting Findings
The conflicting results from multiple studies highlights the need for further testing. The
THE EFFECTS OF ASSIGNED SEATING 7
impact of seating on student achievement presents contradictory results. While some literature
shows no significant correlation between assigned seating and student achievement, others
For the purpose of this study, my focus will be on a middle school mathematics
classroom. For the sake of privacy, the particular county in which the study is being conducted
will be called Lea County. Of the county’s 4,221 enrolled students, 91.3% are white, 4.6% are
African American, 1.8% are two or more races, 1.6% are Hispanic, 0.6% are Asian, and 0.1% are
Native Hawaiian. (Virginia School Quality Profiles, 2016). Of the enrolled students in this
county, 45.6% are considered economically disadvantaged, 11% of the students have disabilities,
and 0.4% are considered English Language Learners. (Virginia School Quality Profiles, 2017)
Lea County has 3 public middle schools, all a part of Lea County School District. This
study is based out of one particular middle school in Lea County School District which will be
referred to as Ventura Middle School. Approximately 328 students attend Ventura Middle
School, of those students 43.6% are considered economically disadvantaged, 14.3% of these
students have disabilities, and 0.6% are English language learners. The school is accredited and
87% of the enrolled students either met or exceeded expectations for achievement in
mathematics during the most recent years by performing at the proficient level or advanced level
on Standards of Learning tests and other states assessments. (Virginia School Quality Profiles,
2016)
The precise location of the research for this study is in the 6th grade Mathematics course.
The study will take place in 1st and 2nd period, classes consist entirely of 6th graders taught by
the same teacher. The two classes have a comparable number of students and students in each
THE EFFECTS OF ASSIGNED SEATING 8
class are dispersed equally according to levels of differentiation. The classes demonstrate
parallel levels of class-wide achievement on assessments. All students are required to take the
high-stakes Mathematics test at the end of the academic year. This study will offer the
Mathematics teacher a better understanding of what seating arrangements will increase student
Participants
For this study, two classes of sixth grade mathematics students were selected. These
particular classes were selected due to their similar compositions; which included having the
same teacher, the same amount of students, and similar performances on academic assessments.
The control group, those who sat wherever they would like in class, consisted of 20 students. Of
these 20 students, academically speaking, 7 are above level, 10 are on level, and 3 are below
level. The experimental group, those who have assigned seats implemented by the teacher, also
consisted of 20 students. Of these 20 students, academically speaking, 7 are above level, 9 are on
Instrumentation
The assigned seating for the experimental group was chosen based on classroom
dynamics. The considerations included: which students gravitated towards one another and
became talkative, which students had visual or hearing impairments, the students who grades
There were 5 students in the class who had visual or hearing impairments. These students
were determined by diagnoses of doctors and came to the attention of the teacher at the start of
the school year. The students who had visual of hearing impairments were first equally dispersed
THE EFFECTS OF ASSIGNED SEATING 9
around the classroom. Two of these students had written permission of their eye doctors to sit
anywhere in the classroom when wearing glasses. These students were placed as follows; labeled
S1 S1 S1
S1
S1
There were 7 students in the class who had low grades and always sat in the back of the
classroom. These students were determined by close observation and academic achievement. The
students who had low grades and sat in the back of the room were equally dispersed around the
classroom next. These students were placed as follows; labeled S2 and color coded blue.
S1 S2 S1 S2 S1
S2 S2 S2
S2 S1 S2
S1
There were 8 remaining students in the class who always gravitated towards each other
and became talkative, this excludes the visual or hearing impaired and also the students with low
grades. However, these 8 remaining students were split into two different friend groups. Each
group had 4 remaining students who gravitated towards each other. These students were
determined by close observation and noise levels. The students who were talkative when sitting
near friends were equally dispersed around the classroom last. The students in one friend group
THE EFFECTS OF ASSIGNED SEATING 10
are labeled as follows, S3-1 and color coded purple. The students in the other friend group are
S1 S2 S1 S2 S1
S2 S2 S3-1 S3-2 S2
S2 S3-1 S3-2 S1 S2
Assessments
The academic data of both the experimental and control groups will be collected using
five different mathematical assessments while the experimental group has assigned seats
implemented and the control group has freedom to sit where they would like. An average, or
mean, of all of the students scores from each of the five assessments will be calculated. The
assessment averages between the five assessments will be compared to find an increase or
decrease in scores. The differences between averages, an increase or decrease, will then be
The issue of assigned seating arrangements is one that has become more and more
discussed within schools today. Clearly, the results produced by this study, as depicted in Table
A, indicate that a classroom with an assigned seating arrangement has the capability of directly
comparison of two classrooms achievement levels helped to measure the effects of assigned
seating. Grades of students in both classes, who were similar in composition, were compared
THE EFFECTS OF ASSIGNED SEATING 11
throughout five different assessments. This method was produced to have a control and
outcome of this study provided results in regards to the originally stated problem.
After five assessments had been given while implementing assigned seating in the
students were more likely to focus on the material being presented throughout lessons. The
students in the experimental group rarely had to take work home that went unfinished during
class time, whereas the students in the control group were more likely to have to finish this work
at home.
As a result of this study, the average increase of the experimental group's achievement
levels, as measured by five numerically graded assessments, increased by 2.68%. Table A shows
the results of all five assessments that were given to the students.
Table A
Experimental Group: Achievement Level by Assessment Grades
This increase was then compared with the control group. The average increase of the
increase by only 0.9%. Table B shows the results of all five assessments that were given to the
students.
Table B
Control Group: Achievement Level by Assessment Grades
Although Table C shows an increase in both classes achievement levels, the increase of
the experimental groups grades are 1.78% higher than that of the control groups. Now, some may
say that there is not much of a difference between the two classrooms but the important thing to
notice is that students in the experimental group were obviously retaining more information than
Table C
THE EFFECTS OF ASSIGNED SEATING 13
It is believed that this study resulted in positive results due to the students in the
experimental group being challenged to learn in a seating arrangement where distractions had
been diminished as much as possible. All too often, students use class time to talk to friends,
sleep, or utilize other distractions instead of focusing on learning. Arranging students in class to
meet their physical disabilities and avoid problematic behaviors produced positive results
because students were either forced to rid themselves of distractions and focus on the material
being presented, or they were placed somewhere in the classroom that was more adaptable for
Limitations of Study
assigned seats in a classroom, one should be careful to recognize that this was a singular study
conducted to identify whether or not students achievement levels are affected by assigned
seatings. With this in mind, conclusions should not be made without further studies and
identifying variables that could have possibly affected the results of this study. The results of this
particular study could have contained certain limitations that should be taken into consideration
First, this study only contained one experimental group. To gain more insight into
whether or not assigned seating does in fact affect student achievement levels, it would be
beneficial to conduct the study using several experimental groups and compare them to several
control groups. Second, this study was done on 6th grade mathematics students. This particular
time in students lives could vary from week to week. Although there were differences in
THE EFFECTS OF ASSIGNED SEATING 14
socioeconomic classes and academic success, it is difficult to factor in bodily changes the
students are experiencing, home situations, and other life factors. To gain more insight into
results, it would be useful to conduct the study over multiple age groups in various locations.
Thirdly, the study was only conducted under one teacher. The instructional styles of various
teachers in different schools are not uniform. To produce better, more reliable results, one should
conduct more studies under a variety of teachers with different teaching styles.
Although the results of my study provide a somewhat reliable basis for implementing
assigned seating in the classroom, we must also recognize that all studies, including this one,
With the limitations of the study in mind, the best method for decreasing the amount of
limitations and finding more concrete results would be to conduct further research on the topic at
hand. As previously highlighted, future studies pertaining to this topic would further validate the
conclusions which my study found. Further studies should be conducted in various settings,
those of alike to my setting and those of difference. Further studies should also be done on
A more complex study could also be done with the introduction of multiple variables. For
example, do assigned seats during group dependent classes affect the overall outcome of students
work? With the introduction of multiple variables, the possibilities for future research is greatly
expanded.
mentioned in the limitations of study. Replicating the same study with varied factors would bring
THE EFFECTS OF ASSIGNED SEATING 15
about more dependable conclusions and could provide an opportunity to validate or contradict
References
Education, V. D. (n.d.). Wythe County Public Schools. Retrieved October 24, 2017, from
http://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/wythe-county-public-schools
Education, V. D. (n.d.). Scott Memorial Middle. Retrieved October 24, 2017, from
http://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/scott-memorial-middle
1.
Fernandes, A. C., & Jinyan, H. (2012). Chinese Teacher Perceptions of the Impact of
Gremmen, M. C., van den Berg, Y. M., Segers, E., & Cillessen, A. N. (2016).
19(4), 749-774.
Oginyi, R. C., Dr., Chris, A., Mbam, O. S., Ehigie, B. O., & Joseph, C. F. (2016,
December). The International Journal of Indian Psychology, Volume 4, Issue 1, (No. 79).
Wannarka, R., & Ruhl, K. (2008). Seating arrangements that promote positive academic
and behavioural outcomes: a review of empirical research. Support For Learning, 23(2),
89-93.