Abstract
This paper examines the contribution of classroom students’ seating positions to learning gains. Data were gathered from a sample of 1907 grade six students who sat for the same seat twice over an interval of about 10 months. They were drawn from a random selection of 72 low and high performing primary schools. Results of a multi-level regression show that seating in the front row in a classroom led to higher learning gains of between 5 percent and 27 percent compared to seating in other rows that are farther away from the chalkboard. The policy implication to education is that student’s seating position can be manipulated in a way that it optimizes learning gains for slow learners.
Highlights
Teaching is a profession that requires specialized skills and knowledge to impact significantly on student learning
We examine the effects of seating position on increases in student achievement at the classroom level
After controlling for other characteristics in the top school model, we find that seating in the second row had a lesser effects on learning gains when compared to seating in the first row
Summary
Teaching is a profession that requires specialized skills and knowledge to impact significantly on student learning. Several studies (Levine, O’Neal, Garwood, & McDonald, 1980; Marx, Fuhrer, & Hartig, 2006; Siang, 1991; Tagliacollo, Volpato, & Pereira Jr., 2010) have shown that those pupils who sit in the front tend to be more active and have higher achievement scores. These learners, have better interaction with teachers and gain more from each lesson than those who sit at the back of the classroom and are somewhat “hidden” from the teacher (Marx et al, 2006). Seat position is critical as it determines access to the learning resources and opportunities inside the classroom
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