Classroom Layout Research Articles

Academic discipline as a moderating variable between seating location and academic performance: implications for teaching

ABSTRACT Previous research on university students’ academic performance indicates that students’ seating locations can be an indicator of their academic performance. However, previous research on the relationship between university students’ seating locations and their academic performance is mixed, and there is a lack of research about whether students’ academic discipline moderates this relationship. This study addresses this gap in the literature through a study of 182 university students in Hong Kong. Biglan categorization was used to classify disciplines into soft (a low degree of consensus) and hard fields (a high degree of consensus). The results revealed that students from soft fields who sat at the front of a class performed better than their counterparts who sat at the back, while the performance of students from hard fields was not significantly influenced by their seating location. This article’s findings suggest that classroom seating arrangements should be tailored to academic disciplines to maximize their efficacy and that universities should redesign classroom layouts to extend the experience of sitting at the front of a class to all students.

College Classroom Instructors Can Effectively Promote Standing among Students Provided with Standing Desks.

Standing desks may reduce sedentary behaviors in college students. Students at one mid-size urban university in the Midwestern United States were randomized into intervention (n = 21) and control groups (n = 27) to assess standing time when given access to standing desks. The intervention group received visual and oral instructor prompts to stand, while the control received no prompts during a 50 min lecture. All students were provided with adjustable tabletop standing desks. ActivPAL accelerometers measured sitting and standing time. A brief survey assessed student preferences, including facilitators and barriers to standing. Mean standing time was greater in the intervention vs. control group (26 vs. 17 min, p = 0.023). Students tended to stand in the corners and edges of the room. Main facilitators for standing included to break up sitting, reduce back pain, and increase attention and focus; main barriers were not wanting to distract others or be the only one standing. In total, 87.5% of intervention group participants found five prompts to stand were adequate. Students increased standing time in class when provided with standing desks and instructor prompts to stand. Findings can inform the layout of classrooms and when and how to promote standing desks during lectures.

A Study on the Optimization of High School Buildings for Evacuation Safety: Classroom Layout and Ramps in Korea

This study used the Pathfinder program to evaluate evacuation safety by assuming evacuation training in high school buildings and changing classroom layout. Analysis of the final evacuation requirements for Scenario 2, which currently has a concentration of classrooms on the third floor of the building, showed that Scenario 2 reduced 29.6 seconds to 173.9 seconds compared to Scenario 1's 203.5 seconds. However, the analysis of Scenario 3, in which 10 classrooms and personnel of three grades were placed equally on the left and right sides of the building, showed that the final evacuation requirements were reduced 3.9 seconds to 170.0 seconds compared to Scenario 2, but there was no significant difference. Scenario 3, which has more the efficiency of school year operation by placing classroom layout on the same floor by grade level than Scenario 2, in which more classrooms and students were placed downstairs. In each scenario, an analysis of the final evacuation requirements showed that the evacuation exit T1 on the left side of the building was 28 seconds or more shorter than T3 on the right side of the building. Therefore, it was analyzed that proper classroom layout and ramp facilities in high school buildings ensure evacuation safety

Future Classroom Concept for the Malaysian Education System

The aim of this study is to realise the establishment of virtual schools in accordance to the existing education system in Malaysia.This study examines the views of experts who aredirectly involved in the education system in Malaysia through the use of the modified Delphi technique. A total of 13 experts were interviewed individually and discussions involving two focus groups were conducted. The responses of all panel members were recorded and the agreement obtained will guide the formation of a virtual school model. The findings from the interviews conducted with individual experts found five key factors in the establishment of future classroom, which are implementation, approach, flexibility, technology and space. The findings of this study have also suggested that the design of future classrooms in the current educational environment in Malaysia is hindered by financial constraints, lack of technology infrastructure, physical environment and the current classroom layouts.

Combining proximate with online learning in real-time: ambidextrous teaching and pathways towards inclusion during COVID-19 restrictions and beyond

ABSTRACT COVID-19 forced universities to engage in rapid improvisation and adoption of online learning and teaching. This paper explores “real-time blended” learning in which online students are taught simultaneously with students who are experiencing proximate learning. Two cliques could develop with those learning online becoming observers rather than participants in an active learning process. This paper is based on action-based research to develop an inclusive approach to simultaneous teaching of proximate and online students. This approach includes alterations in classroom layout, the equipment used, facilitating varying modes of social interaction and the role of communication. Effective teaching requires continual minor modifications to teaching design and delivery. This represents an ambidextrous approach to teaching in which teachers focus on the immediate co-creation of student experiences, but also identify cues which are used to adjust the ways in which they engage with a student cohort over the course of delivering a module. Module evaluation becomes an ongoing process in which alterations are made in real-time and to subsequent learning encounters with students. The paper evaluates student performance and concludes that the approach went some way towards ensuring equality of the student experience between those learning online and those proximate with the lecturer.

CDC Guidance Dramatically Under-Represents Classroom Student Capacity Under 6' Social Distancing

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides sample classroom layouts that promote 6-foot social distancing during in-person education. These sample 30' by 30' classroom layouts hold at most 9 students while complying with the 6-foot social distancing requirement. I offer an alternative layout that allows 21 students into the classroom while complying with the minimum social distancing requirement. Improved layouts reduce or even eliminate the need for rotating cohorts of students and wait-lists, allowing more days of live instruction per student.

Ergonomics factors influencing school education during the COVID-19 pandemic: A literature review

The school is one of the most critical social, educational, and training institutions and the main pillar of education in society. Education and, consequently, educational environments have the highest effect on the mentality, development, growth, welfare, concentration, performance, and learning efficiency of students. The present study aimed to examine the effects of environmental ergonomics on the learning and cognition of pre-school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was carried out as a review article using some keywords, namely "children", "learning", "pre-school", "COVID-19", "ergonomics", and "environmental factors". Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct and Web of Science were searched to find related articles. Factors like color, form, and layout of classrooms, lighting and ventilation, interior decoration, and educational equipment are effective in creating interest and motivation for students to learn. A review of these articles showed that the presence of ergonomics in educational spaces for children increases the quality of learning and reduces stress and anxiety, and by observing health protocols, a healthy and safe environment can be provided for students.

Pengembangan Kecerdasan Spiritual Anak Melalui Lagu-lagu Islami

An educator has an important role in guiding and following children, they are required to be able and willing to provide various stimuli in accordance with the potential intelligence of the child. One form of stimulation of Halimah Kindergarten students is taught various forms and types of Islamic nuances known as pats and songs. The songs and claps that are taught include the songs of the names of angels, the pillars of Islam, the pillars of faith and the songs of prayer and so on. By using Islamic songs in the learning process students will be more motivated, faster in learning the material and organize them compared to using conventional methods. Based on the context, the researcher focuses on "How to develop children's spiritual intelligence through Islamic songs in group B TK Halimah Prenduan Praga Sumenep in the 2019-2020 Academic Year as well as supporting and inhibiting factors. The approach used in this research is a qualitative field approach. The methods used are interview, observation, and documentation methods. The results showed that the implementation of Islamic songs in the development of children's spiritual intelligence in group B TK Halimah Prenduan Praga Sumenep Academic Year 2019-2020 which is classified into preparation, material and delivery, props and evaluation are all good. The supporting factors include educators, the environment and learning resources. Meanwhile, the inhibiting factors include time constraints, classroom layout constraints, and tools for singing.

Acoustic Comfort as a Salutogenic Resource in Learning Environments—A Proposal for the Design of a System to Improve the Acoustic Quality of Classrooms

This article addresses the topic of environmental comfort from a salutogenic and pedagogical point of view. It begins by presenting a wide framework aimed at describing the complexity and specificity of the acoustic issue and the need to integrate decibel-based metrics with knowledge and reflections which are inherent to non-measurable factors. The article then focuses its attention on educational spaces and presents the results of an investigation carried out in 52 classrooms of 19 primary schools in Florence. From this research and keeping in mind the current Italian legislation, the following results are deduced: (1) the layout of a typical classroom, (2) the average reverberation time and (3) the sound-absorbing surface required to improve the acoustic quality of the typical classroom with polystyrene fibre panels. Subsequently, after having briefly described the more appropriate typology of sound-absorbing solutions, a system for the acoustic correction of classrooms is presented. This system is composed of two parts. The first part is fixed and its realisation is entrusted to specialised personnel; the second, based on the concept of personalisation and transformation of the educational space, is modifiable through time and designed and applied by the students themselves.

Teacher Candidates and the Open Classroom: Concerns for Professional Growth, Safety and Collaboration

Environmental factors, personal experience, and social interactions influence the development of teacher candidates’ views of teachers’ roles in school and society (Rose, Monda-Amaya, & Preast, 2018). This is especially true when we consider the unique needs of each generation of teachers. Ecological systems theory and social cognitive theory frame this study as teacher candidates are the product of their personal experiences and social interactions within an education system that must respond to evolving societal needs. This paper presents a descriptive analysis of two sections of a literacy methods course through the study of reflection journals, survey data, and exit interviews. Themes and patterns were identified within teacher candidates’ responses (Glesne, 2011). Findings demonstrated that teacher candidates exhibited concerns and fears for not only their professional growth, but also the academic and emotional development of their students. The research occurred in the context of a Professional Development School (PDS) in an urban setting. The first section of the course identified the site’s open classroom layout as a physical safety concern due to the rising prevalence of school violence from internal and external sources. The second section identified support structures for teachers and students that demonstrated a concern for emotional safety. This study highlights the need to recognize teacher candidates’ unique generational experiences and their desires for safety and collaboration as part of their professional development as educators.

Illuminance Level Measurement at Lower Working Plane Height in Islamic Religious School

Islamic religious school is an institution that integrates Quran hafazan (memorization) in the curriculum. Between 2011 to 2017, estimated that 900 new Islamic religious schools were established in Malaysia due to high demands. Designing a classroom layout that receives sufficient daylight is important because it influences the students’ task performance such as reading and writing. The standards recommend that any classrooms require an illuminance level between 300 lx to 500 lx when measured at working plane height between 800mm to 900mm, although the working plane height of rehal used for hafazan is between 250mm to 300mm. This study focused on the illuminance level measured at rehal working plane height for Arabic handwriting as a hafazan learning task in two selected standardised classrooms at Kolej Genius Insan. The students were required to rewrite the modified Balsam Alabdulkader-Leat (BAL) Arabic eye chart, where the students’ Arabic handwriting performance were evaluated based on their word per minute (wpm) scores. Both classrooms’ average illuminance level were 507 lx to 603 lx, which were too high based on standards and guidelines. The average Arabic handwriting scores for both classrooms were 9.4 and 12.6 wpm, which shows that the inefficient average illuminance level has caused the students’ performance to be very low. It can be concluded that the existing standardised classroom layout design was not suitable for hafazan learning tasks at rehal working plane height. Thus, the classroom layout design for Islamic religious schools needed further studies, which implicated the unsatisfied built environment of the classrooms and the school education for Islamic religious schools in Malaysia.
 Keywords: Arabic handwriting, Daylighting, Illuminance level, rehal, working plane

Lumen degradation effect on fluorescent-to-LED switching: techno-economic viability for a lecture room

Efficient illumination of classrooms is one of many technologies that can help in constructing a cleaner future and have a positive environmental impact. However, the long-term economic plan of their implementation must still be created and validated. One promising technology is light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that have a low carbon footprint compared to conventional lighting sources. However, different studies barely mention lumen degradation, which is reduction in the illumination capacity throughout LEDs’ lifetime. This paper investigates whether it is economically viable to switch fluorescent lamps to LED lamps while considering lumen degradation of both technologies, by considering the study case to be a classroom of a Kazakhstani university. The performance assessment was based on life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA). The required luminosity level, model lifetime (13 years) and classroom layout were the same for both technologies. The software RETScreen was used to develop the energy model and LCCA and the risk assessment of financial parameters. Simple and equity payback periods were found to be less than half of model lifetime with the internal rate of return reaching 20% and the electrical energy expenses decreasing by 10.95 kWh per year per m2 of the classroom, i.e., over 35%. The greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions dropped by 4.38 kgCO2 eq. per year per m2 of the classroom, which is over 30%. This analysis supports the advantages of using LEDs instead of fluorescent lamps, as a financially favorable decision that also reduces GHG emissions despite the high lumen deterioration of LEDs.

School architecture for primary education in a post-socialist country: a case study of Poland

ABSTRACT The present educational paradigm, fundamentally unchanged since the 19th century, does not meet 21st-century educational needs. This paradigm shift must be accompanied by a strong educational architecture that fosters the skills needed for 21st-century success including creativity and cultural awareness. The present study investigates the primary school architecture of post-socialist Poland, tracing its evolution and asking whether its issues apply universally. A comparative review of representative primary school buildings illustrates that their developmental progress has been superficial, as only external forms have been adjusted. The standard spatial arrangement of the traditional corridor and classroom layout has remained stagnant. This layout is oversimplified, inflexible in design, and works against learner-centred pedagogies that stress diversity and multiplicity. This article highlights the inadequacy of Polish primary school spaces for 21st-century educational needs. The results indicate that this is a universal problem since corridor and classroom layouts are widely applied in all Western countries.

A STUDY OF FOUR DIMENSIONS OF CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT TOWARD MODEL FORMATION OF PRESCHOOL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT

The purpose of this study was to develop a preschool classroom management development model based on four dimensions of classroom management. The four key dimensions that focuses on preschool classroom management model are physical classroom management, planning management and implementation of programs/activities, classroom behaviour management and relationship and interaction management. The physical environment and layout of the preschool classroom managed by the preschool teachers still do not encourage children's learning. The learning materials provided are also not suitable and not used for teaching and learning purposes. Therefore, the study aims to identify the needs of preschool teachers in managing preschool classrooms. The needs analysis will enable the development of a classroom management model based on four dimensions of classroom management. This study uses design and development research approaches involving the needs analysis phase, the design and model development phase and the usability evaluation model phase. The findings of the interview in needs analysis phase shows that the preschool classroom environment was managed in its own way and no guidance or model was used. In conclusion, the researcher recommends needs analysis to be conducted toward KEMAS undergraduate teachers, Unity (Perpaduan) kindergarten teachers and also those who are coming from private kindergartens.

English as a Foreign Language Elementary Learners’ Perceptions of Classroom Physical Environment with Regard to Structural vs. Symbolic Features

ABSTRACT Classroom physical environment has been widely researched over the past few decades. In this respect, more recent attention has focused on the provision of structural and symbolic features; however, no study has been conducted to compare the structural and symbolic features of classroom physical environment in English as a foreign language (EFL) elementary learners’ classrooms. To this end, 100 EFL elementary learners were recruited to participate in this study. They were assigned to two kinds of classrooms: Classroom A included both structural and symbolic features, but Classroom B only included structural features. The structural features were subsumed into lighting, acoustics, seating, and thermal comfort. The symbolic features were ornamental materials (e.g., posters, colorful balloons, and ropes of English numbers and letters) and two types of classroom layout (i.e., U-shaped and orderly row). The participants were required to complete a 22-item questionnaire with answers that ranged from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The results indicated that both sorts of features seemed to be highly important for elementary learners; however, according to the learners’ views, the symbolic features were considered to be of higher importance. The findings also revealed that lack of symbolic features significantly affected learners’ opinions about structural features.

Student teachers’ perceptions, experiences, and challenges regarding learner-centred teaching

Learner-centred teaching education generally involves methods of teaching that move the focus of instruction from the teacher to the learner. The “learner-centred” label is subsequently attached to teaching strategies, learning events, classroom layout and learning programmes. Aspects such as active learning, learner commitment and the construction of own knowledge are among the principles of learner-centred teaching. Worldwide, the thorough training of teachers is crucial. Every organisation preparing teachers should establish whether they offer suitable qualifications that empower student teachers to cope with the abundant difficulties of the teaching occupation, including learner-centred teaching. The aim of this article is to explore student teachers’ perceptions, experiences, and challenges of learner-centred teaching. To this end, an inquisitive research strategy and qualitative research approach were selected as suitable methodology. Data was collected through a voluntary written assignment set out in student teachers’ teaching practice notebooks. The participants were fourth-year students enrolled at a higher education institution for the Bachelor of Education (BEd) qualification (with speciality in the Foundation Phase). These students were placed in productive, successful schools for the duration of their teaching practicum by the teachers training institution. In addition to their placements, they had to complete their teaching practice at schools in widely differing social environments. The schools’ locations ranged from well-off areas, with good teaching means, to schools in poor areas that were lacking learning support materials. The participants were from diverse cultural groups. Furthermore, the constructivist learning theory was used as theoretical framework. The findings reveal that student teachers have a limited understanding of learner-centred teaching and are currently experiencing three serious challenges with regard to learner-centred teaching. To combat this, guiding principles involving lecturers’ support and involvement, reflection, and the accountable intervention of mentor teachers are suggested. Keywords: community of practice; constructivism; internships; learner-centredness; mentor teachers; pre-service teaching; student teachers

Assessing the acceptability of an adapted preschool obesity prevention programme: ToyBox-Scotland.

Childhood obesity is a global public health issue. Interventions to prevent the onset of obesity in the early years are often implemented in preschool settings. The ToyBox intervention was delivered across Europe and targeted energy balance-related behaviours in preschools and children's homes through teacher-led activities and parental education materials and was adapted for use in Scotland. This study assessed the acceptability of the 18-week adapted intervention to both parents and teachers. Mixed methods were employed to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Preschool staff and children's parents/caregivers completed post-intervention feedback surveys, from which acceptability scores were calculated and presented as proportions. Focus groups were conducted with preschool staff, whereas parents/caregivers participated in semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis was applied to qualitative data following the development of a coding framework. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using SPSS and NVivo 10, respectively. Preschool staff rated the intervention as highly acceptable based on post-intervention feedback surveys (80%; mean score 8.8/11). Lower acceptability scores were observed for parents/caregivers (49%; 3.9/8). Nine preschool practitioners participated in focus groups (n = 3). User-friendliness of the intervention materials, integration of the intervention with the curriculum, and flexibility of the intervention were identified as facilitators to delivery. Barriers to delivery were time, insufficient space, and conflicting policies within preschools with regard to changing classroom layouts. Parental interviews (n = 4) revealed a lack of time to be a major barrier, which prevented parents from participating in home-based activities. Parents perceived the materials to be simple to understand and visually appealing. This study identified a number of barriers and facilitators to the delivery and evaluation of the ToyBox Scotland preschool obesity prevention programme, which should be considered before any further scale-up of the intervention.

Developing a revised social force model for pedestrians’ earthquake emergency evacuation

After earthquake, the correct and efficient earthquake emergency evacuation of pedestrian is crucial for reducing casualties. Based on the research on the quantitative of panic coefficient and the calibration of initial desired speed, this research has constructed the revised social force model which could accurately simulate the post-earthquake evacuation process of the crowed. Using the revised social force model, the effects of classroom layout, seismic intensity, the number of safeties exits and the number of students in the classroom on the evacuation efficiency are further studied. And then, according to the research results, the classroom layout has been further optimized to improve the students’ earthquake emergency evacuation efficiency. These research results are scientific bases for the targeted earthquake emergency safety education and the design of classroom layout.

Flipped learning as situated practice: A contrastive narrative inquiry in an EFL classroom

The traditional lecture-oriented teaching is still the norm in English as a foreign language education courses, but an innovative teaching model, expedited by recent advances in technology, becomes often popular across non-English-speaking subjects. The new model flips the usual classroom paradigm, in which students learn primary concepts outside classroom and class time is reserved for more active problem-based learning. Discussion of model and its impact are more, on the whole, theory-driven than data-informed to consider qualitative feedback to give context before drawing conclusion. Little research has so far been undertaken to rigorously consider class practitioners’ readings on flipped learning experience in EFL discursive contexts in a contrastive manner. In so doing, this study employed a narrative inquiry, using data from interviews and observational field notes. Findings show that that flipped learning is situated practice. The teacher perceived the class challenging due to workload of developing flipped learning materials, inadequate inside-classroom infrastructure, over reliance on student and old-fashioned classroom layout. Likewise, the students found flipped activities time consuming, blaming inadequate outside-classroom infrastructure and teacher’s unavailability for flipped outside class activities. Rather, the teacher valued this model strengthening routs towards transparency for students’ parents on their educational progress. Students appreciated the ubiquitous, more self-paced and autonomous learning nature of flipped model as it makes them more deeply dive into the content. The findings have ramifications for raising awareness of the flipped learning complexities in learning practice.

Disciplinary practices in the early grades: Creating culturally responsive learning environments in South Africa

Discipline is essential to learning, but in culturally diverse groups it could become a challenge for teachers. Positive discipline, respect for human rights and the creation of a sense of belonging promotes culturally responsive and disciplined learners. This study investigated the social and cultural contexts of discipline in early grade South African classrooms from the perspective of the teachers. Nine teachers were interviewed through semi-structured interviews regarding their disciplinary strategies and cultural responsiveness. To ensure the trustworthiness and credibility of the findings, teacher participants provided photographs of the classroom layouts, observation checklists, and field notes of the disciplinary practices implemented in the classrooms. Data was thematically analysed. The findings confirm that diversity is a challenge due to external factors such as parent expectations, as well as internal factors such as the management of differences between the teachers’ beliefs and those of the learners. Another finding relates to the importance of creating a disciplined classroom environment and finding a positive alliance between policy and implementation. New insights emerged regarding the way cultural responsiveness affirms the unique culture of a classroom and thereby supports its management and discipline. Keywords: culturally responsive learning environment; disciplinary practices; early grade classrooms