Classroom Seating Arrangements for Listening and Speaking Classes An Action Research Project Proposal

In this action research， it analyzed the teaching outcomes achieved according to different seating arrangements from observations and data collected from three language classes from Hawaii Pacific University， USA. Moreover， it offers an opportunity for researchers to make a proposal of further research by comparing the recording of the students behavior in different seating environments and evaluating if students have enjoyed their classes.

Original Stimulus

I went to observe three different teachers classes at Hawaii Pacific University at Honolulu， USA. After the observation of those outstanding instructors， I was impressed by how those teachers arranged their classroom for different activities. More specifically， how they arranged the seats for students in ESL/EFL classes. As I saw in one beginning language class， the teacher arranged students to sit in several separate rows and never changed it. Similarly， in another writing classes， the teacher had the whole class unintentionally divided into two groups with a path in the middle and never changed. However， in the international education classes， the teacher changed the seating of the classes almost every time according to different classroom tasks.

The different seating arrangements affected teaching outcomes. Because of the traditional desk rows arrangement in the beginning language classes， I saw students sometimes playing on their cellphones， and sometimes dozing off in the class. Although it was better in the writing class， students sometimes appeared placid and lacking in interaction with the teacher and peers. On the contrary， in the international education classes， students were more focused on the class since they had to move around and sit in different places. For instance， they sometimes were seated in four or five clusters， sometimes in a semicircle， and sometimes in two horizontal lines. As an observer， I noticed that students in this class were strongly involved in the classroom activities and interacted with the teacher and their classmates constantly， which made a great impression on me.

When I look back on my previous career as an English teacher in a local college sin Tibet for years， I never really thought about the effects of the arrangement of the physical classroom environment. When arranging the seating for my students in a class， I would mostly put them into traditional desk rows， no matter if it were a listening or speaking class. In other words， it was a traditional classroom with students facing forward toward the teacher and the blackboard in either horizontal or vertical rows. Part of the reason for this classroom arrangement was that there were usually 50-60 students in a class and it was hard to arrange them into different seating patterns. Another reason was that I， as the classroom manager， was not sure what kind of seating arrangement was suitable for certain classroom activities. I never considered that various student-seating arrangements could make it easier for the teacher to accomplish his or her teaching goals and manage student discipline issues. Therefore， I want to explore seating arrangements for different classroom activities. It will definitely be a benefit for students to reach their study goals， and also make it easier for the teacher to have better control of any student misbehavior in class.

Narrowed Topic- Focus

Observing the seating arrangements for different classroom activities has aroused my interest in this topic. It is a main part in a teachers plan for classroom management. Not only do teachers need to consider the seating arrangement for the room but also the nature of the students involved. I want to explore five main patterns of seating arrangements for listening and speaking class activities. They are： clusters， desk rows， table rows， semi-circle， and pairs. If I can judge the appropriateness of seating arrangements for certain activities， it will help to facilitate a teachers instruction and students learning as effectively as possible. To be specific， a teacher should be able to arrange different seating patterns of students in order to achieve specific teaching goals. Students should be able to interact more frequently with the teacher and peers and the number of behavioral problems should decrease.

Motivation

A good arrangement of the physical environment of a classroom is one way to improve teaching and learning outcomes. The physical arrangement can affect the behavior of both students and teachers. When I was teaching in Tibet， sometimes it felt very hard to control students behavior in the classroom； I spent a lot of time on discipline. The students who sat in the front of the class or near to me tended to interact more frequently with me and were more involved in classroom activities. However， students who sat far from me tended to have increased behavior problems. Others who sat in the corners or the back of the room were more likely to be off task than those who sat near my desk. What can I do to improve the effectiveness of my teaching and save limited class time？ Obviously， a good and appropriate seating arrangement will benefit a lot. A well-arranged seating environment tends to improve a teachers instruction and students academic and behavioral outcomes. It is also a way to more effectively manage instruction because it triggers fewer behavior problems and establishes a climate conducive to learning. However， if seating is not properly organized to support the type of schedule and activities a teacher has planned， it can impede the functioning of the day as well as limit what and how students learn.

Literature Review

According to Paul （2006）， “Successful teachers are often very effective managers of the classroom environment. They create a positive learning community where students are actively involved in their own learning and the management of the classroom. They organize the physical environment … and interact with others when needed” （p. 2）. Seating patterns are one of the most important of classroom arrangements. It is the spatial arrangement of the classroom. It refers to where students are seated， where relationships between a teacher and students are established， how people move around the room， and the whole atmosphere and order of the classroom. So what is well-arranged classroom seating？ Stewart and Evans （1997） held the same believe as Walker， Colvin and Ramsey （1995） and Walker & Walker （1991） that well-arranged seating patterns should clearly define spaces in the classroom that are used for different purposes and that help students to understand how to behave in these different areas. In addition， Stewart and Evans （1997） as well as Walker and Walker （1991） believed that there should always be a very clear view between the teacher and all students. Whats more， Walker and Walker （1991） mentioned that a good seating patterns should be strategically arranged to limit easily distracted students from contact in busy areas， such as near the garbage can and the place by the door.

Specifically， according to Ramsden （1999）， clusters， desk rows， table rows， semi-circle， and pairs are the common seating arrangements used in the United States. As Ramsden （1999） mentioned， clusters consist of four or five desks pushed together and each desk is facing another. This arrangement is beneficial for a teacher to work with each group. What is more， a teacher can put different level students in each cluster group so they can help each other. The next seating way Ramsden （1999） discussed was desk rows； it means “several rows of desks facing to the teacher” （p. 1）. In this arrangement， students can see all the instructional aids. The problem with this arrangement is that some students must sit in the corners or the back of the classroom， which may cause student behavior problems. “Table roles consists of long tables that are placed in rows that are perpendicular to the front and back of the room” （Ramsden， 1999， p. 4）. Ramsden （1999） found that in this seating arrangement， there are some students who are at the end of the tables， in the back of the classroom. It will be difficult for them to see and hear the direct instruction from the teacher. “The semi-circle seating arrangement is when all the desks touch each other facing the front of the room in a semi-circle shape” （Ramsden， 1999， p. 5）. This arrangement is good for the teacher to give direct instruction， since students can see the teacher and their classmates very well， but it is not good for a teacher to meet with the students individually. The reason is that the students sit very closely side-by-side with each other. Finally according to Ramsden （1999）， pairs means two students sit at two desks together and keep some space from other pairs. This seating arrangement “allows the teacher to walk around the classroom and monitor all the students” （p. 7）. However， some students have to sit in the back or the corner of the classroom， which may increase behavior problems.

Research Questions

All the research done by these scholars shows that they all agree that classroom arrangements are crucial in building comfortable learning environments for students. Undoubtedly， the seating arrangement for different classroom activities is important for teachers to accomplish their teaching goals and for the students to achieve their academic goals. However， none of the authors came up with a specific seating arrangement for a certain classroom activity. I think that is because “the best seating arrangements depends on the situation of the class and teacher” （Ramsden， 1999， p. 1）， and I strongly agree with him. In an attempt to find a better model of seating arrangements for listening and speaking classes， I pose the following research questions：

1. What is the best seating arrangement for a typical listening activity？

2. What is the best seating arrangement for the most typical speaking activity？

Methodology

Type of Data

In order to conduct this action research successfully， I will collect data about teachers and students attitudes toward seating arrangements for listening and speaking classes. Specifically， I will use questionnaires， classroom observations， and experimentation to collect data and analyze them in order to find a better way of creating seating arrangements for listening and speaking classes.

Context

The study will be conducted in two classes of 45 students in a senior high school in an EFL setting of Tibet. Students have already learned English for a few years. They will have mastered the four basic skills of listening， speaking， reading， and writing， and their English level will be intermediate. In addition， the teachers are all trained to carry out different classroom activities and are familiar with the five basic seating arrangements （clusters， desk rows， table rows， semi-circle， and pairs）.

Data Collection

First， questionnaires for the teachers will be used before the class for collecting their teaching goals for each of the lessons. For the students， the questionnaire will be used for collecting their study goals before each class.

Second， experimentation will be conducted in the two classes. Different seating patterns will be arranged for the two classes for each of the different lessons. At the same time， the researcher will do classroom observations. During every observation， the researcher will record what activity is being conducted in the class and what seating arrangement is used for that class. Meanwhile， the researcher will also record student behaviors in the different seating environments. Moreover， after each class， the researcher will compile a checklist to see whether the teacher achieves his or her teaching goals and whether the students complete their study goals.

Through this action research， the researcher will analyze the teaching outcomes achieved according to different seating arrangements from the observations and data collected. Moreover， the researcher will compare the recordings of the students behavior in different seating environments and evaluate if students have enjoyed the classes and achieved their academic goals. In connection with the questionnaires and seating experimentation and all other data， the researcher will attempt to determine which seating arrangement（s） is/are more suitable for which classroom activities.

References：

[1]Paul，R.B.（2006）.Classroom management：Creating a successful k-12 learning community（3rded.）.Danvers，MA：John Wiley&Sons.;

[2]Ramsden，A.（1999，December，16）.Seating arrangements.Retrieved from http：//www4.uwsp.edu/education/pshaw/Seating Arrangements.htm.

[3]Stewart，S.C.&Evans;，W.H.（1997）.Setting the stage for success： Assessing the instructional environment.Preventing School Failure： Alternative education for children and youth，41（2），53-56.

[4]Walker，H.M.，Colvin，G.，&Ramsey;，E.（1995）.Antisocial behavior in school：Strategies and best practices.Pacific Grove，CA：Brooks/Cole Publishing.

[5]Walker，H.M.&Walker;，J.E.（1991）.Coping with noncompliance in the classroom：A positive approach for teachers.Austin，TX：Pro-Ed.

【作者簡介】次仁旺堆（1978- ），男，藏族，西藏拉萨人，西藏藏医学院基础部语言教研室，讲师，留美硕士研究生，从事第二外语教学，医学英语教学，传统藏医药翻译与实践研究方向。