SEATING POSITION INFLUENCE STUDENTS ATTENTION

TO THE TEACHER ON LEARNING PROCESS: DOES IT

REALLY MATTER?
Daniel Armando
Muhammadiyah University of Surabaya
danielarmando12345678@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

In the learning process, student attention is one of the important elements in the
success of learning. One of the factors that can affect student attention to the
teacher is a seating position. Seating position may take several different forms.
Public schools in Indonesia usually use traditional seat position where the
students’ seating are arranged into orderly rows. At the beginning of the academic
year, students usually may get to choose where and with whom they want to sit.
However, there are some schools where student seating is determined by the class
teacher. Seating position has long been believed one factor supporting students
attention to teacher. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze the
correlation between students seating position and their attention to the teacher on
learning process. This study involved students of Junior High School
Muhammadiyah 10 of Surabaya grade VIII B academic year 2018/2019 who sat
for the same seat for almost a year. The total of the sample was 26 students. This
study using two methods: study observation and study literature. The result of this
study shows that there is correlation between students seating position and their
attention to the teacher. It means that students seating position is one of the factor
which influence students attention to the teacher on learning process.

A. INTRODUCTION

Teaching is an act that requires considerable moral responsibility. The

success of education is very dependent on teacher accountability in carrying
out their duties. Teacher is the creator of learning process (Zamroni, 2000).
Seating position is one of the factors that influence the learning process.
Seating position is very important because it has a direct impact on students’
comprehension abilities. Students’ comprehension ability is one of the factors
that support student achievement. The impact of seating position toward
students’ achievement is due to the assumption that the learners who sit in
front rows may have better interactions with the teachers and gain more from
lessons than those who sit far away from the whiteboard (Marx, Fuhrer, &
Hartig, 2006). Besides, teachers may have more control to students sitting in
front rows regarding their movement, behavior, as well as their learning
 activities. Students who sit in front row seats encourage participation in the
class, which lead to higher performance, and sitting closer to the instructor
makes it easier for students to see and hear the instructor as well (Perkins &
Wieman, 2005).
Seating position has complicated effects ranging from learning comfort to
learning achievements including student attention to the teacher. Teachers’
instructional space is near the chalkboard and hence those seated in the front
are more likely to interact with their teachers. Seating at the back of the class
has been associated with problem behavior as well as low grades (Perkins &
Wieman, 2005). The latest studies show that teachers tend to direct more
questions to students seated in the front rows of the classroom (Juhary, 2012;
Moore & Glynn, 1984). Students seated at the back interact more with each
other, in a disruptive way, thus minimizing their opportunity to learn
(Granstrom, 1996). However, other studies have found no adverse effects of
seating position especially sitting at the back which related with students
attention to the teacher. According to (Kalinowski & Taper, 2007), there is no
detrimental effects of sitting at the back of learning achievement. A study has
found that students’ performance was not significantly altered by seating
location or seating type (Meeks, Knotts, Felice, Vassar, & Oakes, 2013).
(Taglioacollo, Volpato, & Jr, 2010) have shown that achievement has led
teachers to move students closer to the chalkboard with a view toward raising
their grades, but that outcome may not always be realized. Motivation to learn
is the mediating factor between seat position and student academic
achievement, and hence there exist no direct effect of seat position on student
academic performance (Taglioacollo, Volpato, & Jr, 2010). Taglioacollo et al.
conclude that student motivation to learn is the main determinant of seat
position. However, some teachers may assign students to sit without regard to
student preference.

B. METHODS

The method that we used in this study is study observation and study
literature. For the purpose of answering the study question with hypothesis
H0 : There is no significant correlation between students’ seating position and
student attention to the teacher; H1 : There is significant correlation between
students’ seating position and student attention to the teacher. A total of 26
students from eight grade junior high school were involved in this study. They
were in B class which was selected from two classes of eight grade taught by
the same teacher. The students have been seating for the same seat forms for
almost a year. They were arranged in orderly rows in which the nearest row to
the whiteboard and teacher desk was considered as the first row, the farthest
row from the whiteboard was the fourth row.
 To collect the data, we direct observation in the class. We observe to every
students activity in the class when the teacher is teaching. We find out the
correlation between students seating position and students attention to the
teacher. To find out whether or not there is a correlation between students’
seating position and their attention to the teacher, we compare the data with
recent study literature.

C. RESULT AND DISCUSSION

Classroom management is one of important factors involved in a teaching

and learning process. Classroom situation and students’ behavior are
influenced by how the teacher manages the classroom. A through management
plan consist of the organization of the physical environment, routines and
procedures, the rules of conduct to which students will be expexted to comply,
and the selected interventions that will motivate and discipline students.
Classroom management is needed as an effort to achieve optimal conditions,
so that learning activities lead to achieve optimal conditions and that learning
can be implemented as well as planned.
Organization of the physical environment in the classroom includes
seating arrangements. Seating arrangements of students should be flexible in
order to be able to adjust various teaching activities. In many situations,
students are free to choose where they want to sit. However, many profesional
teachers recommend the teacher to assign seating for students to facilitate
discipline and instruction. It is because they believe that if students are free to
choose, they will always choose a seat that places the teacher at the greatest
disadvantage especially the farthest row from the whiteboard.
This study shows that students who sit in the front row pay more attention
to the teacher. This is due to their perception that the teacher will oversees
student activities especially students in the front row. While students who sit
in the back row have a perception that the teacher will not oversees student
activities and walk towards the back row. So, students who sit in the back row
pay less attention to the teacher. Seating position has a variety of different
forms. The following popular forms are

a. Orderly Rows/ Traditional Seat Position

The orderly rows position is the old form that has been used widely in
Indonesia. Many schools use this seat position in the classroom.
Students will seat in pair with their friend in one desk. Usually, in the
classroom has four or five rows desk of traditional seat position.
Having the students sit in rows can appear somewhat restrictive, but
there are advantages to this arrangement. The teacher has a clear view
of all students and also the students can see the teacher in various
 direction when the teacher teaches. it makes learning process easier,
enabling the teacher to maintain eye contact with the students. If there
are gaps in the middle of the line, the teacher can easily walk up and
down making more personal contact with individual students and
watching what they are doing.

Figure 1. Orderly Rows Seating Position

b. U Shaped
In this seating position allows the teacher sits in the middle and see the
student as well as have all students see the teacher. This is an affective
seating position because it prevents the students from getting distracted
each other since the teacher in the middle of the class. The U Shaped
seating position is also good for the students. They can still help each
other because they sit close enough and yet not distract the whole class
during a learning process. The weakness with this position is that
although the teacher can sits in the middle of the classroom to keep
distrsctions off, at this time her/his back could be turned toward the
students thus the teacher may not be able to see problems of the
students when the learning process occur.
 Figure 2. U Shaped Seating Position

c. Chevron
In this kind of seating position is like a traditional seat position, but
this position also like U Shaped seating position. The chevron seating
position may help to reduce distance between students and teacher in
communicating during learning process. Thus, students can play an
active role in learning at classroom. This position gives a new point of
view for students so they are able to follow the learning process with
enthusiastic, fun, and focused.

Figure 3. Chevron Seating Position

d. Group Work
In this kind of seating position is also commonly used by many
teachers. In the small groups, the teacher could have four or five
 students sitting together. The small group seating position, the students
are able to work in group easily and share ideas one another as well as
help each other. Students are expected to use teamwork which gives
them chance to experience what it means to work as a team. Each
individual student is able to see what the others are doing and when
there are student talks to his/her friend in the group the rest still can
hear it. This position is especially good if there are students who are
very quiet and too shy to ask questions because they are afraid of
being embarrassed. With this seating position, if students have some
question, the question will be answered and teacher saves time from
having to repeat an explanation. Yet, having students sit in small group
can effect some problems. For example, at the time student can get
distracted by the other students or they may not be able to see the
board as clearly. Also the teacher can have their back to the students
unintentionally and thus may not be aware of everything that’s going
on in the classroom.

Figure 4. Group Work Seating Position

e. Theatre Style/ Auditorium

This typical seating position is commonly for senates or councils, with
a focus at the front where speeches are given, but the other participant
are engaged in the discussion, and the emphasis is on personal
 presentation, not meditation through images and text, although this is
possible. Ideal for critical engagement between an academic and a
relatively large class, with some-all group discussion, but presentation
of text and images are allowed.

Figure 5. Theatre Style/ Auditorium Seating Position

D. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We acknowledge the important contribution of Junior High School

Muhammadiyah 10 of Surabaya who has support this study. We would also
like to show our gratitude to the School Principal of Junior High school
Muhammadiyah 10 Surabaya for sharing his pearls of wisdom with us during
the course of this study. We thank for all those who have helped us so this
study can be completed properly.

E. CONCLUSION

From this study, it can be concluded that seating position influence

students attention to the teacher on learning process. It can happen because
students need a different seating position to find a new learning atmosphere.
In addition, the seating position of students can support the teaching style by
the teacher so the students are not easily bored and pay attention to the teacher
during the learning process. The learning process can occur well when
students pay attention to the teacher with supported by a different seating
position than traditional seat postion as usual.
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