University of People
Instructor: Dr. Emad Shahrori
May 3, 2022
Based on a study by Carl R. Rogers (1994):
Pupils want to be treated with trust and respect, to be part of the school family, teachers to be supportive, and opportunities to be responsible. Pupils want freedom, not permissiveness. They want a place where people care about each other and teachers who are interested in their success, not in their failure. Pupils want choices.
Their expectations have to be met by the teachers.
The way the classroom is organized influences the way children behave, the atmosphere in the classroom, and, most importantly, the right arrangement of desks helps to achieve the objectives of the lesson. There are three classic table arrangements: rows, U-shaped, and clusters. Let's look at all three, highlighting the features, pros, and cons. Of course, the arrangement of desks depends on the size of the room and the size and number of desks and children in the classroom, but even the smallest classrooms can be rearranged to achieve the most productive learning.
Three ways of arranging desks in the classroom. Advantages and disadvantages of different ways of arranging desks
1 Classic desk arrangement
Rows are made up of two or single-seat desks standing one behind the other. All desks face the teacher, who stands near the blackboard at the beginning of the classroom. Variations: there may be several blackboards on different walls.
Communication and interaction
Arrangement of desks in rows contributes to the goal - the students' attention should be on the teacher: the teacher speaks, the children listen, raising their hands if necessary.
It is not so easy to organize group work in this kind of lesson:
it is almost always the deskmate, which does not meet the learning purpose of the lesson when contact is needed every lesson or with different people during the lesson; working together at desks behind each other is not convenient because students have to turn around and pull across the aisle, and this is also a problem when the desks are single; as a rule, classrooms are small and do not have enough space to move around quickly without slowing down the pace of the lesson or completing assignments.
Classroom atmosphere
The arrangement of desks in rows does not facilitate communication and students understand this.
Pupil behavior
The classroom looks full of pupils on the one hand and others are hidden behind others drawing in their workbooks, playing with their smartphones, sleeping or just plain awake.
If there are misbehaving pupils in the class, the teacher tries to seat them close to the front in order to control them, but on the other hand, too tight seating of misbehaving pupils may simply lead to an explosion in the lesson. It is recommended that only those most in need of supervision are moved to the front of the class and that the rest are seated next to the good students. Rows of pupils do not allow the teacher to see all the children
Benefits
Great for small spaces and large class sizes.
Children's attention is directed toward the teacher.
It is possible to control the behavior of individual children by seating them in the front.
Suitable for revision work.
It is possible to "get rid" of weak and difficult pupils by putting them at the back of the room so that they do not "disturb" the motivated and successful pupils.
Disadvantage
Not conducive to learning, where learning is not only about the teacher, but also where students are full participants in the learning process (student-centered classroom).
Pupils may 'fall out' of the learning process, hiding behind their classmates. The same is true for tests and self-study where children can easily cheat.
It is not easy for the teacher to get from one row to another, from one aisle to another to check assignments, answer questions, monitor pupils' work, and correct discipline problems.
Poorly suited to forms of lesson in which pupils are expected to interact and communicate.
2 U-shaped arrangements of desks
An example of this arrangement could be seen in a computer room if the central desks are removed. The teacher and blackboard are at the front of the room, and desks or chairs are arranged in a circle or perimeter around it, with an empty space in the center.
The problem with this arrangement of desks is that there has to be enough space to leave an empty central area. The way out of this situation: when there is a need for a separate class with this arrangement, the desks can be moved outside the classroom and stacked in the corridor or the desks can be stacked on top of each other in the back of the classroom. This is something the students themselves would be happy to do at break time. (Of course, to make sure it is safe for the children in the classroom and in the corridor). In the assembly room, several of these U-shaped spaces can be arranged for a parent-teacher meeting or a game like "Maths Week". (The Advantages of a U-Shaped Classroom Desk).
This way is to free up space in the classroom. What is it for?
Communication and interaction
Contrary to the traditional seating arrangement, here the teacher sees every pupil, and pupils themselves have eye contact with both the teacher and each pupil, i.e. subconsciously the classroom is no longer seen as an army of rows and rows but as something whole, the barriers between people are removed.
Circle arrangement of chairs
A sense of community is fostered by an object that pupils can pass to each other when answering questions, as well as a ball that can be thrown from pupil to pupil or from teacher to pupil. All this: eye contact, supplementing with a toy or a ball, additionally stimulates children's attention to what is going on and increases their involvement and activity. This form of classroom organization also makes it possible to hold performances in the center, experiments, skits, robotics competitions, presentations, etc.
Classroom atmosphere
The seating arrangement in itself already removes the barriers of disassociation that exist in a classic classroom setting. It is easy for students to see each other, easy for them to come forward and speak, and easy for them to respond when everyone can see and hear them.
Student behavior
On the one hand, a U-shaped seating arrangement in a classroom gives a teacher better control over pupils, so some of the behavioral problems are removed: while it was possible to shout something or make annoying noises from behind, not every offender would venture to provoke openly under the gaze of the teacher and other group members. Moreover, the offending pupils find themselves in the center of the learning process, following it, and they simply have no time for distractions. Therefore, such classroom organization would help to solve a number of behavioral problems. On the other hand, children under 12 without self-discipline and who developed a sense of responsibility may monkey around with such seating arrangements.
How to use
The seating arrangement is good for both teaching and learning as it promotes team building and trust building when discussing difficult classroom issues. It helps to reinforce the cohesion and equality effect if the teacher also sits with the children in a row rather than standing over them.
Advantages
It is easy to keep all children under control.
The pupils themselves can see all the other participants in the group and the teacher, and maintain contact with him or her.
It frees up space in the middle that can be used for presentations and speeches The atmosphere forces the children to behave and involves them in the learning process.
The class perceives itself as one and is at one with the teacher if the teacher is seated. This promotes a trusting relationship and a relaxed attitude.
Allows forms of work with a ball or other objects to be passed from pupil to pupil.
Disadvantages
Impractical or difficult to use in classes with young children, with many children with challenging behavior.
Students who are shy or insecure do not feel comfortable being in the open because there is no one to hide behind (perhaps such students should be seated near a table, flower, or another object which is artificially placed in the classroom to create a supportive environment for such students).
Arranging desks or chairs by themselves will not help if pupils do not want to talk. They will remain silent, looking at each other and finding support from others.
It is impossible or difficult to organize such a form of teaching for very large numbers of children.
3 Arranging desks in clusters
Clusters are grouped desks or rather groups of children at their desks in a classroom. Children may be seated in pairs or in groups of more than one person (Cluster Seating).
Group work on desks set up together
Group work is used when it is important to show that the effect of group work is greater than that of individual pupils when it is important to teach children to work in groups and in other cases. Read more about group learning in our article. If the desks are already set up in groups at the beginning of the lesson and children don't get all their stuff out at once, then several transfers can be arranged during the lesson to form a new group of children each time. It is easy for the teacher to move between tables (if space allows) and not have to go around the whole class in rows.
On the other hand, the teacher cannot be close to each table at the same time, so it is useful to have one or more student supervisors come to the tables and help the children. This could, on the one hand, make group learning more productive and, on the other hand, provide opportunities for individual pupils (those who are hyperactive or particularly gifted) to demonstrate their abilities.
Communication and interaction
Working in clusters is similar to working in a classical classroom as well as in a U-shaped classroom: on the one hand, children sit at their desks and study, on the other hand, they are in a mini-group. For children who are shy or not yet ready to work in a P-class, there is the opportunity to present their thoughts or progress to the small group first and then to the whole class.
Class atmosphere
All children work together, but on the other hand, the children are more responsible for their mini-group, and they feel a sense of belonging to the class as a whole and to the group in particular. At the same time, children feel freer in the mini-group; they can make mistakes, consult with other students, and get help from them before they present their results to all the students.
Behavior
The behavior of individual pupils can be a problem if they are away from the teacher, so it is recommended that all potential troublemakers be placed in the center of the room - where the teacher is most likely to be.
Behavioral problems can be helped by:
The group itself or a strong group leader, especially if appointing a leader/group leader who has authority;
Establishing mixed-sex groups (in younger age groups);
Working in tandem with another educator (teacher, trainee, student, parent, etc).
Pros of
Team-building within the mini-group, building personal relationships with individual pupils through individual work with them, forced bonding.
Pupils are able to express their thoughts and make assumptions in a mini-group, more readily than in other forms of seating arrangements.
This form of teaching enables pupils to be organized to work as assistants, e.g., selecting the most gifted or advanced pupils who catch everything on the fly.
Develops communication, group work, and leadership skills.
Allows children to learn from each other. Read, for example, Rivin's reverse methodology, Working in pairs in class, Mutual control, and peer review.
Weak points
Individual pupils might sit back and not take part in group work, with the fastest and best-performing children taking over and the rest being passive. This problem can be solved by good preparation for such a lesson, by the teacher being proactive in the lesson, by a good selection of children in the group, and, of course, by purposeful teaching of group work to children in the lesson system. Seating children in clusters does not in itself imply that it will be exactly group work, they can be independent pupils just sitting together. This is a point for the teacher to consider and rule out. It is difficult to assess the actions of each individual pupil in the group.
References
11 Seating Arrangements Used for Events
https://www.encore-anzpac.com/choosing-the-best-seating-style-for-your-audience
THE 21ST CENTURY CLASSROOM: 7 WAYS TO ARRANGE COLLABORATIVE DESKS Posted by Ryan Owens on May 15th 2017
https://classroomessentialsonline.com/blog/the-21st-century-classroom-7-ways-toarrange-collaborative-desks/
The Advantages of a U-Shaped Classroom Desk
https://classroom.synonym.com/advantages-ushaped-classroom-desk-12001606.ht
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Cluster Seating
https://inside.ewu.edu/managementtoolbox/cluster-seating/
Freedom to Learn, 3rd Edition Carl R. Rogers, deceased H. Jerome Freiberg, University of Houston 1994
https://www.pearson.com/us/higher-education/program/Rogers-Freedom-to-Learn-3rd-Edition/PGM231416.html