Class arrangement

Class arrangement refers to a layout of the physical setup of chairs, tables, materials in a school classroom. In most countries, this arrangement is often chosen by a paid, professional teacher with the assistance of a seating chart. Deciding upon a classroom arrangement is typically done at the beginning of a school year as a part of classroom management.

Classroom arrangements can follow different patterns¹ such as:

• Rows or Traditional (students facing the instructor)
• Stadium Seating (or Angled Rows with Desks Touching)
• Modified U (or Horseshoe)
• Groups (or Pods, Teams)
• Combination (desks in various positions)
• Roundtable (students and instructors facing the center)

Class arrangement is thought to affect the student engagement, focus and participation.² Some research suggests that seating location is related to academic achievement and classroom participation, and class arrangement has the ability to affect the communal environment within the room. ³ For individual tasks class arrangement in rows can increase on task focus, especially for disruptive students.⁴

Around the turn of the 20th century, new education mandates and laws banning child labor rapidly increase school enrollments, standardizing facility design.⁵ Traditional classroom layouts had students facing the instructor with their backs toward each other. The modern and flexible open space classroom represents a change from traditional chair desk combos.