nonverbal communication study on the application of classroom seating arrangements in academic setting at Hanoi School of Public Health Nghiên cứu giao tiếp phi

This implies that the traditional type of seating arrangement desk rows should be replaced by more flexible ones, such as U -shape, modular or circular to foster interaction among studen

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

ĐỖ THỊ THU TRANG

A NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION STUDY

ON THE APPLICATION OF CLASSROOM SEATING ARRANGEMENTS

IN ACADEMIC SETTING

AT HANOI SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH (NGHIÊN CỨU GIAO TIẾP PHI NGÔN TỪ VỀ VIỆC ÁP DỤNG CÁC CÁCH SẮP XẾP CHỖ NGỒI TRONG LỚP HỌC

TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC Y TẾ CÔNG CỘNG)

M.A MINOR THESIS

Field: English Linguistics

PART I: INTRODUCTION……… ….1

I Rationale……… 1

II Aims of the study………3

III Scope of the study……… ………3

IV Methods of the study……… .3

V Design of the study……… 4

PART II: DEVELOPMENT……… 5

CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW……… 5

I.1 What nonverbal communication? 5

I.2 Classroom communication styles and classroom seating arrangements………… 7

I.2.1 Teaching styles……… 7

I.2.2 Seating arrangements and teacher-student interactions……… 9

I.2.3 Basic classroom seating arrangements……….11

I.2.4 Evaluation of classroom seating arrangements……… …21

CHAPTER II: METHODOLOGY………23

II.1 Comments on the survey questionnaires……… 23

II.2 Comments on the informants……….24

CHAPTER III: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS……… 25

III.1 The proxemics of classroom seating arrangement………26

III.1.1 The physical environment……… 26

III.1.2 The social environment……… 29

III.2 The application of classroom seating arrangements in ELT classes at Hanoi School of Public Health……… 31

III.2.1 Students responses……… 32

III.2.2 Teachers’ responses………33

PART III: CONCLUSION………35

I Summary of main findings……….35

II Limitations……… 36

III Suggestions for further study……… 36

IV Implications……….37

Tables Content Page

Table 1 The teachers’ perceptions of teaching styles used 25

The students’ perceptions of the application of different classroom

seating arrangements for different teaching styles 32

PART I: INTRODUCTION

I Rationale

It has now been widely accepted that the physical environment plays an important role in the learning and teaching process Cornell (2003) holds that the shift from passive learning to active learning requires students to be physically and mentally more uninterrupted, sitting is becoming a more engaged process where students are allowed

“greater movement and positioning” (Cornell, 2003:3) Cornell believes that this more

engaged process of learning reduces or eliminates drowsiness and muscle fatigue However, no research has provided evidence of whether or not and how the physical arrangement of seating supports the interaction and the efforts of students and the teacher Moreover, Sommer (1967) finds that the seating position that a student selects in a general-purpose classroom is highly correlated with his/her participation in the class

For decades, the term “classroom” was characterized as a rectangular room where

the “focus was directed to the front where the instructor exercised complete control of the pace, content, and sequence of activities” (Cornell, 2003:1) by using a blackboard and an

overhead projector However, the traditional style of instruction, where the teacher delivers the information and students sit silently taking notes, is slowly being replaced with student-centered learning (Nair, 2000) This implies that the traditional type of seating arrangement (desk rows) should be replaced by more flexible ones, such as U -shape, modular or circular to foster interaction among students themselves, support communication with teachers, and motivate individual students to learn Halpern (1994) also agrees with Nair (2000) that effective learning rarely occurs passively As a result,

“educators have come to realize that effective instruction focuses on active involvement of

students in their own learning, with opportunities for teacher and peer interactions that engage students’ natural curiosity” (Halpern, 1994:11)

Wolff (2002) states that in addition to more student-centered learning that current literature indicates a need for changing learning expectations to prepare students for the changing roles and responsibilities in work, family and community for the 21st century She discovers that cooperative, project-based learning is identified as a pedagogy that

prepares learners for these new expectations by “conceiving, developing, and

implementing projects relevant to the learners’ needs.” (Wolff, 2002:3) Through

collaborative and project-based education, students have a means to learn critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, negotiation skills, and how to take responsibility for their own learning In 2002, Wolff conducted a study on design features of the physical learning environment that support and enhance cooperative, project-based learning at the community college level She found that all of the participants stated the need for flexibility in spaces used for cooperative and project based learning, i.e the classrooms

Of the thesis author‟s training institution, Hanoi School of Public Health has a history of 9 years It is a new school with a new major in Vietnam However, public heath

is popular in almost all developed countries Most subjects such as epidemiology, environment, population, disaster, accidents and injuries, reproductive health, occupational health use course books and documents translated from English Therefore, English language teaching and learning at this school is considered one of the top priorities Moreover, many lecturers have graduated from world-famous universities, thus, having a lot of opportunities to experience different methods of teaching and different ways of seating arrangement The Dean of the school, Assoc Prof Dr Le Vu Anh, was one of the first Vietnamese medical workers to study public health in the United States He has offered good advice on rearranging students in a language lesson to make it more effective Actually, this has become a practical and necessary demand for a new classroom environment

II Aims of the study

The study aims at:

 Reviewing and discussing different teaching styles and seating arrangements

 Investigating the effects of seating arrangements on the socio-physical environment of the classroom

 Discussing possible seating arrangements for various class activities at Hanoi School

of Public Health

III Scope of the study

There are various seating arrangements for lecture halls, classrooms and laboratories However, this study focuses on four basic types of classroom seating arrangements They are: desk rows, U-shape, modular and circular

The thesis is confined within the investigation and the application of classroom seating arrangements in academic setting at Hanoi School of Public Health with English classes as sample

Finally, it is ideal to travel to developed countries such as the United States, where different seating arrangements are available, to take photographs, record or videotape some lectures as materials for the research Due to time constraint, geographical distance, financial difficulty and the scope of a minor thesis, the data used in this study are collected only by conducting survey questionnaires and based on the author‟s observation and experience Therefore, the thesis should only be regarded as a preliminary study with tentative conclusions

IV Methods of the study

The theoretical background presents a critical review of different publications The source of relevant information comes from books and the Internet

The method used for the study is largely quantitative with illustration of tables The discussions of research findings are based mainly on the statistics of the survey questionnaires

Comments on the statistics come from consultation with the supervisor, discussion with colleagues and the author‟s personal observation as well as her own experience

V Design of the study

The study consists of three main parts:

Part I: Introduction

Part II: Development – This part includes the following chapters

Chapter I: Literature review Chapter II: Methodology Chapter III: Findings and discussions Part III: Conclusion

PART II: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER I: LITERATURE REVIEW

I.1 What nonverbal communication?

The term “non-verbal” is commonly used to describe all events of human communication that transcend spoken or written words According to Knapp (1980), nonverbal communication should not be studied as an isolated unit but as an inseparable part

of the total communication process Nonverbal communication may serve to repeat, contradict, substitute for, complement or elaborate on, accent or emphasize, or regulate verbal communication Obviously, nonverbal communication is important because of the role it plays

in the total communication system, the tremendous quantity of information cues it gives in any particular situation and because of its use in such fundamental areas of our daily life as politics, medicine, the arts, advertising, television, education, job interviews, and courtship It has been said, for example, that when we receive contradictory messages on verbal and nonverbal levels, we are more likely to trust the nonverbal message It is assumed that nonverbal signals are more spontaneous, harder to fake and less apt to be manipulated It has also been speculated that those who prefer nonverbal cues over verbal ones show a right-brain dominance Estimates have it that, in a normal two-person conversation, the verbal components carry less than 35 per cent of social meaning of the situation; more than 65 per cent of the social meaning is carried on the nonverbal level

According to Knapp (1980: 4-21), the theoretical writings and research on nonverbal communication can be divided into the following seven areas:

 Kinesics or body motion

 Physical characteristics (including physique or body shape, general attractiveness, clothing)

 Touching behaviour or haptics (tactile communication is probably the most basic

or primary – as )

 Paralanguage (including voice qualities and vocalizations)

 Proxemics (the study of the use and perception of social and personal space)

 Artifacts (including the use of objects such as jewellery and cosmetics and other decorations that may serve as nonverbal stimuli)

 The environment or environmental factors within which the interaction occurs Nguyen Quang (2001:19) has a clear and sufficient classification of nonverbal communication as stated in the following diagram:

- Types of vocal flow

I.2 Classroom communication styles and classroom seating arrangements

Seating arrangements are a main part in a teacher‟s plan for classroom management Not only do the teachers need to consider the physical arrangement of the room but also the nature of the students involved Arranging the physical environment of the room should be taken into consideration so that teaching and learning can occur as efficiently as possible The teacher needs to be able to walk around the room without the students having to move their desks The teacher needs to take into account that students seated in the center or front of the classroom tend to interact more frequently with the teacher and the number of behavioral problems tend to increase as the students sit farther from the teacher Also, students in the back and corners of the room are more likely to be off task than those close to the front or to the teacher‟s desk There are many seating arrangements that the teachers can use Each type of classroom arrangement has both advantages and disadvantages To make the lesson most effective, the teacher should fit the teaching style with the appropriate arrangement of students

I.2.1 Teaching styles

Hativa (2000) lists the following skills of teachers:

• Examine, interpret, and share learning;

• Understand how students learn;

• Learn the knowledge in their field;

• Conduct research on learning and teaching;

• Share their experiences

Additionally, an effective teacher also understands how to promote a love for

self-learning in students Bess (2000: 53) argues that “student preferences for teaching strategies are for active and challenging learning, where they are involved, where learning is connected

to real life, and where there are opportunities for mutual responsibility”

Scott-Webber, Marini, and Abraham (2000) have divided possible teacher-student relationships into different types of communication styles They include one-on-one,

presentation, teamwork, and discussion The one-on-one communication style is associated with self-directed learning, learning through electronic tutorials, or teacher -to-student learning The one-on-one style places an emphasis on the student‟s understanding and discovery (Hativa and Birrenbaum, 2000)

The most common communication style is known as presentation (Scott-Webber et

al 2000) This includes activities such as lecturing, sharing information, motivating, and performing demonstrations Because students are less willing to learn in a lecture format and prefer a more active learning environment (Wolff, 2001), presenters must emphasize quality (Hativa and Birrenbaum, 2000) Cornell (2003) suggests that students are less willing to learn in a lecture format because they are fatigued and drowsy from sitting for long periods of time They prefer an active learning environment because it is more physically and mentally stimulating The implementation of technology software, such as PowerPoint, can help to create a stimulating learning environment that may aid the instructor in retaining the students‟ attention Nonetheless, the student is still a passive observer

Teamwork is increasingly becoming popular and is also referred to as collaborative learning The activities involved with teamwork are intergroup work, shared discovery, brainstorming, and games Therefore, the instructor becomes a facilitator of knowledge This style allows students to be recognized as individuals with different strengths (Hativa and Birrenbaum, 2000)

The discussion style involves the exchange of information, making decisions, and meeting The discussion style has similar teamwork style characteristics such as the sharing of information and brainstorming Instructors also allocate certain amounts of discussion time in lectures or presentations in order to answer any questions that may arise from the lecture (Hativa and Birrenbaum, 2000)

These different types of communication styles will be identified in this study Both students and teachers will be asked which communication style is performed most often

This will determine which communication style is most popular and whether or not the students and teachers‟ perceptions are the same

I.2.2 Seating arrangements and teacher-student interactions

Arranging the physical environment of the classroom is one way to improve the learning environment and to prevent problem behaviors before they occur Research on the classroom environment has shown that the physical arrangement can affect the behavior of both students and teachers (Savage, 1999; Stewart & Evans, 1997; Weinstein, 1992), and that a well-structured classroom tends to improve student academic and behavioral outcomes (MacAulay, 1990; Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995; Walker & Walker, 1991)

In addition, the classroom environment acts as a symbol to students and others regarding what teachers value in behavior and learning (Savage, 1999; Weinstein, 1992) If a classroom 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 However, a well-arranged classroom environment is one way to more effectively manage instruction because it triggers fewer behavior problems and establishes

a climate conducive to learning

The spatial structure of the classroom refers to how students are seated, where the students and teacher are in relation to one another, how classroom members move around the room, and the overall sense of atmosphere and order The research on classroom environments suggests that classrooms should be organized to accommodate a variety of activities throughout the day and to meet the teacher‟s instructional goals (Savage, 1999; Weinstein, 1992) In addition, the classroom should be set up to set the stage for the teacher to address the academic, social, and emotional needs of students (MacAulay, 1990) The standards for determining what spatial lay-out is most appropriate to fulfill these functions include: ways to maximize the teacher‟s ability to see and be seen by all his or her students; facilitate ease of movement throughout the classroom; minimize distractions so that students are best able to actively engage; provide each student and the

teacher with his or her own personal space; and ensuring that each student can see presentations and materials posted in the classroom

Most researchers agree that well-arranged classroom settings reflect the following attributes:

• Clearly defined spaces within the classroom are used for different purposes and ensure that students know how to behave in each of these areas (Quinn, Osher, Warger, Hanley, Bader, & Hoffman, 2000; Stewart & Evans, 1997; Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995; Walker & Walker, 1991) For instance, classrooms will contain a high-traffic area around commonly shared resources and spaces for teacher-led instruction or independent work, such as rows of desks A classroom for students with learning/behavior problems may have separate quiet spaces where a student can cool down or work independently (Quinn et al., 2000; Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995), personal spaces that each student can call his or her own (Rinehart, 1991; Quinn et al., 2000), and areas for large and small group activities that set the stage for specific kinds interactions between students and teacher (Rinehart, 1991; Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995) There may also be spaces to store items, computers, or audio-visual equipment

• Seating students in rows facilitates on task behavior and academic learning; whereas more open arrangements, such as clusters, facilitate social exchanges among students (MacAulay, 1990; Walker & Walker, 1991)

• It is useful to strategically arrange the classroom to limit student contact in traffic areas, such as the space surrounding the pencil sharpener and wastebasket, and instructional areas; and, to seat easily distracted students farther away from high- traffic areas (Bettenhausen, 1998; Quinn et al., 2000; Walker, Colvin, & Ramsey, 1995; Walker

high-& Walker, 1991)

• All students should have a clear view of the teacher and vice versa, at all times (Quinn et al., 2000; Rinehart, 1991; Stewart & Evans, 1997; Walker et al., 1 995; Walker & Walker, 1991; Wolfgang, 1996) In addition, the traffic pattern in the classroom allows the

teacher to be in close physical proximity to high maintenance students (Shores, Gunter & Jack, 1993; Wolfgang, 1996)

• There is some evidence that it is useful to limit visual and auditory stimulation that may distract students with attention and behavior problems (Bettenhausen, 1998; Cummings, Quinn et al., 2000)

• There is good reason to strategically place students with special needs or behavior problems in close proximity to the teacher‟s desk (Bettenhausen, 1998; Wolfgang, 1996) Shores and his colleagues (1993) recommend that this be done not only to monitor student problem behaviors, but also to facilitate teacher delivery of positive statements when compliant or otherwise appropriate behaviors are exhibited

• Finally, it is advantageous to keep the classroom orderly and well organized (Bettenhausen, 1998; Stewart & Evans, 1997)

I.2.3 Basic classroom seating arrangements

Classrooms are the places where educational activities are conducted at the highest

In arranging the classrooms such factors as the number of students, quality and color of the walls and furniture, inside temperature, illumination, air-conditioning, cleanness and the arrangement of the students in the classroom have an indirect but important effects on their levels of learning With one glance at a classroom, an experienced teacher can tell you what kind of class takes place in that room

Effective communication in the classroom is essential to the success of both the students and the teachers The kind of communication as well as the amount of communication that occurs in the classroom has long been thought to be partially a function of the seating arrangement of students While there probably is an infinite number of ways of arranging a classroom, there are most common: traditional, horseshoe, and modular

The traditional arrangement for classrooms typically consists of about five or six perfectly straight rows, each containing five to seven chairs equidistant from each other The students‟ desks are not touching each other but are lines up in rows and columns and facing the teacher The teacher is usually only able to walk from the front to the back in this set up, not walk from side to side without making students move The straight -row arrangement evolved to make the best use of the only adequate lighting then available – natural light from side windows In spite of developments in lighting which make the straight-row arrangement unnecessary, this traditional arrangement persists, in fact dominates According to the author‟s observation, almost all universities in Vietnam have this classroom arrangement

The horseshoe (or U-shape, semi-circular) arrangement is frequently employed in smaller classes, such as seminars Some rooms are not physically conductive to this arrangement for larger classes because of the “dead space” in the middle Consequently, a

“double horseshoe” (or circular or “fishbowl”), two semi-circular rows with one inside the other, is also frequently observed

The modular arrangement (clusters) is used when 3-5 students work around one table There are four or five desks pushed together so every desk is facing another one The fifth desk, if needed, would be put on the end of the group of four The classroom would have clusters scattered around, so the teacher is free to walk around the room without bumping into students‟ desks or chairs

According to Atherton (2005), there are four basic non-specialized classroom layouts: the traditional lecture-style classroom arrangement (desk rows), U-shaped seating (horseshoe, semi-circle), modular (clusters), circular (“fishbowl”) Each of these encourages or inhibits certain kinds of interaction and thus the types of learning that can occur (See Figures 1-4.)

Figure 1: Desk rows

Figure 2: U-shape

Figure 3: Modular

Figure 4: Circular

I.2.3.1 The traditional lecture-style seating arrangements

In the traditional lecture-style, the teacher stands in the front of the room and all the students‟ desks face the teacher Since all the students are facing forward and the teacher is

in the front of the classroom, he or she is the primary source of knowledge This is a perfect situation for testing because each student has their own space Desk ro ws minimizes the amount of non-productive talking amongst the students as well as assisting the students in focusing on the major concepts of the particular lesson since the desks are spread apart as much as possible Whole group instruction, lectures, and independent seatwork are ideal when the desks are in rows The use of a variety of media, for example, maps, computer projection, board-work, overhead projection are also most conducive to the desk row arrangement Desk rows exhibit good teacher-controlled classroom management Community-based classroom management is difficult to promote because the desks are in rows Because the desks are in rows and the students are separated, the opportunity for inappropriate behavior is minimized On the other hand, maybe the inappropriate behavior is more easily observed in a classroom with the desks in rows The main teaching goals of a teacher whose classroom is set up in rows is lecture and whole group instruction With the desks being in rows, it is easy for the teacher to give lectures, whole group instruction, and tests because there is less opportunity for the students to be out of line The objective of these activities is to have the students focus and concentrate

on the key information of the lesson, with a minimal amount of distraction

In the testing environment, the teacher is attempting to assess the progress of the class and each individual student as accurately as possible By spacing the students in rows, each student has the opportunity to demonstrate his/her mastery of the curricular material On the other hand, desk rows is not ideal for group work or group discussions Group work and group discussions are an important part of the curriculum It is difficult to

do this when the desks are in rows Since the desks are in rows, some students will be closer to the blackboard and the teacher than others This is a major disadvantage for the students who are seated in the back rows This type of classroom is controlled and

organized by only the teacher Desk rows promote a one-sided classroom environment Again, with this type of seating arrangement, group work and group discussions are difficult to do Before assigning seats to students the teacher needs to do a sociogram The teachers need to quickly map social interactions between and amongst students so they know where to place the students Also, they need to decide which students can handle being in the back of the classroom The students are in a perfect test taking arrangement if the teacher is monitoring the class The students are all facing the teacher and can see the blackboard, overhead projector, screen and other instructional aids It is easy for the teacher to monitor all the students The problem with this arrangement is some students are going to have to sit in the corners and in the back of the room In these locations in the classroom students participate and interact less and more behavioral problems occur This arrangement is also not good for group work or projects Taking the time to have the students get into groups and move their desks is taking away important instructional time

I.2.3.2 U-shape seating arrangement

The objective of group work is communication and peer interaction The development of these communication skills is integral in the growth of the whole student The ability to effectively work with others in a group is a life skill It is much more conducive to communicate in U-shape or semi-circle rather than in a traditional row seating arrangement It is important to look into the face of your peer while you communicate with them, as opposed to looking at the back of your peer‟s head The transition from desk rows to an arrangement that allow for more peer learning would be exciting for students It would be a chance for them to discuss problems with their peers and get involved in group learning This type of seating arrangement allows the teacher to

be able to see all the students in the classroom Group discussions happen with the desks set up this way Teacher-led discussions are easily started when the desks are arranged in a circle or semicircle All the students are able to see the blackboard and the teacher, as well

as each other Teacher proximity is good because the teacher has easy access to all the students and vice versa The circle or semicircle set up is good for high maintenance

students because there is not much that the students can do that the teacher will not see The circle or semicircle seating arrangement makes it easy for all the students to be actively engaged in the group discussions, teacher led discussions, and even lectures There is no front or back of the room There is no priority seating so there is more equality and no real rank order among the peer hierarchy This arrangement, on the other hand, is not ideal for testing since the students are directly next to one another With the students sitting next to each other, it makes it easy to share work, when that is not the objective on

an individual test of knowledge

The goal of most test taking is to test a student independently, not in a group The teacher could, however, create two or three tests evaluating the same material and still utilize this same classroom setup Group work is a rather difficult activity to manage because the students are spread out around the entire room This is the case for teacher -controlled classroom management because the teacher is the main source of information

On the contrary, the circle arrangement would be ideal for community-based classroom management because the ownership for maintaining the learning environment is shared between the teacher and the students Depending on the focus of the assignment, the circle arrangement may or may not allow the students to work easily with each other For example, if the assignment was for the students to work with a partner, this arrangement would be perfect because they had someone directly next to them If the assignment was a group project, where the students were supposed to discuss a „hot topic‟, then a circle is not the best set up because the students would have to rearrange their desks

in order to talk with each other

The teaching goals for the U-shape or semicircle arrangement are group discussions and teacher-led discussions With this classroom, there is constant opportunity for the students to bring and contribute ideas to the discussion The teacher does not give too much guidance However, the circle also works well with constructivist direct instruction The teacher had clear vision of everyone as he gave his presentation This informal setting

contributes to the mood of the classroom Oftentimes, when a student is providing information for a group, he/she is nervous The circle-semicircle classroom arrangement can positively contribute to the presenter‟s state of mind Moreover, the classroom discussions are flexible The teacher‟s role in this type of classroom is to provide an enriched, stimulating environment As the discussion of the classroom progresses, it is the teacher‟s job to facilitate the learning The teacher needs to be there to make sure the discussion is appropriate and the point is being clearly made The teacher could initiate probing questions to the class to further develop the discussion He or she is also there to answer any questions that the students may have

As U-shape or semi-circle seating arrangement is when all the desks touch each other facing the front of the room in a semi-circle shape, The teacher can easily see each student and they can see him/ her and the instructional aids The philosophies of the teacher using this arrangement can be direct instruction, child run or collaborative Each philosophy could be implemented into this classroom setting Because all the students can see each other they can have debates and discussions amongst themselves The students can give ideas on how they want to do an activity and the seating arrangement could probably accommodate the activity Also, because the students all have clear vision to the board, direct instruction from the teacher could be very common The teacher would have full control over the students The teacher could easily walk around the room and monitor everybody‟s work The students would also be able to work together doing projects and activities

The semi-circle seating arrangement would be bad because the teacher would have

a hard time meeting with the students one-on-one This is because the seats are very close

to each other Also, the semi-circle would take up almost the entire classroom so there isn‟t much room for activities or conferencing outside the desk area Semi-circle desk arrangement can be used in all grade classrooms and for all educational philosophies This

is because the teacher can have classroom discussions and all the students can see and hea r each other well The teacher can take a passive role and listen to the students and let them

run the class Also, in this arrangement the teacher can run the class giving the students step by step instructions All the students are facing the front of the room and have their own space to work The students can work easily together without much movement because they are sitting directly next to each other which make hands on activities and collaborative learning possible

I.2.3.3 Modular seating arrangement

This type of seating arrangement is very conducive for group learning and group work The students have the opportunity to confer with each other when completing assignments Working with others and getting along with different types of people is a life skill that needs to be developed Teamwork is essential to prepare students for workplace readiness Classroom group work can help this The students can build on each other‟s ideas and knowledge about a topic Clusters become difficult when administering tests because the main point of testing students is to obtain an independent score for each one There is a time for group work and thought, but not during test time Tests are administered to indicate the amount of knowledge a single student has retained It is also difficult when lecturing or with whole group instruction because of the talking that may occur because the desks are so close together Talking during lecture time takes away from the focus of the classroom It is disruptive and inappropriat e to talk while others are talking If the teacher decides to open the lecture to a group discussion, then it is fine for the students to talk

Depending on the arrangement of the clusters, some students may have difficulty seeing the board or the teacher The teaching goals in a classroom with the desks arranged

in clusters are peer learning and group work This type of classroom is collaborative because both the teacher and the students bring topics to the classroom to discuss It is also exciting when a student brings information or a topic that he/she is passionate about and shares that knowledge The teacher‟s role is to share his or her knowledge with the students and to guide the students in the right direction Teacher-based classroom

management could be difficult since it is so easy for the students to talk with each other, but if the teacher is consistent with the rules of the classroom from the beginning, that could be eliminated

Community-based classroom management is very appropriate for a classroom with the desks in clusters because it promotes group learning The transition from clusters to a more traditional seating arrangement could be hard for students After being in a classroom where the main objectives are group learning and group wor k, it will be difficult for children to then enter a classroom where lectures and independent seatwork are the focus This transition is inevitable At some point in a students career, they are going to encounter a teacher that only believes in independent, individual seatwork It is important that students learn how to adjust to different types of seating arrangements It is essential for our students to be adaptable and flexible in the learning environment

The groups of students need to be thought about before setting up The students need to be able to work together There will have to be different levels of students at each group so that they can help each other learn and grow Clusters are very common in situations where there is a lot of group learning and work The desks together make it easy for all students in the cluster to see each other and to discuss In this situation the philosophy of the teacher is more collaborative learning This lets the students have hands

on activities and learn by practicing The teacher shares and gives guidance and help to the students This arrangement also, allows for students to do individual work at their desk

Clusters are not very good during test or quizzes because students can easily cheat off each other Clusters can be a disadvantage to the teacher when giving a direct instruction lesson because students may not be oriented toward them Students may have their back to the teacher and not be focused to the front of the room Teachers do not use this kind of instruction not because they do not value it but because the students would use most of their time not working but talking about life and all the social activities The

students would be wasting their instructional time and the teacher would be using their time making the students be quiet

I.2.3.4 Circular or “fishbowl” seating arrangement

This arrangement allows for the easiest student-student and teacher-student interaction Sitting in this arrangement, students tend to participate in conversations and seminars more readily If the group is too large to get around a U-shaped layout or a board-room table, the "fishbowl", with concentric circles of students, maximizes the possibilities of discussion Clearly this works better without tables, and it is use ful to make efforts to ensure that over several sessions, everyone has their turn in the "inner circle"

There are going to be expected issues that the students are going to have when changing from one seating arrangement to another Most of the students will like the change and will get used to it very quickly, even though it might come to a surprise right away Some students will have gotten accustomed to their seat and the people around them and not be as willing to sit in their new seat To get pass all the students feelings on the new seating arrangement it is easiest to prepare the students and let them know the day before that you will be changing the room around From the beginning of the year it is easiest to let the students know that the classroom changes ever so often To help the students understand that you care if they are upset, tell them that you will listen and maybe think about changing his or her seat It is easiest to watch the way the students react to their new seats and see if they get used to it Not every student is going to like their seat right away, especially in the older grades where the fact that who sit next to who becomes more important

As we noted above, the traditional straight-row arrangement is predominate in most educational settings, particularly in college settings The cause of this dominance is elusive, but tradition is the explanation offered most frequently Discussions with teachers

who employ the straight-row arrangement reveal that many of them simply had never thought about it Others commented that the school janitor would become incensed if they rearranged the seats Some reported trying other arrangements but being chastised by colleagues or superiors for having or leaving a "messy room" Many simply indicated that they liked their room that way with no explanation for why they had that preference If seating is discussed at all in a teaching methods course, the traditional arrangement is virtually always attacked as less desirable than other alternatives

Taking a functional approach, for example, each of the three arrangements has positive elements depending on the desired type of communication in the classroom If the purpose of the class is primarily one of information dissemination, the traditional arrangement is probably best because it minimizes student-student interaction and places the primary interaction focus in the classroom on the teacher With regard to the horseshoe arrangement, it would be the best if both student-student and student-teacher interactions are important to the learning in the class Classes such as those concerned with higher -order cognitive affective goals, particularly where there are few "right" or "wrong" answers, would be benefited most by this arrangement

The modular arrangement is advocated for classes in which student-student interaction is most important If task groups are formed in the class, this arrangement permits maximum interaction among those groups while minimizing the interference of one group with another This arrangement is also recommended for classes which require that the teacher work closely with individuals or groups rather than primarily with the class as a whole

While the teacher is the primary focus in the traditional arrangement and teacher and students share the focus in the horseshoe arrangement, the teacher is removed from the focal point in modular arrangement However, the traditional system is least conducive to interaction and that if the teacher seeks to increase communication in the classroom, one of the other arrangements should be chosen

CHAPTER II: METHODOLOGY

The purpose of this study was to suggest applying some types of classroom seating arrangements at Hanoi School of Public Health, especially in English Language Teaching (ELT) classrooms The review of literature reveals that there are a variety of recommendations about how a classroom should be physically arranged in order to maximize and facilitate learning and teaching styles

The survey questionnaires were delivered to the students and the teachers twice For the first time, they were asked about the seating arrangement in the English classroom they were most familiar with and the information collected was the traditional lecture-style classroom arrangement with 93% Then, the informants were asked to provide the information mainly on the physical and social classroom environment of desk rows

II.1 Comments on the survey questionnaires

This research is to investigate the application of different ways of seating arrangement at Hanoi School of Public Health For sufficient data, a survey questionnaire was designed and conducted with the students as well as the teachers of the English department

The survey questionnaire is composed of three parts:

Part 1: In this part, the students were asked to provide some personal information

including the English class they were attending, the information relating to their upper secondary school, their gender, English learning process, whether they liked English or not, etc

The teacher were asked to provide some personal information as well, such as age, gender, the experience of teaching English at Hanoi School of Public Health, whether they had taught language-gifted students

Part 2: Both the teachers and the students were asked to provide information on

classrooms at Hanoi School of Public Health Each classroom is from 50 m2 to 60 m2 large There are about 20 desks and 40 chairs with the number of 35 or 38 students

Part 3: The informants were asked to provide information relating to the seating

arrangement they are most familiar with, the physical and social classroom environment in traditional way of arranging the students (desk rows), and possible seating arrangements for different teaching methods

II.2 Comments on the informants

One hundred survey questionnaires were delivered to 100 students and 10 survey questionnaires to 10 teachers from the English department of Hanoi School of Public Health All of them returned to the author were then analyzed

Among 100 students, 46 are males, taking up 46% The information collected showed that almost all of them had been learning English for 8-9 years as 43% of the informants were second-year students, the 57% were third-year students It seems that the students‟ English level is not good enough as most of the students were gifted at biology when they were at secondary school Moreover, 58% of them come from rural areas, 27% from urban areas and only 15% come from Hanoi These percentages fit in classes A, B, C for bad, average and good level of English respectively However, when being asked whether they liked English, none of the students answered “not at all”, 68% of them absolutely liked English

Among 10 teachers, only one of them was male, which accounts for 10% Their ages varied from 26 to 54 with the time of service at Hanoi School of Public Health from 3

to 29 years (the forerunner of this school was the School of Medical Staff Management) Three teachers (30%) stated their experience in teaching at language –gifted schools

CHAPTER III: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSIONS

When the students were asked which type of seating arrangement was the most popular in English lessons, the desk rows had the highest percentage 33% of them, especially the students from C classes were familiar with U-shaped seating The rest coming from classes A, B found the traditional lecture-style arrangement the most popular, which accounted for 77% However, only 42% of the students in classes A, B were satisfied with their classroom seating arrangement, meanwhile, 81% in classes C were happy with their current type of seating

Frequency

Teaching styles

Never Seldom Often Always

One on one interaction with the students 0% 0% 100% 0%

Table 1: The teachers’ perceptions of teaching styles used

According to the responses made by the teachers, no one stated that they used a single teaching style during their lesson, from the beginning to the end They did not use either one-on-one interaction with the students or presentation or discussion or teamwork All of them had their own ideas on this They combined all the four teaching styles in their