Teachers' goals and strategies for classroom seating arrangements: A qualitative study

Abstract

Teachers can use seating arrangements to effectively manage classroom dynamics. However, what do teachers aim for and how are they trying to achieve this when creating seating arrangements? We conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 upper elementary school teachers. Teachers expressed to have both academic and social-emotional goals addressing the group and individual students. Although their goals were quite similar, teachers employed different, sometimes even opposite strategies to achieve them. Moreover, they adapted goals and strategies to specific group or individual student needs. Our findings add to the growing body of knowledge regarding teachers’ practices in managing classroom social dynamics.