Investigating EFL students’ attitudes towards the effect of classroom seating arrangement on On-task participation

Abstract

Teachers and students should develop effective strategies to encourage students to participate, i.e., they should work together to create an appropriate atmosphere which is based on collaboration. In this respect, two types of classroom participation were given to students: on-task (when students are engaged in the learning process) and off-task (when students are not engaged in the learning process). Thus, the current research aims at investigating students' attitudes towards the effect of classroom seating arrangement on on-task participation in EFL classes. This study was based on a questionnaire that was administered to thirty Master one Students in the department of English at Larbi Ben M'hidi University, Oum El Bouaghi, in order to seek information concerning their attitudes towards the effect of classroom seating arrangement on on-task participation. The analysis of the questionnaire demonstrated that students consider classroom seating arrangement helpful and effective in increasing their participation.