La Salle Green Hills, Mandaluyong, Philippines

May 2019

Using Various Classroom Layouts Based on the Learning Preferences of Adult

Night High School Students in La Salle Green Hills
1 2 3 4
Dexter N. Buenaventura , Jose Carlos Lopez, Kyle Marcelo , Christian I. Martires
1
La Salle Green Hills
1 2 3
dexterbuenaventura7@gmail.com jose.lopez070275@my.lsgh.edu.ph kyle.marcelo170566@my.lsgh.edu.ph
4
christian.martires070321@my.lsgh.edu.ph

Abstract:

Recently, studies have shown that the traditional method of teaching is no longer
effective. The traditional style of teaching has become a barrier between students and their
learning. Students nowadays do not absorb information like they have in the past. Along with
technology, children evolve with them and the new generation, are now in need of an alternative
learning method. The classroom layout method is a new technique that involves the manipulation
of the student’s seat plan and their learning style to achieve a greater improvement in student’s
learning. The classroom layout, while considering their learning styles, allows the students to not
only improve their grades but also their attitude towards learning. The new technique intends on
innovating the way of learning and turns it into a weapon that can be used to give students all the
information they need. There are also various studies that have shown that changing the seating
plan of students also changed the atmosphere of the class and that it can indeed affect students’
academic improvement. Studies have also stated that learning styles could be a tool to allow the
students to take information in the best way they can. This paper has gathered data from the
Adult Night High School Students, and the data gathered involved tests after implementing the
classroom layout and learning styles method.

Key Words: classroom layout, learning styles, learning preferences

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May 2019

1. INTRODUCTION

For the past hundred years, the traditional method of teaching has been accepted and

approved by many educational institutions. However, recent studies have shown that the use of

traditional method of teaching has been used for so long that it created gaps that we need to be

filled. Nowadays, children learn a lot more differently than before due to the influence of new

and social media. They have more access to information and some of them might even use this as

a reference or to gain more knowledge during their free time. Therefore, children nowadays have

adapted to various ways of learning, which include learning through the use of videos,

audiobooks, or games.

Learning can also take place in any kind of environment with various methods of

instruction used for different kinds of learners. With that comes different tools that serve as aids

for people as they go through their lessons in class. For this paper, different types of learning

methods are researched or used. There has been a barrier observed between the students and their

teachers when it comes to how their lessons were being taught to them in class. There are various

methods and implementations that can be used to enhance and improve the learning of students.

Many researchers have looked into methods that work or are suitable to students which can also

help teachers improve their style of teaching. That being said, there have been few findings

regarding the level of comprehension of students in an academic setting. The educational system

nowadays dampens the potential of students to take in as much information as they should be. If

a good method is not being implemented in class, then this can greatly affect students and their

level of understanding of the lesson. For this research, the method to be implemented is the
 La Salle Green Hills, Mandaluyong, Philippines
May 2019

change of the seating arrangement of the students in their classroom to improve the students’

understanding of lessons.

This study aims to determine whether students’ academic scores are impacted by the

implementation of certain classroom layouts or seating arrangements based on, among other

factors, students’ learning preferences (i.e. visual, auditory, kinesthetic). Pritchard and Wilson

(2003) as well as Sansgiry, Bhosle, and Sail (2006) have both recognized that there are numerous

factors affecting students’ academic performance ranging from physical and socioeconomic to

psychological and emotional in nature. These factors include class size and distance between

students, social background, time management skills and more. Of these different elements, the

only factors that teachers can manipulate are those physical in nature. One of the most

overlooked elements in research that could be affecting students’ academic performance is the

use of classroom layouts, specifically the use of a regular layout, U-shaped layout, or circular

layout.

Numerous recent studies have questioned the validity of the Theory of Learning Styles

and Preferences, initially developed by Walter Burke Barbe and refined by subsequent

researchers, especially when incorporated in a classroom setting and used in making lesson

plans. Pashler, McDaniel, Rohrer, and Bjork (2008) found that there was not enough sufficient

evidence to support the concept of ‘learning styles’ and its relationship to academic achievement.

They add that learning preferences are simply dependent on the individual’s personal view of

him or herself and do not have any significant bearing on one’s academic scores. Additionally,

various researchers believe that other types of learning styles and preferences, such as those
 La Salle Green Hills, Mandaluyong, Philippines
May 2019

between pragmatists and theorists, are more accurate and practical for classroom use (Kirschner

2017, Simmonds 2014). However, researchers such as Manolis, Burns, Assudani, and Chinta

(2013) as well as Hawk and Shah (2007) stress not only the existence of learning styles and

preferences but also their practical application in schools. They expound that students’ learning

styles can be easily incorporated into the teachers’ lesson plans and learning materials, and play a

significant role in improving the students’ academic performance.

Not much criticism on the study of various classroom layouts in order to improve

students’ grades exists in scholarly literature. Majority of research studies on classroom layouts

support the use of different classroom layouts in order to improve students’ academic

performance as well as attitude to learning, among other things. Based on these studies, students

learn more effectively when their environment is controlled, as was observed that students who

chose to sit in the front are more engaged and more willing to learn than people who chose to sit

in the back (Junior, Tagliacollo & Volpato 2010). According to Fullerton and Guardino (2010),

lower grade teachers control the seating plan to minimize distractions and to control the behavior

of their students. It has shown that positioning the students in a certain area of the room not only

affects their behavior but also their attitude towards learning. This was supported by the study of

Conroy, Davis, Fox, & Brown (2002), which suggested that changing the classroom arrangement

does not only affect their learning but their behaviour towards their learning. In this way,

disruptive behaviour in the classroom can be eliminated as much as possible and distractions can

be minimized which will help the student learn more effectively and allow the teacher to teach

more effectively without having to worry if the children are paying any attention.
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May 2019

Despite recent studies denouncing the Theory of Learning Styles and Preferences, the

concept of learning styles and preferences remains not only widely used across schools but

supported by various academic studies. According to Pashler, McDaniel, Rohrer, and Bjork

(2008), the concept of learning styles refers to the method of instruction or study that is most

effective for learners. Shams and Seitz (2008) support this by stating that student have a harder

time learning in the generally accepted traditional lecture-based style of teaching used in most

classrooms. Wood and Sereni-Massinger (2016) agree that the educational system ignores the

different learning style preferences of students, and that many students do not receive the optimal

education that is appropriate for them. With this, the current study intends to give students the

education and medium of instruction best suited to their individual needs. By basing the

classroom layouts on learning styles and preferences, the researchers aim to improve the

academic performance of students through both their positions within the classroom and the their

preferred method of instruction.

 La Salle Green Hills, Mandaluyong, Philippines
May 2019

2. METHODOLOGY

The goal of this research is to show how implementing the classroom layout technique or

changing the layout of a classroom could improve Adult Night High School students’ learning

especially when paired with learning styles technique. The researchers will take into account

each student’s learning style when choosing their position in the class. The researchers also used

a Figurative Language lesson to teach and measure the improvement of the Adult Night High

School students. In the end, the researchers compared 3 different test with the same level of

difficulty to see if there has been an improvement in scores and if the technique was rendered

effective. The kind of data used was Ratio as the test taken by the Adult Night High School

Students were numerical in nature wherein each student was individually graded to determine

whether the data was stable or not. Along with that, personal data such as gender, age, and name

of the participants were gathered for the purpose that it could correlate gender to the specific

learning styles. However, the students’ personal information was not a factor in arranging the

classroom layout. The data for this research was gathered at an eighth grade Adult Night High

School class at La Salle Green Hills.

The study included 19 students from the Adult Night High School program of La Salle Green

Hills wherein the method used to collect data involved the use of questionnaires and observation.

All of the tests were used to show how the students improved in absorbing the information

overall. The sampling method used was Convenience Sampling Method. This was because all
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May 2019

visits conducted by the researchers had to be arranged with the La Salle Green Hills Adult Night

administration and only one class was given to the researchers.

The researchers first administered the Learning Style Questionnaire (O’Brien, 1985) on

the ANHS students. The questionnaire is meant to identify the order of a person’s learning style

preferences, with visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles being recognized. For example,

a student may be a visual learner first, kinesthetic learner second, and auditory learner last. The

researchers also collected each participant’s sex and age.

During the teaching of ANHS students, a specific classroom layout was used. After the

lesson, a test was given to the students to see how much of the lesson they understood. This was

repeated thrice to obtain the results needed to compare the results and see the improvement.

The researchers gauged the ANHS students’ learning style by using a Learning Styles

Test along with implementing the changing of the ‘Classroom Layout Method’ . The lesson used

to teach the students is figurative languages wherein the researchers focused on the techniques

and the implication of figurative languages in general terms. The researchers implemented a

Questionnaire ‘Figurative Language Test’ wherein it showed the effectiveness of the change of

the classroom arrangement with the students learning their lesson.

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May 2019

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1: Set #1 scores after implementing the Randomised By-Pair Layout

Set #1 Scores
Scores Visual (incl. deaf Auditory (incl. deaf Kinesthetic (incl. deaf Mixed (incl. deaf

learners) learners) learners) learners)

7/15 I

8/15 I I

9/15 I I

10/15 III I II

11/15 II II I I

12/15 I

13/15

14/15 I

15/15

Average 10.38 10.67 9.4 10.33

Total Average 10.16

Table 1 shows the results of 19 Grade 8 Adult Night High School students during the 1st

administered test on figures of speech. The classroom layout used in this lesson was the

Randomised By-Pair Layout. Seats were arranged similarly to the standard classroom layout

with each column of seats paired or placed closely with another column of seats. This layout left

small but spaces between each pair of columns for students and teachers to walk through. Unlike

the other 2 classroom layouts, students were not seated according to their learning preferences as

this layout is similar to how the usual classroom is arranged.

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May 2019

Table 2: Set #2 scores after implementing the Learning Preference-based U-shaped Layout

Set #2 Scores
Scores Visual (incl. deaf Auditory (incl. deaf Kinesthetic (incl. deaf Mixed (incl. deaf

learners) learners) learners) learners)

7/15 I

8/15 I

9/15 I I

10/15 I

11/15 II II II

12/15 I II I

13/15 I I

14/15 II

15/15

Average 11 11.67 10.8 11.33

Total Average 11.11

Table 2 shows the results of the same 19 students in the 2nd administered test regarding the same

topic of figures of speech. The classroom layout used in the lesson prior to this test was the

Learning Preference-based U-shaped Layout. Seats were placed near the classroom’s 3 walls

(except for the wall by the whiteboard) in a U-shape, leaving a sizeable space in the front and

middle of the classroom. Visual learners were seated next to the wall opposite the whiteboard

while auditory and kinesthetic learners were seated in the wall right of the whiteboard.

Meanwhile, deaf learners were once again seated beside the left wall in close proximity to the

deaf translator.
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May 2019

Table 3: Set #3 scores after implementing the Learning Preference-based Standard

Classroom Layout

Set #3 Scores
Scores Visual (incl. deaf Auditory (incl. deaf Kinesthetic (incl. deaf Mixed (incl. deaf
learners) learners) learners) learners)

8/15 I

9/15 I

10/15 I I I I

11/15 III I I

12/15 I I III I

13/15

14/15

15/15 II

Average 11.63 10.33 11.4 11

Total Average 11.26

Table 3 shows the results of the same 19 students in the 3rd administered test regarding the same

topic of figures of speech. The classroom layout used in the lesson prior to this test was the

Learning Preference-based Classroom Layout. Seats were arranged in a normal classroom

fashion with chairs spread out over the entire classroom in aligned rows and columns. Students

however were based on their learning preferences as recorded by the Learning Styles

Questionnaire previously taken by the students. Visual learners were seated at the front 2 rows of

the classroom whereas the last 3 rows were occupied by auditory learners on the left side and

kinesthetic learners on the right. Deaf learners were placed on the 2 leftmost columns near the

deaf translator but followed the same arrangement with deaf visual learners at the front and deaf

kinesthetic learners at the back.

 La Salle Green Hills, Mandaluyong, Philippines
May 2019

In test #1 it showed that visual learners averaged with 10.38, auditory learners with

10.67, kinesthetic with 9.4, and mixed learners with 10.33. The overall average of the students in

the first test were 10.16. In test #2 it showed that visual learners averaged with 11, auditory

learners with 11.67, kinesthetic learners with 10.8, and mixed learners with 11.33. The overall

average of the students were 11.11. In test # 3, visual learners averaged with 11.63, auditory with

10.33, kinesthetic with 11.4, and mixed with 11 and the overall average of the learners were

11.26.

Table 4: Repeated Measures ANOVA

Test #1 Test #2 Test #3 Subject Totals

1 7 7 8 22

2 8 8 9 25

3 8 9 10 27

4 9 9 10 28

5 9 10 10 29

6 10 11 10 31

7 10 11 11 32

8 10 11 11 32

9 10 11 11 32

10 10 11 11 32

11 10 11 11 32

12 11 12 12 35

13 11 12 12 35

14 11 12 12 35

15 11 12 12 35

16 11 13 12 36

17 11 13 12 36
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May 2019

18 12 14 15 41

19 14 14 15 43

Table 5: Summary of Data

Treatment 1 Treatment 2 Treatment 3 Total

N 19 19 19 57

Sum of X 193 211 214 618

Mean 10.16 11.11 11.26 10.84

Sum of X^2 2005 2407 2464 6876

Standard Deviation 1.57 1.88 1.73 1.77

F = 34.49 p-value < 0.00001 Level of significance = 0.05

The data collected were subjected to the repeated measures ANOVA (analysis of

variance) statistical test, and results have found that the p-value is less than 0.00001, which is

below the cut-off value of 0.05. In short, the null hypothesis has been rejected, meaning a

significant difference does in fact exist between the 3 means. In particular, the scores for the

second and third sets were found to be significantly higher than the scores for the first set.

Given that the lessons prior to second and third sets were taught with students arranged in

classroom layouts based on their learning preferences, and that the first set was the only test to

have students arranged in a randomised, non-learning preference-based classroom layout, the

results and evidence strongly support the theory that organising the layout of a classroom based

on students’ learning preferences improved their academic performance. In both of the tests

recognised to be significantly higher, visual learners were situated either at the front or the centre
 La Salle Green Hills, Mandaluyong, Philippines
May 2019

of the classroom while auditory and kinesthetic learners were placed farther away from the

whiteboard and closer to the sides. Different types of learners scored similarly in each test, which

may indicate that the location for each student (e.g. visual learners at the front, mixed learners in

the middle) was appropriate enough for said students.

The first and third sets took place with students in similar layouts with the seats spread in

out aligned rows and columns. The main difference is that the classroom layout for the first set

had columns matched by pairs as well as the existence of spacious pathways in between each

pair of columns while the classroom layout for the third set was the standardised layout with

chairs spread out equally in the classroom. Meanwhile, the classroom layout for the second set

used a vastly different U-shaped layout with a large space in the front and centre of the

classroom. This might indicate that the physical layout of a classroom may not be as important as

the placement of each individual student within the room, since it seemed that the defining factor

for the success of a layout was the arrangement of students by their learning preferences and not

the kind of chair placement/arrangement that was organised. However, there is not a sufficient

amount of evidence from both this study and other completed researches to back up this claim.

The results of this study are not in line (though not directly in conflict either) with the findings of

Yang, Becerik-Gerber, and Mino (2013) as well as Byers and Imms (2014).

Although not much research has been dedicated to the organisation of classroom layouts

and seat plans based on students’ learning preferences, multiple studies have found results that

support or are in line with the results found in this study. Pritchard (2009) and Dinescu, Miron,

and Barna (2012) have all found that determining students’ learning styles and taking such a

factor into consideration may allow teachers to boost their students’ interest in the topic.

Similarly, Gilakjani (2012) and Manolis, Burns, Assudani, and Chinta (2013) have discussed
 La Salle Green Hills, Mandaluyong, Philippines
May 2019

both the proven effectivity of using learning styles to improve students’ academic performance

as well as the practicality of this method and theory.

4. CONCLUSIONS
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May 2019

If a good method is not being implemented in class, then that affects the students as they

go through their lessons in class.

The researchers have studied the different learning styles and preferences of the students

of Adult Night High School (ANHS). This has been tied together with the implementation of the

teaching method for this research- the change of seating arrangement. In summary, the study

found that a significant difference existed between various classroom layouts. The layouts that

were arranged based on students’ learning preferences yielded significantly higher scores in the

tests than the layout that had a randomised arrangement. Interestingly however, the actual

physical layout of the classroom and placement of the chairs did not seem to have much effect on

students’ academic performance since different classroom layouts yielded similar scores.

Changing the classroom layout and arrangement, allows the environment to be more

controlled by the teachers. This has been observed by the researchers during their meetings with

the students of the Adult Night High School (ANHS). When the students’ environment is

controlled, they are able to learn more effectively. It is shown that students who chose to sit in

the front are more engaged and more willing to learn than people who chose to sit in the back. It

has also been shown that positioning students in certain areas of the classroom not only affects

their behaviour, but also their attitude towards learning from their teachers. That being said,

changing the classroom arrangement does not only affect the students’ ability in learning their

lessons, but their behaviour towards learning said lesson. This remains in accordance to Conroy,

Davis, Fox, & Brown (2002), concluding that changing the classroom arrangement could not

only affect their learning but their behaviour towards their learning. Basing the classroom layouts
 La Salle Green Hills, Mandaluyong, Philippines
May 2019

on the different learning styles and preferences of the students improves the academic

performance of students. This is through their sitting positions in the classroom and their

preferred method of instruction or learning.

The limitations of this study have to do with the group being studied. First, the small

sample size; with the ANHS classes, with only 19 students available more students could’ve

been accommodated for a more accurate data in terms of the end result of our questionnaires. In

connection with the first limitation the researchers could have started using Adult Night High

School students as research participants from the start of the school year to effectively test and

observe if classroom layouts did factor in daily academic life with relation to their learning

styles. It must also be noted that the original participants of this study were Alternative Learning

System students in La Salle Green Hills but the researchers switched to Adult Night High School

due to scheduling conflicts. Due to time constraints, the researchers could only implement 3

classroom layouts. Many other different and more experimental classroom layouts could have

been used but were not implemented in favor of the more classic classroom layouts.

Additionally, many other factors, especially regarding the different classroom layouts,

may have affected the results of this study without the researchers taking such factors into

consideration. For example, it is likely that the By-Pair Classroom Layout was not as successful

as the other 2 layouts because students were situated so closely to each other that socialising was

encouraged and that each student’s focus and attention was hampered as a result. That being

said, this teaching method is not effective for everyone, which is why this is still open for more

doors for teachers when it comes to having specific problems in their classroom. Whether that be
 La Salle Green Hills, Mandaluyong, Philippines
May 2019

behavioral or just about the method as a whole. Future researchers will find this helpful in their

studies when it comes to efficient classroom management targeting enhancement of learning and

discipline. (Malik, 40)

The researchers would recommend that future studies focus on one specific group or

participants throughout the process for the paper to have a more accurate data and a more reliable

output. Time will play a big factor with the results hence appointments to each and every session

should be made a requirement. The researchers also recommend that future studies experiment

with newer or less used classroom layouts in order to widen the scope of knowledge in this field.

Basing your classroom layouts on students’ learning preferences and taking into consideration

the physical, social, and psychological factors of each and every classroom layout is highly

recommended.
 La Salle Green Hills, Mandaluyong, Philippines
May 2019

5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The researchers would firstly like to thank their respondents, the students of the Adult Night

High School in La Salle Green Hills. Without their wholehearted support and participation, this

study would not have been possible. Secondly, the researchers would like to thank their Capstone

Adviser, Sir Danilo Ciceron T. Yabut, who guided the writing of this paper with his counsel and

numerous revisions. He ensured the legitimacy of this study’s findings and worked tirelessly to

make this paper cohesive and logical. Lastly, the researchers would like to thank Ms. Alce

Sentones, who refined and approved the paper, and guided the creation of the educational

materials and the process of data gathering.

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May 2019

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