More often than not when you walk into a classroom you will find desks arranged into rows facing a chalkboard, whiteboard, or smart board. It’s common and almost expected, but does that make it the most effective way to set-up a classroom to encourage your students to participate?
A study done by German researchers Marx, Fuhrer, and Hartig in 1999 assessed whether the layout of a classroom affected the student’s propensity to ask more questions during the lesson. During their research, they observed eight weeks worth of classes and tested two seating arrangements traditional rows/columns and a semicircle. In their findings, they reported that their results “showed that question-asking was more frequent when the children were seated in the semicircular arrangement than in the row-and-column arrangement”.
By having a classroom that is arranged to better encourage unity and acceptance, like a semicircle, your students will feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. The go-to row and column arrangement are good for maximizing space especially when you have a lot of students, but it isn’t doing them any favors. Don’t be afraid to try and mix-up your seating arrangement and see how the students feel about it. You may be surprised by the increase in engagement, participation, and interest. 
Classroom Layouts 