The Effect of Seat Location on Exam Grades and Student Perceptions in an Introductory Biology Class

by: Steven Kalinowki and Mark L. Taper

The effect of seat location on learning has received surprisingly little attention in education literature (Weinstein 1979). Classroom experience and education literature suggest that students who sit in the front of a lecture hall are more likely to get As than students in the back (Benedict and Hoag 2004; Holliman and Anderson 1986; Pedersen 1994). The explanation may seem obvious—front-row students get better grades because they are better students. An experiment shows that sitting in the back of a lecture hall rather than the front does not have a detrimental effect on student performance on exams.

Details

Type Journal ArticlePub Date 1/1/2007Stock # jcst07_036_04_54Volume 036Issue 04

NSTA Press produces classroom-ready activities, hands-on approaches to inquiry, relevant professional development, the latest scientific education news and research, assessment and standards-based instruction.

Learn More