Correlation between Sitting preference in Class and Academic performance: A behavioral study

Submitted To: Professor Dr. A.I. Mahbub Uddin Ahmed Chairman Department of Sociology University of Dhaka

Submitted By: Tanvir Ahmed Khan Tanu BBA 18th (A) ZR-06

Institute of Business Administration (IBA) University of Dhaka

Table of Contents

Abstract . 1.

........0

Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4

1.1 Objective of the Study ......................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Key Definitions ..................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Hypothesis ........................................................................................................................... 5 2. Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 5

2.1 Participants.......................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Materials and Procedure...................................................................................................... 6 3. 4. 5. Findings ............................................................................................................................... 6 Observation ....................................................................................................................... 10 Discussion and Conclusion ................................................................................................. 11
...... ....

Reference . Appendix 1 .

Correlation between Sitting preference in class and academic performance:

A behavioral study
Tanvir Ahmed Khan Tanu

Abstract: The study seeks to identify the relationship between student seating preference within the classroom and academic performance. Data was collected from 56 2nd year BBA students of IBA, Dhaka University through questionnaire survey. The result showed there is an inverse relation between sitting in the back seats and CGPA. However, the direction of inverse relation is not incrementally linear. Key words: Sitting preference, CGPA, front benchers, back benchers.

1. Introduction:
Instructors often advise poor performing students to sit up front. Moreover, there is a common belief that students sitting in the front are better performers than backbenchers. Yet, does this

routinely given suggestion affect grades as expected? The author investigates whether sitting in front of the class increases the chance of having good grade points. The study was carried out on 3rd semester Students of BBA program of Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka.

1.1 Objective of the Study:

The objective is to investigate whether any correlation exists between a student s sitting preference in class (independent variable) and his academic performance, expressed in terms of grade points or CGPA (dependent variable).

1.2 Key Definitions:

Sitting preference: The author defines sitting preference as A student s natural inclination to sit in a specific area of the class room (front, middle or back) CGPA: According to Pennsylvania State University website, CGPA or Cumulative Grade Point Average is a calculation of the average of all of a student's grades for all semesters and courses completed up to a given academic term1.

1.3 Hypothesis:
Front benchers get better grades than back benchers.

2. Methodology:

2.1 Participants:
56 BBA students in 2nd semester of IBA participated in a questionnaire survey. Participation was voluntary, non-paid and anonymous.

2.2 Materials and Procedure:

The survey was titled Correlation between CGPA and Sitting Behavior and it contained 4 questions, 3 multiple choices and one open ended. Participants were requested to write down their current CGPA in the assigned box and chose among 9 options where they habitually sit or prefer to sit in class. The options were: Front rows left, Front rows center, Front rows right, Middle rows left, Middle rows center, Middle rows right, Back benches left, Back benches center and Back benches right. CGPA were compared for each of the nine choices to find out any patterns in the result.

3. Findings:
The distribution of participants is shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Distribution of participants according to sitting preference

Front Left 4

Front Center 7

Front right 3

Front Total 14

Middle left 4

Middle center 8

Middle right 9

Middle Total 21

Back left 14

Back center 5

Back right 2

Back Total 21

Left Total 22

Center Total 20

Right Total 14

Total 56

Table 2 Shows Average CGPA for different preferred sitting positions.

Table 2: Distribution of average CGPA according to sitting preference

Front Left 3.55

Front Center 3.58

Front right 3.88

Front row avg. 3.7

Middle left 3.74

Middle center 3.49

Middle right 3.51

Middle row avg. 3.6

Back left 3.39

Back center 3.31

Back right 3.28

Back row avg. 3.3

Left column avg. 3.6

Center column avg. 3.5

Right column avg. 3.6

Overall Avg. 3.5

Table 3 Shows CGPA range for different preferred sitting positions

Front Left 3 - 3.95

Front Center 3.4 - 3.7

Front right 3.85 - 3.9

Front row range 3 3.9

Middle left 3.45 - 3.85

Middle center 3.25 - 3.75

Middle right 3.15 - 3.85

Middle row avg. 3.15 3.85

Back left 2.95 3.85

Back center 2.8 - 3.8

Back right 2.95 - 3.6

Back row avg. 2.8 3.85

Left column avg. 2.95 3.95

Center column avg. 2.8 3.8

Right column avg. 2.95 3.9

Overall range 2.8 3.95

Table 3: Distribution of CGPA range (lowest - highest) according to sitting preference

4. Observation:
Table 2 analysis indicates that back benchers average grade of 3.3 is lower than that of front benchers 3.7 and middle benchers 3.6. Average CGPA of Backbenchers is also slightly lower than the overall average CGPA of 3.5. Both observations from Table 2 indicate that front benchers get better grades than back benchers in general. Table 3 reveals that while back benchers average CGPA is lower than overall average, highest CGPA recorded for back row is as high as 3.85. Observation from Table 3 indicates that a back bencher does not necessarily have to be a poor performer and some backbenchers may outperform most middle and front benchers.

5. Discussion and Conclusion:

From the observation the author derives that, physical location in classroom slightly affects grade outcomes. There is a modest inverse correlation between sitting in the back seats and CGPA. However, the direction of academic performance is not incrementally linear for the independent variable. The research findings therefore moderately support the hypothesis that Front benchers get better grades than back benchers The author refers to The self selection hypothesis and The environmental hypothesis by Stires (1980) to explain the research outcome. The self-selection hypothesis states that, students who select the front and center seats are brighter and more interested in the course in the first place2. The environmental hypothesis states that seating position has a determinative effect on grades and liking for the teacher. There are several reasons why this might be the case. Students seated near the front of the room can probably see and hear better. Because participation is more convenient for them, they are more likely to become involved in any classroom interaction that takes place. They also fall more readily under the surveillance of the instructor and are obliged to pay attention out of courtesy to him or her, while students in the back of the room are freer to daydream or talk with one another2. This hypothesis also explains the low difference in grades between back benchers and front benchers. Since the classroom size of the sample population was small, seeing and hearing was not affected by much due to sitting back. Study of a much larger classroom may provide further insight into the case and high difference in a study of larger classroom will strengthen the environmental hypothesis. The study was carried out on undergrad business students. It will be interesting to see the outcome of a similar comparative study carried out on undergrad science students.

References
1. http://dus.psu.edu/handbook/grades.html 2. Stires, L. (1980). Classroom seating location, student grades, and attitudes: Environment or Self-selection? Environment and Behavior, 12(2), 241-254.

Appendix 1: Survey Questionnaire

Q1: What is your current CGPA? Q2: Where do you habitually sit in class? (chose one) o o o o o o o o o Front rows left Front rows center Front rows right Middle rows left Middle rows center Middle rows right Back benches left Back benches center Back benches right.