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- Title
Network‐related teaching and changes in classroom seating.
- Authors
Steggerda, Jake C.; Gregus, Samantha J.; Craig, James T.; McMillan, Hali; Cavell, Timothy A.
- Abstract
The extent to which teachers make changes in classroom seating reflects, in part, the degree to which they value promoting positive peer relationships in the classroom. We assessed the frequency with which teachers made both minor (i.e., involving only 2–3 students) and major (involving half or more students in the class) changes in classroom seating. We tested whether the frequency of seating changes was linked to teachers' beliefs about promoting positive peer relationships, their attunement to child‐ or peer‐reports of peer victimization, and their concern about bullying at the school. Participants were 37 fourth‐grade teachers and their students (N = 677). The frequency of major seating changes was negatively associated with teachers' peer‐focused classroom seating (PFCS) beliefs and to their attunement to student peer victimization. Minor seating changes were positively associated with PFCS beliefs for teachers with low or average attunement to peer victimization; however, teachers highly attuned to peer victimization made fewer minor seating changes regardless of their PFCS beliefs. Implications for research and practice are discussed. Practitioner points: 1. Past research suggests teachers can improve children's peer relationships through the use of classroom seating arrangements. Despite this, teachers often prioritize academic or behavior management concerns when making seating changes. 2. Teachers who were more attuned to children's experiences of victimization were less likely to make changes involving the majority of the class (i.e., major changes) but were more likely to make seating changes involving a small number of students (i.e., minor changes). Relatedly, teachers who endorsed that considering peer relationships in their classroom to be highly important made the most minor seating changes. 3. The results of this study sugggest that teachers should make the most of the opportunity to both attend to and potentially improve children's peer relationships using classroom seating changes. Future research should continue to examine how classroom seating changes relate to student socioemotional and academic functioning.
- Subjects
SCHOOL bullying; SEATING (Furniture); CLASSROOMS
- Publication
Psychology in the Schools, 2023, Vol 60, Issue 1, p214
- ISSN
0033-3085
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/pits.22771