Effects of Seating Arrangement on Students' Interaction in Group Reflective Practice (Journal Article)

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Abstract-

In the conducted field experiment, we explore the intensity of university students' interaction related to the seating arrangement (circle or rows) in pre-service teachers' groups during the reflective practice. We also probe the differences across the various fields of study and evaluate the facilitator's influence on the interaction. We use wearable electronic Sociometric badges 2.0 to measure the interaction intensity (assessed by speech rate and average speaking segment length). We performed a total of 153 repeated measurements on 58 students in 4 different fields of study (Mathematics, Physics, Music, and Civic Education) using a counterbalanced design with a total of four measurements (two in circle and two in rows) in each group. Results of the multilevel modeling analysis indicate more intensive interaction in rows than in circles. However, the findings also indicate significant moderation by the field of study and partially by the extent of facilitator involvement.