MATHEMATICS SBA
TITLE OF THE PROJECT: DOES THE SEATING POSITION IN CLASS AFFECTS
THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCES OF STUDENTS IN MATHEMATICS?
Candidates Names: Tireena Pinnock, Brianna Sanderson, Gabrielle Calbert, Abbigail Pusey
Candidate’s Registration Numbers:
Name of School: Black River High School
Centre Number:100400
Year of Examination: 2025
Territory: Jamaica
Table of Contents
Title
Page
Acknowledgement………………………………………………………….3
Project Title…………………………………………………………..……..4
Introduction……………………………………………………………...….5
Method of Data Collection………………………………………………….6
Presentation of Data…………………………………………..…………….7-12
Analysis of Data……………………………………………………………13-14
Discussion of Findings……………………….…………………………….15-16
Conclusion…………………………………….……………………………17
References………………………………………………………………….18
Acknowledgement
The completion of this mathematics school-based assessment would not have been successful
without the assistance of students from the 11b1 form class at Stars High School. We would
like to show our sincere gratitude to those who participated in the execution of the project.
God has to be thanked for giving us the strength to complete our research, our parents and
siblings for assistance and our fellow classmates. We would also like to thank our teacher for
guiding us throughout the research, as it would not have been completed without her helpful
input and constant critiques through the completion of the different drafts for feedback.
Project Title
An investigation to determine if the seating position of students in 11B1 classroom affects
their academic performance in Mathematics.
Introduction
This research project is being conducted for the sole purpose of determining any
relation as to whether or not a student’s seating arrangement or position affects their grades in
Mathematics classes. It is normally considered based on the child’s attendance and ability to
understand and reproduce what was taught in order to achieve a certain grade or score. The
way or order a child is arranged sometimes affects the order in which he/she learns in class as
determined by the many factors that may be present in the classroom. This project serves as a
request to examine this problem and the extent to which these factors influence the academic
performance of students. The average classrooms at Stars High School have six rows in total
in each room setting and an estimate of 5 seats per row. It is composed of three different
sections: the front, the middle, and the back.
Based on past experiences, it has been summarized that most students who sit at the
back of the class do not perform as well as the ones sitting at the front and middle positions in
the room. This project aims to determine if the optical seating arrangement really has any
effect on the student grade/result. In this project, an overall average for the 1st and 2nd six
weekly will be used to sum up whether or not the student’s performance is impacted by how
they sit. The variables to be tested while executing this project are:

Seating Positions

The average of students grades in the first six weekly

The average of students grades in the second six weekly
This project will investigate and unfold the truths about students seating arrangement and
their learning patterns. This information can become useful to the students themselves and the
school leaders to determine the best way forward.
Method of Data Collection
To gather data for this project, a survey was carried out by utilizing a questionnaire. The
11B1 form students were targeted because both male and female students would be expected
to do well in their upcoming external exams thus, it is necessary to determine if seating
arrangements is impacting these students in any way. A sample of 30 students were selected
to complete the questionnaire as that is the seating capacity of the class. A questionnaire was
used for its numerous advantages such as requiring little time to be completed, it provides
privacy for the respondents since they are not required to state their name, and it is practical
while collecting large amounts of data easily. The information collected will be used to
investigate and make references to the conditions of any student’s learning environment to
see if it affects what they learn and how they learn. This data was collected over a period of
12 weeks, taking in consideration of the two six weekly’s. This time span ran from
September 9 to November 29, 2024. The data collected was presented using tables and charts.
Presentation of Data
Table 1 showing the preferred seating positions of the students in 11B1.
Seating Preference
Front
Middle
Back
Frequency
12
8
10
Percentage
12/ 30 = 40%
8/ 30 = 26.7%
10/30 = 33.3%
Table 2 showing a summary of the student’s 1st Math six weekly grades and their
seating arrangement.
Grades
Front
Middle
Back
1—10
0
0
0
11—20
0
1
0
21—30
1
0
0
31— 40
0
0
1
41—50
1
3
2
51—60
3
2
2
61—70
2
0
4
71—80
2
2
1
81—90
3
0
0
91—100
0
0
0
Table 3 showing the average grades for students sitting at front
Grades
Number of Students Midpoint
FX
1—10
0
5.5
0
11—20
0
15.5
0
21—30
1
25.5
25.5
31— 40
0
35.5
0
41—50
1
45.5
45.5
x̄ =
=
51—60
3
55.5
166.5
61—70
2
65.5
131
71—80
2
75.5
151
81—90
3
85.5
256.5
91—100
0
95.5
0
∑𝑓 (𝑥)
∑𝑓
776
12
=64.7%
Table 4 showing the average grades for students sitting in the middle
Grades
x̄ =
=
FX
1—10
0
5.5
0
11—20
1
15.5
15.5
21—30
0
25.5
31— 40
0
35.5
0
41—50
3
45.5
136.5
51—60
2
55.5
111
61—70
0
65.5
0
71—80
2
75.5
151
81—90
0
85.5
0
91—100
0
95.5
0
∑𝑓 (𝑥)
414
8
Number of Students Midpoint
∑𝑓
=51.8%
Table 5 showing the average grades for students sitting at the back
Grades
x̄ =
=
Number of Students Midpoint
FX
1—10
0
5.5
0
11—20
0
15.5
0
21—30
0
25.5
0
31— 40
1
35.5
35.5
41—50
2
45.5
91
51—60
2
55.5
111
61—70
4
65.5
262
71—80
1
75.5
75.5
81—90
0
85.5
0
91—100
0
95.5
0
∑𝑓 (𝑥)
575
10
∑𝑓
=57.5%
Table 6 Showing the students 2nd Math six weekly grades in the same seating
arrangement
Grades
Front
Middle
Back
1—10
0
0
1
11—20
0
0
2
21—30
0
0
0
31— 40
0
1
2
41—50
0
3
0
51—60
2
1
2
61—70
2
1
2
71—80
3
2
1
81—90
4
0
0
91—100
1
0
0
Table 7 showing the average grade for students sitting at front
Grades
x̄ =
=
Number of Students Midpoint
FX
1—10
0
5.5
0
11—20
0
15.5
0
21—30
0
25.5
0
31— 40
0
35.5
0
41—50
0
45.5
0
51—60
2
55.5
111
61—70
2
65.5
131
71—80
3
75.5
226.5
81—90
4
85.5
342
91—100
1
95.5
95.5
∑𝑓 (𝑥)
906
12
∑𝑓
=75.5%
Table 8 showing the average grade for students sitting in middle
Grades
Number of Students Midpoint
FX
1—10
0
5.5
0
11—20
0
15.5
0
21—30
0
25.5
0
31— 40
1
35.5
35.5
41—50
3
45.5
136.5
51—60
1
55.5
55.5
x̄ =
=
61—70
1
65.5
65.5
71—80
2
75.5
151
81—90
0
85.5
0
91—100
0
95.5
0
∑𝑓 (𝑥)
∑𝑓
444
8
=55.5%
Table 9 showing the average grade for students sitting at back
Grades
x̄ =
=
Number of Students Midpoint
FX
1—10
1
5.5
5.5
11—20
2
15.5
31
21—30
0
25.5
0
31— 40
2
35.5
71
41—50
0
45.5
0
51—60
2
55.5
111
61—70
2
65.5
131
71—80
1
75.5
75.5
81—90
0
85.5
0
91—100
0
95.5
0
∑𝑓 (𝑥)
425
10
∑𝑓
=42.5%
Figure 1 showing the percentage of students who believes seating arrangements impacts
academic performance in Mathematics
Create a pie chart based on the following
YES- 73% NO 27%
Figure 2 shows the limitations of students sitting at the back of the class
Create a bar graph based on the following
Reduced Visibility – 3
Auditory Challenges- 2
Limited Teacher Interactions- 3
Distractions from peers- 2
Analysis of Data
The data collected highlights several trends regarding the impact of seating arrangements
on students' academic performance. In the 11B1 classroom, the majority of students (12)
preferred to sit at the front accounting for 40% of students, while 10 chose the back (33.3%)
and 8 (26.7%) preferred the middle. This is shown in Table 1, which reflects a significant
inclination toward sitting at the front, likely due to benefits such as better engagement and
visibility. However, the back also remained a popular choice, possibly influenced by factors
like comfort or peer dynamics.
In the first six weekly test, students sitting at the front performed better overall, with
most achieving scores in the mid-to-high range, including a few in the highest bracket of 81–
90%. This is detailed in Table 2, which also shows that students in the middle exhibited more
varied performance, with the majority scoring in the mid-range. Students sitting at the back
displayed a broader spread of scores, with some scoring lower, though a few managed to
perform well. The average grades, shown in Tables 3–5, further reflect this trend, with the
highest average grade being for students at the front which was 64.7%, while those in the
middle and back had lower averages with 51.8% and 57.5% respectively. This data also
shows that students sitting in the back performed better than those sitting in the middle on
average.
In the second six weekly test, as seen in Table 6, students sitting at the front continued
to excel, showing significant improvement. Most of these students scored in the higher
brackets, and one even achieved the top range of 91–100%. Students in the middle showed
slight improvement, but back-row students experienced a noticeable decline in performance,
with many scoring in the lower ranges. The average grades in Tables 7–9 reinforce this
pattern, with front-row students achieving a significantly higher average (75%) than their
peers in the middle (55.5%) and back rows (42.5%).
The perception of students regarding seating arrangements is captured in Figure 1,
where 73% of students agreed that seating arrangements affected academic performance,
while 27% disagreed. This aligns with the observed trends, highlighting the potential impact
of seating on student outcomes. Additionally, Figure 2 outlines the challenges faced by
students sitting at the back. These included reduced visibility (3 students), auditory
difficulties (2 students), limited teacher interaction (3 students), and distractions from peers
(2 students). These limitations proves why students at the back often struggled to perform as
well as those at the front.
Discussion of Findings
The analysis of the data reveals significant details into the relationship between seating
arrangements and students' academic performance. A clear pattern emerged, indicating that
students who sat at the front of the classroom performed better on average than their peers in
the middle and back rows. This trend was consistent across both the first and second sixweekly tests.
Students at the front had higher average grades, starting at 64.7% for the first sixweekly test and improving to 75.5% in the second. This improvement suggests that their
seating position positively influenced their ability to engage with the content and teacher
interactions over time. The middle-row students, with averages of 51.8% and 55.5%
respectively, showed slight improvement but remained below the performance of the frontrow group. Back-row students, on the other hand, experienced a decline in average grades,
dropping from 57.5% in the first test to 42.5% in the second. This decline underscores the
challenges they faced in maintaining performance, despite some initially performing well.
The belief that seating arrangements impact academic performance was further
supported by the perception data shown in Figure 1, where 73% of students agreed that
seating positions affect their performance. This aligns with the performance trends observed
in the data and highlights how students' own experiences correlate with their outcomes.
The challenges faced by students at the back of the classroom, detailed in Figure 2,
provide further explanation for their lower performance. Reduced visibility, auditory
difficulties, limited teacher interaction, and distractions from peers were all identified as
significant barriers. These limitations likely contributed to the decline in average grades for
back-row students, as they encountered obstacles that impeded their ability to fully engage
with the lesson.
While students in the middle row displayed slightly better performance than those at the
back, their scores remained below the front-row averages. This could be due to a mix of
advantages and disadvantages, where they may have benefited somewhat from their
proximity to the teacher but still lacked the direct engagement experienced by those at the
front.
Conclusion
This project sought to find out if the seating position in a class affects the academic
performance of students in Mathematics. The findings strongly suggest that seating
arrangements have a tangible impact on academic performance, with front-row students
consistently outperforming their peers. This underscores the importance of addressing the
challenges faced by middle and back-row students through strategic interventions, such as
rotating seating arrangements, providing additional support, or using technology to enhance
engagement across the classroom. Ensuring equitable access to resources and teacher
interaction is critical in supporting all students, regardless of their seating position.
Reference
Khan Academy (n.a.). A Course in Statistics and Probability (Unit 3). Lesson 5: Variance and
standard deviation of a sample. https://www.khanacademy.org/math/statisticsprobability/summarizing-quantitativedata/variance-standard-deviationsample/a/population-and-sample-standard-deviation-review Toolsie, R. (2004).
Mathematics: A Complete Course with CXC Questions (2nd Edition, Vol. 2), Statistics 2.
Caribbean Educational Publishers
Appendix
Questionnaire: Does the Seating Arrangement Affect Academic Performance in
Mathematics?
Please answer the following questions to the best of your knowledge. All answers will remain
confidential.
1. What is your age? ________
2. What is your gender?
a. Male
b. Female
3. How long have you been a student in this classroom?
a. Less than 1 year
b. 1–2 years
c. More than 2 years
4. Where do you prefer to sit in the classroom?
a. Front
b. Middle
c. Back
5. Why do you prefer this seating position? (Select all that apply)
a. Better visibility of the board
b. Easier to hear the teacher
c. More comfortable
d. Less distraction from peers
e. Closer to friends
Other: ____________
6. Do you think your seating position affects your ability to perform well in mathematics?
a. Yes
b. No
7. What challenges have you experienced while sitting at the back of the classroom? (Select
all that apply)
a. Difficulty seeing the board
b. Difficulty hearing the teacher
c. Limited teacher interaction
e. Distractions from peers
f. None
8. What benefits have you experienced while sitting at the front of the classroom? (Select all
that apply)
a. Easier to focus
b. Better visibility of the board
c. Improved interaction with the teacher
d. None
e. Other: ____________
9. How often do you participate in Math class discussions or ask questions based on your
seating position?
a. Always
b. Often
c. Sometimes
d. Rarely
10. Do you think rotating seating arrangements could improve student performance?
a. Yes
b. No
c. Not sure
11. What changes would you suggest to improve the classroom seating arrangement for better
academic performance in Math?
___________________________________________________________________________
12. What was your first six weekly grade for Mathematics?
___________________________________________________________________________
13. What is your second six weekly grade for Mathematics?
__________________________________________________________________________