Classroom Design and Student Engagement

摘要

Student engagement is fundamental to a learner-centered curriculum across the UnitedStates. This study examined behavioral, cognitive, and emotional aspects of student engagementas related to classroom design in 189 health science students in four different courses. Measuresof student engagement in two sections of the same class were compared according to classroomspace design: grouped tables or traditional rows. Results indicated that students in lecture-basedclasses showed higher cognitive engagement in classrooms organized in traditional rows, whereasstudents in group-focused classes showed higher cognitive engagement in classroom spaceorganized around grouped tables. Results did not support the current belief that innovative seatingimproves student engagement across all contexts. The relationship between student engagementand classroom design must be considered along with class format and learning objectives.