1. Description of Suggestions Given Based on the Questionnaire open-ended questions.
In general, the students give suggestions for seating arrangement in order to make teaching and learning process in Public Speaking class work efficiently. Most
of the students in Public Speaking class had positive perception on traditional seating arrangement. Most of the students were accustomed to this seating arrangement, so it
did not matter for them to sit in the front, middle or back row or do group activity using this traditional seating arrangement. However, there were several students who
considered traditional seating arrangement negatively. In order to improve teaching and learning process in Public Speaking class using traditional seating arrangement,
the researcher tried to dig out any suggestions from the students by means of open- ended questions.
1. Students’ suggestions Gathered from the Open-ended Questionnaire.
From the open-ended questionnaire, the researcher found interesting suggestions from the students about traditional seating arrangement. Public Speaking
focuses on cooperative learning, in which the students are encouraged to improve their communicative skill in group work. Because Public Speaking focuses on
cooperative learning, most of the activities are done in group work. Most of the students think that to make teaching and learning activities in Public Speaking class
work efficiently, the seating arrangement should be changed into the more effective one. So in appropriate seating arrangement the students could work in group well,
interact with their friends and also interact with their lecturer easily. The good seating 69
arrangement also motivates them to participate the class activities actively. Some students wrote the round or circle and “U” arrangement are good seating
arrangements because in that seating arrangement they could interact with the other students and their lecturer easily. The students wrote:
“If I may give suggestions, I think it’s better if we change the position becomes round or circle. So, the interaction between students-students and
students-lecturer can go well.”
“To work in group, it is more effective if the arrangement is in circle arrangement not in traditional seating arrangement.”
“Maybe if the seating arrangement is in “U” letter form will help the students to keep on paying attention to the lecturer.”
“This seating arrangement may not be suitable for speaking class because in speaking class students do many physical movements. In order to make
students enjoyable and comfortable, round or circle seating arrangement is good for a better communication and interaction.”
“My suggestion is Public Speaking class should have round seating arrangement, so the students can work in group work easily.”
“It should be changed. It would be better if the arrangement is round circle. Further, the students also give suggestions for the lecturers in Public Speaking
class. The lecturer also has an important role to make teaching and learning in Public Speaking class goes well. It is better if the lecturers are able to control the class well
although the class situation does not really support the activities in the class. Some students think that the lecturer should be more interactive with the students although
the space between the lecturer and students are a little bit far especially for the students who sit in the back. The lecturer could move around the class, so all of the
students no matter they sit could understand materials given by the lecturer and 70
