Do students learn better when seated close to the teacher? A virtual classroom study considering individual levels of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity

This study investigated whether students in grades 5 and 6 learned better when seated proximally to the teacher during a virtual classroom math lesson, taking individual levels of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity (i.e., ADHD symptoms) into account. In general, students learned better in the proximal seat location compared to a distant one. Additionally, more intense symptom levels impaired learning more. When considering individual levels of ADHD symptoms, students’ learning outcomes did not specifically benefit from a proximal seat location. Consequently, the present study did not support the general assumption that a proximal seat location fosters academic achievement in students experiencing individual levels of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity.