Statistical Analysis of Students’ Behavioral and Attendance Habits in Engineering Education

Abstract

This study aims at quantifying the relationship between the marks of students and their seating position in the classroom. The study is cross-sectional, quantitative, observational, and correlational. It analyzed data collected throughout two academic years about the students’ marks (in different terms, courses, and degrees) and about their daily seating position (so, every change was recorded) for both theory and practice lessons. The quantitative data collected in the study was statistically analyzed. The main result is that the seating position is significantly correlated with the marks in the studied context (engineering schools with classrooms with 5-66 students). Other side results show a positive influence on marks of working alone with respect to sharing the computer with a classmate; indicate where do students who give up the course usually sit, and when in the academic term do, they give up. This article provides empirical data with regards to the relation between classroom seating and academic performance in engineering schools. The results obtained quantify this relation, but they cannot determine whether it is causal, consequential, or both. This study complements other studies that correlated motivation with seating preferences.