TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF SEATING ARRANGEMENT IN GRADE XI OF THE BEAUTY AND HAIRDRESSING DEPARTMENT AT SMKN 8 MEDAN

This study aimed to analyze the teachers’ perceptions of seating arrangement in Grade XI of the Beauty and Hairdressing Department at SMKN 8 Medan, as well
as the challenges the teachers faced in using different seating arrangements in English learning. The research was conducted using a qualitative research method.
The data were collected through interviews with two English teachers who taught in grade XI TKKR at SMKN 8 Medan. Then, to support the interview data, documentation in the form of photographs related to the condition of each class were collected. The result of this research showed that the teachers agreed that using different seating arrangements can enhance student engagement in the English
learning process. However, the teachers mentioned that they faced some challenges, such as students' comfort, students' attention, inappropriate tables, time constraints,
and students' different abilities. Based on these conditions, the teachers agreed that the most feasible seating arrangement to implement is the No Table arrangement. Therefore, it can be concluded that despite facing these challenges, the English teachers in Grade XI at SMKN 8 Medan have positive perception of different
seating arrangements to enhance students' engagement in English learning.