Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of flexible seating on students’ performance and engagement as a classroom management strategy. The overarching question of the study was: How does flexible seating as a classroom management strategy affect student performance and engagement? The study hoped to correlate an increase in student engagement with the implementation of flexible seating as well as correlating autonomy with student engagement. The observations and study focused around observing students’ participation, motivation, engagement, and attention as they used traditional or flexible seating. The research done to prepare for the study completed proved that research on the topic is limited, however, with the increasing interest in the management strategy, more research is being conducted.

Proponents of flexible seating options within the classroom claim this simple change will transform education, improve children's engagement and learning, and renew classroom teaching (Allen, 2018). Some students are able to focus more while standing up and some students focus more when their body can move on a yoga ball or a chair that spins; flexible seating allows for every student to find what seating arrangement works for them and gives students a choice in their education. (Rands, 2017). This was a qualitative study with a phenomenological research approach. The research was conducted in one elementary school on the North Shore of Massachusetts. Participants included the teachers and students from three different classrooms, two in third grade and one in second, the students were observed while learning in their typical classroom environment and were also surveyed on their seating preferences and emotions affiliated with types of seating. The three teachers also completed a focus group with the researcher as the conductor, a focus group was used instead of interviews in order for the teachers to collaborate and debate over the questions asked as well as discuss observations they have made throughout their implementation of flexible seating. The researcher developed the observation guidelines as well as the survey and focus group questions. The findings of this study concluded that the implementation of flexible seating allows for student autonomy with their bodies as well as giving students choice in their education, this in turn increases engagement and motivation as well as fostering an inclusive learning environment that revolves around student autonomy.

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