Do you need flexible seating classroom research to increase academic achievement and reduce behavioral issues? Flexible seating classroom research is needed by administrators and teachers but flexible seating research is for parents as well.  Your flexible seating classroom layout can vary but you will need the research and data to drive your why and to do what is best for kids. 

Flexible Seating Background

Some teachers believe that students should be able to have room to reflect on their thinking, movement options, and ability to cooperate with one another (Delzer, 2016; Klein, 2016). One means of encouraging these options is flexible seating. Flexible seating allows students in a classroom to pick their favorite spot to learn. Flexible seating increases the engagement level, which can reduce behavior problems (Delzer, 2016; Klein, 2016). The students’ learning place could be a yoga ball, wobble stool, yoga mat, standing station, or many other options. Students are given choices to pick their learning place, comparable to the choices the outside world gives the students (Delzer, 2016; Klein, 2016).

Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities are more likely placed in an alternative school or special education program because of their negative behaviors (Harry & Klingner, 2014). Students with disabilities have a difficult time staying focused in the classroom due to the failure to address the students’ sensory issues, which leads to the negative behaviors (DeGangi, 2017). The negative behaviors need to be addressed in the classroom with intervention strategies or tools from the special education teacher (Chan, 2016).

According to Fedewa, Ahn, Erwin & Davis (2015), Fedewa & Erwin (2011), and Chen, Yan, Yin, Pan, & Chang (2014) there are different types of seating that enhance the early elementary special education classroom, and the different types of seating gives the special education teacher tools to utilize because students with disabilities can stay on task more often than in a traditional classroom. One reason that students with disabilities are on task is because of tools that allow increased movement (Fedewa, Ahn, Erwin, & Davis, 2015; Fedewa & Erwin, 2011; Chen, Yan, Yin, Pan, & Chang, 2014). Being active in the classroom is just as important if not more imperative for students with disabilities because students with disabilities on average do not engage in as much moderate-to-vigorous physical activity as their peers (Borremans, Rintala, & McCubbin, 2010; Pan, Tsai, Chu, & Hsieh, 2011; Lobenius-Palmér, Sjöqvist, Hurtig- Wennlöf, & Lundqvist, 2018). Research has proven that students with disabilities benefit from physical activity in the classroom because the activity improves concentration levels (Rosenthal- Malek & Mitchell, 1997; Fedewa, & Erwin, 2011; Howie, Beets, & Pate, 2014). Students who can concentrate will less likely show negative behaviors in the classroom (Rosenthal-Malek & Mitchell, 1997; Fedewa, & Erwin, 2011; Godwin et al., 2016).

Students’ Needs

Students with disabilities in a flexible seating classroom are using alternative seating options to stay on task. Students with disabilities in an early elementary special education flexible seating classroom are also in a student-centered classroom because the students’ needs are being met (Polly, Margerison & Piel, 2014). The students’ needs are met with various modifications and tools on a daily basis while they are learning (Benden, Blake, Wendel, & Huber, 2011; Fedewa & Erwin, 2011; Polly, Margerison & Piel, 2014). Students’ needs are being addressed in student-centered classrooms because of hands-on materials, and students are utilizing their prior knowledge by making connections to the outside world (Polly, Margerison & Piel, 2014).

Covid Restrictions

Flexible seating has been a buzz word the past few years. You may have had flexible seating and had to take it away due to Covid restrictions this past year or maybe it was always a part of the plan but your administrator wanted research. Next school year, I believe many states will be seeing a little more normalized school year. This summer or whenever you are reading this is a perfect time to dive back into the planning process of gathering ideas and best practices for your students. Flexible seating can benefit students with and without disabilities, even though my dissertation work was on students with disabilities. 

Flexible Seating E-Book

If you need research or research that was done with a study of teachers who used flexible seating, check out this e-book right here

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Flexible-Seating-Classroom-Research-6891485

This can be printed and handed directly to your administrators or parents. You may also want to know the background of why students need flexible spots, movement, choice, etc. 

Happy Teaching!