Teacher Perceptions of the Benefits of Flexible Seating
Date of Award
Spring 5-15-2020
Document Type
Project (696 or 796 registration)
Degree Name
Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction
Department
Graduate Studies
Committee Chair
Aaron Peterson
Keywords
Flexible Seating
Abstract
ABSTRACT
According to Dillon, Gilpin, Juliani, and Klein (2016), “As a teacher, you can have the best curriculum and you can be the best facilitator of knowledge, but if you don’t have an environment that’s conducive for learning, then nothing else truly matters” (p. 3). One-way teachers could reach the different needs of all learners and make their environment conducive for learning was flexible seating. The focus of this qualitative research study was to collect and analyze data on how flexible seating would look different for classrooms at different grade levels, what seating arrangements or options were preferred, and how flexible seating would benefit a classroom by gathering teachers’ perceptions of flexible seating. The nine teachers, who completed the survey, spanned across the elementary school, middle school, and high school. The survey consisted of eight open-ended questions, asking for information about their use of flexible seating. Once the completed surveys were received, the responses were decoded to analyze the results. The results revealed the variety of student choices and arrangements teachers had used and the benefits flexible seating brought to their classrooms. In order to incorporate flexible seating effectively, it is required to have clear, year-long expectations for each seating style. It is important to know ahead of time that not every option will work for every student. With proper expectations and instructions, it can help students learn more comfortably and increase their personal achievement. The information from this study could be of use for teachers considering implementation of flexible seating in their classrooms.
Keywords: Flexible seating
Recommended Citation
Bachmann, Ashley and Mitchell, Destiny, "Teacher Perceptions of the Benefits of Flexible Seating" (2020). Dissertations, Theses, and Projects. 315.
https://red.mnstate.edu/thesis/315