Running Head: FLEXIBLE SEATING AND STUDENT BEHAVIOR

The Effects of Seating Arrangement on Off-task Behaviour in Seventh-grade Students:

Implications for Student Self-regulation and Classroom Management

ETEC 500 Group Assignment #3: Research Proposal

Daniel Kim, Sarah McLean, Meagan Vandekerckhove, Jonathan Weber, Christopher Wong

University of British Columbia

Submitted to Dr. Sunah Cho in partial fulfillment of the course requirements for ETEC 500

April 8, 2018
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Abstract:

As education continues to move away from the teacher-centric classroom of the past to

the student-centered classroom of the twenty-first century, classroom design must subsequently

reflect this change. New furniture designs and modular classroom structures allow for flexible

seating arrangements which can be appropriately tailored to the lesson and classroom culture.

Research literature on flexible seating is still emerging and this study’s use of a mixed methods

approach reflects the exploratory nature of this research space. This convergent parallel

mixed-methods research study will investigate how the implementation and use of flexible

seating structures and student seat selection in Grade 7 classrooms can affect (i) student

self-regulation (ii) student motivation and (iii) teachers’ perspectives of classroom management.

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Keywords: ​student motivation, flexible learning spaces, classroom management, student

behaviours, flexible seating, seating arrangements, student self-regulation

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1) Objectives/Purpose of the Study

This study will examine how flexible seating structures affect student self-regulation and

classroom management among seventh-grade classes. Our objectives are to examine how the

implementation and use of flexible seating structures and student seat selection can affect (i)

student self-regulation (ii) student motivation and (iii) teachers’ perspectives of classroom

management. Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach will allow us to investigate

whether significant relationships in the quantitative data exist and will allow us to confirm and

better explore the relationships using qualitative data.

2) Perspectives/theoretical framework

Flexible learning spaces incorporate pedagogy, technology, and flexible seating

arrangements (Neill & Etheridge, 2008). Many institutions are beginning to move away from a

rigid, static classroom design and adopt a flexible approach. However, does an adoption of

flexible learning spaces by a teacher affect the prevalence of off-task behaviour?

Our study evaluates the impact of flexible seating on student behaviour and is based on

the theoretical framework of Gislason (2010). He suggests that a learning environment is made

up of an interplay of three factors: school culture, organisation, and the actual physical learning

environment itself (Gislason, 2010). Neill & Etheridge (2008) examined how the redesign of a

traditional classroom into a flexible learning area can have positive effects on student

engagement, collaboration, and learning. The study found that a room’s flexibility 1) increased

student engagement 2) facilitated collaborative learning 3) allowed for a variety of uses and
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enhanced the teaching / learning style of participants (Neill & Etheridge, 2008, p. 49). The self-

determination theory developed by Deci & Ryan (2017) can also be interpreted as encouraging

the use of flexible seating structures in a classroom. Furniture that allows students to choose

their own seating and group work structures, as opposed to a rigid seating structure with little

student choice, can serve to increase student autonomy and relatedness, leading to a greater level

of internalized motivation. However, is it the flexible seating itself, or students’ choice of where

to sit, that leads to greater internalized motivation?

While student preference is important, successful flexible seating implementation must

also align with the teacher’s mindset. A study by Gremmen et al., (2016) evaluated 4-6th grade

teachers’ rationale for seating arrangements and found that while many teachers state that they

prefer students to work in small groups, many start the students in row seating at the beginning

of the year to manage behaviour and expectations. Simmons et al. (2015) and McCorskey et al.

(1978) found that when students were in row seating they exhibited the least off-task behaviour.

Thus, row-seating appears to promote a more teacher-centred environment, while group seating

promotes student-student interaction (Gremmen et al., 2016, Simmons et al., 2015, McCorskey et

al., 1978).

With the advent of lightweight, movable furniture, the teacher can view the classroom as

a convertible space that can morph to meet the needs of each individual class. While row seating

may limit off-task behaviour, it may also negatively affect student autonomy and the classroom

environment. Thus, when considering flexible classroom spaces, a teacher will have to balance

several competing interests: the benefits of flexible seating (such as increased student autonomy

and motivation) with the detriments of off-task behaviour, and a potential change in classroom
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management due to change in seating structure. Our study will address these gaps in the

literature and will also evaluate the relationship between student motivation and self-regulation

in the flexible learning environment.

3) Description of methods

Our study will use a convergent parallel mixed-methods research design. Prior to the

commencement of the study, participants will be randomly assigned to one of four classrooms.

For the first week of class, all classrooms will be set-up as non-flexible learning spaces with

desks and row-seating. Baseline measures for student motivation, and teacher classroom

management will be assessed by Likert-style survey administered by the investigator. The

following week, each classroom will be organized into one of the following four classroom

seating arrangements, and will remain in this organization until the end of the school-year:

1) Row seating- students are ​told​ where to sit by the teacher

2) Row seating- students choose where to sit

3) Flexible seating -students are ​told​ where to sit by the teacher

4) Flexible seating- students choose where to sit

In essence, this study has two independent variables: seating structure as well as student

autonomy in seat selection. The second independent variable was included in the study as

students’ autonomy in classroom seat selection may be a potential confounding variable in the

interpretation of our results- perhaps it is not the flexible seating itself, but student choice, that is

important in classroom design. Our dependent variables are i) student self-regulation (as
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illustrated by frequency of off-task behaviour) ii) teacher classroom management and iii) student

motivation.

The quantitative aspect of the research study will consist of cross-sectional surveys and

observational research. Likert-style surveys evaluating student motivation and teacher classroom

management will be administered pre- and post- intervention, as well as mid-way through the

school year. Observational research will be conducted to evaluate the frequency and intensity of

off-task behaviour.

The qualitative aspect of the study will be used to gain a rich description of teachers’

perspectives of learning spaces and the classroom environment in both a flexible-seating and a

rigid-seating environment. The qualitative aspects of the research study will consist of: 1)

semi-structured teacher interviews pre- and post-assessment 2) formal and informal observation

of students in both classrooms, 3) surveys of teacher and student attitudes towards the impact of

seating on the performance and focus. Observations and surveys will serve to add depth to the

quantitative data and better inform the implementation of flexible seating arrangements.

i) Participants

Our study aims to generalize our results to seventh-grade classrooms in the public school

system in British Columbia that do not currently have flexible learning spaces. Participants will

be students in one of four seventh-grade classrooms at one public elementary institution that does

not currently have flexible learning classrooms. Inclusion criteria for the participants includes: 1)

current enrollment in seventh-grade at the elementary institution. Prior to the commencement of

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the study, participants will be randomly assigned to one of four classrooms. Each participant will

have the same likelihood of being assigned to any one of the four classrooms.

ii) Instruments

1. Interviews

Interviews will be used to develop the qualitative aspects of the study and will elucidate a

rich understanding of the teachers’ perceptions of control of off-task behaviour and approaches

to classroom management. The interviews will be completed by the investigator in a

semi-structured fashion at the beginning (before the intervention), midpoint and end of the study.

The questions will focus on describing teachers’ strategies for the management of off-task

behaviour (ex. What strategy do you often use in your practice to gain the attention/focus of the

class when teaching a lesson? How frequently do you call the class to attention using strategies

such as ‘wait time’ or ‘cue to focus’?). These interviews will help us to determine common

strategies for teachers’ approaches to off-task behaviour, and whether these approaches differ

when the learning space is changed.

2. Surveys

Demographic questionnaire: A demographic questionnaire for the teachers will assess

their years of teaching experience, their gender, and class composition (i.e. how many students

possess an individualized education plan (IEP)).

To measure teachers’ classroom management both pre- and post- intervention, the

Classroom Management/Discipline Efficacy Scale (Emmer & Hickman, 1991) will be

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administered to teachers in all four conditions. This scale evaluates teachers’ management of

disruptive behaviour and has been used extensively in educational research.

To measure students’ motivation and attitudes’ towards school, the School Attitude

Assessment Survey (SAAS) will be administered both pre- and post- intervention in all four

conditions (McCoach, 2002). This survey has been validated widely throughout educational

research and is a reliable measure of student attitudes and motivation.

3. Classroom Observation

Throughout the course of the study, formal and informal observations will be conducted

both by the teacher in the classroom as well as an outside researcher. Of special note to these

observers would be the the types of motivation that are seen in the students, the amount of

student self-regulation, and attitudes of both teacher and students in the various configurations.

Observations would better capture the mood in the room and serve to give a solid foundation for

the quantitative data. Furthermore, observations would better encapsulate those pieces of the

curriculum that are not easily quantifiable, such as student opinion, feelings, and emotions.

iv) Procedures

All educational research undertaken in this study will go through research ethics at the

University of British Columbia followed by approval from the school district research committee

and school principal. Sampled students will be given an informed consent form containing a

brief description of the study, a description of all potential risks and/ or benefits of the study, a

guarantee of confidentiality, and the researchers’ contact information, to be signed and dated by

their legal guardians.

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v) Data Analysis

Using the convergent parallel mixed methods design, we will examine the qualitative and

quantitative data to identify congruent patterns in student behaviour to various classroom seating

arrangements.

Qualitative data, consisting of observations and interviews conducted throughout the

year, will be coded and then categorized by the research team until no new categories emerge.

Further inductive analysis of the data will allow researchers to recognize and focus on significant

themes and perhaps pursue a new grounded theory based on the data.

Quantitative data will be analyzed using MANOVA comparison techniques to reveal

whether each of the four classroom arrangements have significantly different measures of

self-regulation, motivation, and teacher perceptions of classroom management. This data

analysis will seek to identify statistically significant differences in the dependent variables during

the pre, mid and post stages of the study.

Dependent variables Independent variables

● Measure of self regulation ● Seating arrangement styles (rows

● Measure of student and columns versus a flexible

Group
motivation classroom arrangement)
differences
● Measure of teacher ● Student seating choice (teacher-

perspective directed seating vs student-chosen

seating)
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4) Data sources

In order to effectively conduct a mixed-methods study, our sample size will be relatively

small. We will be using four seventh-grade classrooms. All classrooms will be from the same

institution in order to reduce the confounding effects of different school cultures, as identified by

Gialson​ (​2010​)​. Additionally, to decrease the chance that students had previously been exposed

to flexible seating in other classes, the institution selected will not currently have flexible seating.

Furthermore, the teachers and students will be randomly assigned to one of the four

previously described classrooms with their various seating arrangements. This is to ensure the

generalizability of the study and to help establish the possibility for statistic significance.

5) Results/Conclusions

Both qualitative and quantitative data will be analyzed with equal weighting, and used to

inform the conclusions of the study. The triangulation method will be used to inform our

conclusions. If a correlation is found, more research can then be conducted to investigate and

generalize the results to a wider population.

6) Educational significance

Findings from the research have the potential to completely revolutionize the look, feel,

and pedagogy of classrooms around the world. Firstly, results of the study could inform the

design of physical learning environments, making the geography of the classroom and design of

the furniture placed in it fit a pedagogically sound and student empowering ethos. Secondly,
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information about seating arrangements and self-regulation holds significance for the classroom

practices of educators and students alike, holding transformative power for atmosphere and

hidden curriculum of the classroom. Lastly, information about how the physical space affects the

learning of the students in the classroom is able to shape the pedagogy of the teacher in the

space. Comprehensive reviews of the relationship between flexible learning spaces and student

behavior are lacking in academic papers, therefore the findings of this research would break

ground on a new frontier of educational research. Further research could be done, using, building

on, and extending the foundational data from this research.

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