Another limitation is that not all the data collected were independent from one another. Based on the results of our gender-differentiated analysis, it appears that classroom seating arrangement influenced the wellbeing and mental health of elementary students at school. Keywords: physical environment, classroom layout, flexible seating, wellbeing, mental health, upper elementary school, Citation: Bluteau J, Aubenas S and Dufour F (2022) Influence of Flexible Classroom Seating on the Wellbeing and Mental Health of Upper Elementary School Students: A Gender Analysis. Designing classrooms to maximize student achievement. 71, 303314. Bordeaux (FR): Universit de Bordeaux. The schools in our sample were public schools located in rural and semi-rural areas. Trois-Rivires (QC): Universit du Qubec Trois-Rivires. Limpert, S. M. (2017). Masters Thesis. Int. Dornfeld, K. (2016). Institut de la statistique du Qubec. Indeed, by the possibility that students have to interact with the physical school environment through movement, exploration, and social interaction, it would strengthen the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development of students based on the principle that a well thought-out school physical environment promotes the global development of students, promotes academic wellbeing and inclusion (Aziz et al., 2017). Nevertheless, flexible seating is not to be ruled out for students with coping difficulties, but it does require teachers to provide alternatives and more ongoing support for these students. doi: 10.1016/S1155-1704(07)78392-1. doi: 10.2307/3322488, Ferrire, S., Bacro, F., Florin, A., and Guimard, P. (2016). (2014). Paris: lauteur. Wigfield, A., Eccles, J. S., Schiefele, U., Roeser, R., and Davis-Kean, P. (2006). Comportements de chahut et performances scolaires des filles et des garons au collge. (1998). However, this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.426). Department of Human Sciences, Libera Universit Maria SS. Psychol. Lamnagement des classes du Qubec: quen est-il? Boudreault, M. -A. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6vVXmwYvgs (Accessed April 30, 2022). Social networks and social support, in Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice. doi: 10.4000/ries.3592. However, problem-solving is a critical coping skill in the flexible classroom since students are required to make strategic choices throughout the day (Dornfeld, 2016; Havig, 2017; Limpert, 2017; DelHomme, 2018; Laquerre, 2018; Legout, 2018; Tiennot, 2019; Valle, 2019). Thus, the poorer mental health of boys in the flexible group compared to boys in the fixed group does not appear to be explained by socio-economic background. 43, 87112. (2008). (2019). Thus, it is not so much flexible furniture per se that may explain why these students have a lower sense of wellbeing and mental health, but how the flexible classroom itself functions (less controlling environment, undefined personal space, and so on; Havig, 2017; Legout, 2018; Valle, 2019). La sant mentale des enfants et des adolescents: Donnes statistiques et enqutes recenses, tudes et recherches. Impact and Implications of the Flexible Learning Environment in the at-Risk Secondary Classroom. Despite the challenges, an ambitious effort to study the design of lived-in classrooms, including looking at hard-to-define factors like flexibility, was completed in 2015 by the University of Salford, in the United Kingdom. doi: 10.7202/1041064ar. 20, 1920. Notably, the CSS had been undertaking numerous expansion and construction projects to redesign classrooms and schools. The study looked at three dimensions of classroom design: naturalness (factors like light and temperature), stimulation (factors like color and visual complexity), and individualization (factors like flexibility and student ownership). Participants were Grade 5 and 6 students in three fixed and flexible classrooms. La qualit de vie lcole: Comment lcole peut-elle proposer un cadre de vie favorable la russite et au bien-tre des lves. (2018). Girls in the flexible group (M=45.8; SD=8.33) had fewer attention problems with or without hyperactivity than girls in the fixed group (M=51.2; SD=10.8). Comaianni, K. (2017). That conclusion never fails to emerge in teacher-led discussions on Edutopia. Pianta, R.-C., LaParo, K., and Hamre, B. Joing, I., Vors, O., Llena, C., and Potdevin, F. (2018). Available at: http://www.grise.ca/images/docs/Rapport_Final_Besnard_Lemelin_MSSS_2mai2016.pdf (Accessed April 30, 2022). A review on the significance of school grounds design on childrens performances and well-being. (2017). J. Appl. Gouvernement du Qubec Ministre de lducation et de lEnseignement Suprieur (2020). (2017). However, the other two schools with flexible classrooms had scores of 2 and 3, respectively, meaning they were in the most advantaged schools in the CSS. The Teacher Self-Efficacy scale consisted of ten items (=0.82; Schwarzer, 1992; Bandura, 1997; Schwarzer and Hallum, 2008) in which teachers were asked to choose among four Likert scale responses (not at all true, only slightly true, moderately true, completely true). Meas. Caen (FR): Universit de Caen. doi: 10.4000/enquete.140, Flouzis, G. (1993). Some studies have noted that freedom of choice and movement can be challenging for students who need a framework and routine (Legout, 2018; Schoolcraft, 2018; Valle, 2019). Psychol. N. Eisenberg (United States: Wiley), 9331002. Masters Thesis. Boys starting school disadvantaged: implications from teachers ratings of behaviour and achievement in the first two years. Finally, Intention in the performance goal structure was measured using nine items (=0.69; Midgley et al., 2000). This is the whole lot together.. Thus, students in the flexible group reported relatively more attention problems with or without hyperactivity than students in the fixed group. Edutopia. Mazalto, M. (2017). A matching questionnaire (see Teacher Matching) was distributed to the three flexible classroom teachers and the eight fixed classroom teachers in order to pair the three flexible classroom teachers with three fixed classroom teachers based on a number of criteria. Macomb (IL): Western Illinois University. Minot (ND): Minot State University. Midgley, C., Maehr, M. L., Hruda, L. Z., Anderman, E., Anderman, L., and Freeman, K. E., Urdan, T., (2000). For the inattention/hyperactivity variable, students in the fixed group had a mean score of 50.9 points (SD=9.30), while students in the flexible group had a mean score of 51.9 points (SD=11.0). Rcupr de Available at: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/architecture-et-apprentissage_9789264292505-fr (Accessed May 14, 2019). Indeed, the analyses conducted (t-tests) were based on the premise of non-independence of the data. Although this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.740), the scores suggest that students in the flexible group exhibited less atypicality, social stress, anxiety, and depression. However, students who have difficulty adapting and behaving in a way that is conducive to the task at hand may be challenged by the flexible classroom. Barretts team singled out the effectiveness of learning zonesa reading area, a wet area, usually a carpet area for whole-class activity, tables usually in blocks of four or sixand made special note of unique classroom shapes, which seem to allow for easier partitioning of the space. 7. doi: 10.1348/000709901158532. In fact, the fields of architecture and educational psychology have looked at the dimensions of the physical environment that can impact on the global development of students. However, this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.618). From this perspective, this type of classroom arrangement allows for implementing teaching practices that can be described as flexible, that is, student-centered, differentiated, and collaborative (Barrett et al., 2015, 2017; Delzer, 2015; Dornfeld, 2016; Havig, 2017; Erz, 2018; Keymeulen et al., 2020). Flexible Seating: Effects of Student Seating Type Choice in the Classroom. It is based on a quasi-experimental, quantitative design with post-test only and a control group. 1. As a result, many education systems, such as those in Quebec, France, Germany, Denmark, and Finland, have begun to ask whether the school environment in which students develop can contribute to their sense of wellbeing and, ultimately, to their success. La classe flexible au service de la motivation, de la dynamique de groupe et de la diffrenciation. Qubec: Gouvernement du Qubec. These results add to current knowledge in the field of educational research. Buts personnels, besoin psychologiques fondamentaux et bien-tre: thorie de lautodtermination et applications. The big insight? As such, examining the influence of seating arrangement on mental health and wellbeing by investigating two types of classroom arrangements (fixed classroom seating and flexible classroom seating) may fill a gap in the existing literature on the topic, which this study has sought to do. Rseau dinformation pour la russite ducative. Gender Differences and Disparities in Socialization Contexts: How Do They Matter for Healthy Relationships, Wellbeing, and Achievement-related Outcomes? Table 5 presents the mental health indicator scores by group (fixed and flexible) for both genders. doi: 10.1177/0013916516648735. Florin, A., and Guimard, P. (2017). Indeed, regular support by teachers for students who need to develop coping strategies would seem vital. Desk arrangement can varyrows, U-shaped, or clusters. Indeed, this study was exploratory and intended to generate hypotheses and research questions in a new field of research. Indeed, mental health includes all dimensions of a students overall development (Welsh et al., 2015) and can be defined by low stress, a sense of psychological wellbeing, and ultimately, good coping and behavioral functioning. doi: 10.1177/2372732214548677, Childs, G., and McKay, M. (2010). This study was part of an exploratory process at the start, and we did not plan to collect this data directly from the parents of students. Some of the limitations of our study relate to our sample. Bacro, F., Guimard, P., Florin, A., Ferrire, S., and Gaudonville, T. (2017). Longitudinal Study of Australian Children Research Conference 2007, December, Melbourne, Australia. As for the skill of self-control, it allows students to self-regulate more readily (Flouzis, 1993; Bouchard et al., 2006; Besnard et al., 2016) and makes it easier to adapt to the norms and expectations of the school (Commissariat gnral la stratgie et la prospective, 2014; Esperbs-Pistre et al., 2015). ^ressentir une grande satisfaction gnrale lgard de sa vie. [Our translation]. Numerous international publications (Organisation de coopration et de dveloppement conomiques, 2001, 2011) on the 21st-century school were pivotal in considering the role of the physical environment in students school experiences. Ayotte, V., Fournier, M., and Riberdy, H. (2009). In the first part, students were to answer true or false for each statement. Reynolds, C. R., and Kamphaus, R. W. (2015). Indeed, the rise of positive psychology has led to a more encompassing definition of mental health (Ferrire et al., 2016; Dor and Caron, 2017; Shankland et al., 2017). Res. This more encompassing definition comes close to the current World Health Organization (WHO) definition of good mental health. (2008). In the second phase, initial contact was made with the teachers of the partner CSS. Regarding the personal adjustment variable, although the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.064), boys in the fixed group had a higher mean score (M=52.9; SD=6.30) than boys in the flexible group (M=47.2; SD=10.4). They appeared to have a better locus of control and a lower sense of inadequacy compared to students in the fixed group. Mental health indicator scores by group (fixed and flexible) for girls. ducation et francophonie. Sociol. J. Appl. As noted above, previous research on flexible classroom seating has reported that this type of arrangement helps meet students needs (Comaianni, 2017; Havig, 2017; Limpert, 2017; Erz, 2018; Legout, 2018; Schoolcraft, 2018; Schrage, 2018; Sorrell, 2019; Valle, 2019) and encourages the development of skills, such as self-reliance, self-regulation, and problem-solving (Doyon, 2018; Erz, 2018; Laquerre, 2018; Legout, 2018). (Qubec: Presses de lUniversit du Qubec), 111. Schrage, H. M. (2018). So you have to open a window or a door. K. Glanz, B.-K. Rimer, and K. Viswanath (United States: Jossey-bass), 189210. Nevertheless, seating arrangement and furniture play a role in teaching situations and overall development, and may ultimately influence student wellbeing and mental health (Mazalto, 2017; Doyon, 2018; Erz, 2018; Joing et al., 2018; Laquerre, 2018; Legout, 2018). Sante Ment. Les coles quil nous faut. Teachers were asked to select the most appropriate response among five items (strongly disagree, somewhat disagree, neither disagree nor agree, somewhat agree, strongly agree). In the flexible classroom, students no longer have a place assigned to them (Legout, 2018). It allows students to explore, move about, experiment, manipulate, and make the space and furniture their own, with the goal of encouraging original and creative ways of experiencing the classroom (Abbasi, 2013; Mazalto and Paltrinieri, 2013; Keymeulen et al., 2020). Montral: ditions MultiMondes. Adoption of the flexible classroom has spread as a result of social networks (Havig, 2017). Guimard, P., Bacro, F., Ferrire, S., Florin, A., Gaudonville, T., and Ngo, U.-T. (2015). The flexible seating can therefore help to empower students and make them actors in their own learning (Legout, 2018). Organisation de coopration et de dveloppement conomiques (OCDE) (2011). On a practical level, this study provides additional guidance for teachers. Although teachers were not the focus of the study, teachers are in charge of the classroom and subject to its design. But flexible classrooms are complex, living systems. The sample consisted of 107 students: 51 students in fixed classrooms (24 girls and 27 boys) and 56 students in flexible classrooms (26 girls and 30 boys). Qubec: Presses de lUniversit du Qubec. This difference between the two groups of girls was statistically significant (p=0.003). As for the school problems variable, which reflects student attitudes to school and teachers, the mean scores were 49.3 points (SD=9.19) for students in the fixed group and 48.0 points (SD=8.04) for students in the flexible group. Konu, A., and Rimpel, M. (2002). Revue qubcoise de psychologie. (2020). But the study doesnt prescribe fixed solutions, settingout loose guidelines instead. Behav. For example, students were asked to respond to the following statements: I think good things will happen to me in my life; I get along with people; and I feel relaxed.5, The BASC-3 (Reynolds and Kamphaus, 2015) measurement tool examines the mental health of students by taking into account various aspects of personal adjustment and behavioral functioning. If used properly, flexible classrooms produce better academic outcomes among primary school children than more traditional, static classroom designs.The author of this article is the chief content officer at Edutopia. The results will then be discussed in light of the available scientific literature. Thus, flexible classrooms could promote inclusive processes for children with special educational needs. View all As Legout (2018) found, shared furniture and space, and no longer having an assigned desk, do not work for all students. Thought Control of Action. Students completed the paper version, and their responses were transcribed using the Q-Global platform licensed by NCS Pearson, Inc. No participants withdrew during data collection. La classe flexible: je me lance ! Mental health indicator results by group (fixed and flexible) for both genders. Students were asked to complete two self-reported questionnaires individually, the first measuring wellbeing at school using the Liddle and Carter (2015) questionnaire, and the second measuring mental health using the BASC-3 tool (Reynolds and Kamphaus, 2015), which reports on students coping and behavioral functioning. This suggests that students in the flexible group had relatively better parentchild and interpersonal relations, higher self-esteem, and higher levels of self-reliance. We note that the number of students in each group and the proportion of girls to boys in each group were relatively equal. Ultimately, this study had an exploratory intention. The purpose of this type of arrangement is to meet the needs of students by providing a wide variety of furniture and workspaces, to put students at the center of learning, and to allow them to make choices based on their preferences and the objectives of the task at hand. Organisation de lespace scolaire et formation de lidentit chez les adolescents: Une analyse de quatre tablissements secondaires en Australie. Thus, boys in the fixed group had significantly fewer internalizing problems, attention problems with or without hyperactivity, and emotional symptoms than boys in the flexible group. Am. Next, we examined the socio-economic background index for each school in our sample. The results are therefore presented in three parts: 1. The students therefore had comparable mean scores for social stress, anxiety, depression, and sense of inadequacy, as well as self-esteem and self-reliance. According to an interdisciplinary perspective, the school space is thought of as a living environment where the student and his environment interact in a transactional way and mutually define each other (Jodelet, 2015). Community Psychol. SelfEfficacy. 57, 152171. Gilles, E. (2018). Indeed, the redefinition of success to include various aspects of students holistic development has made wellbeing a fundamental concept of the 21st-century school (Guimard et al., 2015; Ferrire et al., 2016). The questionnaire took an average of 10min to complete. In addition, the protocol had to be modified because of COVID-19, a measurement time could not be completed. 2. 6. San Diego (CA): School of Northcentral University. The other limitation of our study concerns the limited literature on the topic. Universit de Sherbrooke: Groupe de recherche sur les inadaptations de lenfance (GRISE). The mean age of the female teachers in the fixed classrooms was 36 (SD=6.36), and in the flexible classrooms (SD=2.65) it was 34. Although this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.073), girls in the fixed group tended to have poorer interpersonal and family relationships, self-esteem, and self-reliance. All authors listed have made a substantial, direct, and intellectual contribution to the work and approved it for publication. All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. As such, two fixed Grade 5 classrooms and one fixed Grade 6 classroom were matched to two flexible Grade 5 classrooms and one flexible Grade 6 classroom. (2007). The personalization of classroomsincluding flexibility, which Barrett defined as student choice within the spaceaccounted for a full quarter of that improvement. The Liddle and Carter (2015) questionnaire was distributed in paper format and took students 10min on average to complete. With regard to the above results, the comparative analysis of the two groups (fixed and flexible) for both genders combined did not reveal any statistically significant difference for the various variables. On the one hand, the hedonic conception associates wellbeing with pleasure, satisfaction, and subjective happiness (Laguardia and Ryan, 2000; Dor and Caron, 2017; Conseil Suprieur de lducation, 2020).
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