The Impact of Dynamic Furniture on Classroom Performance: A Pilot Study

The purpose of this study was to understand how dynamic classroom furniture may impact classroom performance such as attention, work neatness, and work completion in a second grade general education classroom of 19 students. All students in the classroom were included in this study to understand the implications of environmental modifications on the learning process in general education settings. A descriptive method provided information about the interaction of dynamic furniture on identified learning components. Three different dynamic furniture options were provided: Zuma chairs®, Disc‘O’Sits® (inflated seat cushions), and standing desks with the Original FootFidget®. The class was randomly divided into four groups of up to five students. The groups were rotated through the furniture, allowing one week per group with each type of furniture. The Sensory Processing Measure (Parham & Ecker, 2007) was used to screen the sensory processing of students and a daily self-report rubric provided data on attention behaviors and perception of the dynamic furniture options. Data were graphed and visually analyzed for differences in responses to types of furniture. Responses on the rubrics indicate that the different types of furniture impacted different components of learning in a variety of ways. The data from this study indicates that no one type of furniture provides the same effect for all elementary students, but rather that personal characteristics may dictate the best match for focus, work completion, and neatness. Running head: DYNAMIC FURNITURE ON CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE 4 The Impact of Dynamic Furniture on Classroom Performance: A Pilot Study Current education policy mandates that all students receiving public education in the United States participate and learn in the least restrictive environment (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act [IDEA], 2004, §300.114). This policy applies to all children and often results in children with disabilities receiving instruction in the general education classroom. These inclusionary practices in schools create challenging learning environments because of the diverse needs of children (Asher, 2010). For the past six years almost 15% of all students in the public schools received services under the provisions of IDEA 2004 (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2010) suggesting that a large number of general education classrooms include a child with a disability. Thus, general education teachers are now faced with the demands of facilitating learning across a wide range of student characteristics, for which they often may not feel adequately prepared (Hemmingsson et al., 2007). For students receiving services under IDEA 2004, factors impeding success should be addressed. These factors may include teacher influence, personal characteristics of the student, and environmental elements. Previous work suggests that it is easier to modify the environment and the task than the child (Egilson & Traustadottir, 2009); therefore, school-based occupational therapy decisions that focus more extensively on the classroom environment need to be considered. Environmental modifications may be warranted to support the success of these students. Although the inclusion of all students has long been advocated, few environmental modifications have been made to classrooms to increase the likelihood of success for students Running head: DYNAMIC FURNITURE ON CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE 5 (Egilson & Traustadottir, 2009). The relationship between the student and the classroom environment needs to be better understood (Hemmingsson & Borell, 2001) in order to promote academic performance for all students in inclusive classrooms. One potential area to explore is classroom furniture. The furniture in each classroom should function to facilitate learning while allowing the appropriate level of participation without distractions (Cotton, O’Connell, Palmer, & Rutland, 2002; Knight & Noyles, 1999). There exists a general lack of research on the various environmental factors, such as classroom furniture, that can influence students’ learning (Egilson & Traustadottir, 2009). Previous research noted the complexity of studying the classroom environment due to the interrelated aspects of social, space, and object components (Griswold, 1994). The current study proposes to add to the existing research through focusing on the furniture in the classroom environment and examining how academic performance and attention to task are influenced by alternatives to traditional furniture. The information gained from this study will help occupational therapists and teachers when considering alternative classroom furniture options for intervention with children in the school setting. Background and Significance Inclusion With the shift to inclusive classrooms, teachers are now faced with the task of teaching children with a broad spectrum of learning needs and styles (Hemmingsson, Gustavsson, & Townsend, 2007; Polcyn & Bissell, 2005). Consequently, teachers are expressing a need for more training (Mulligan, 2001). As of 2007, over three-quarters of students with disabilities spent more than half of every day in the general education classroom (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2009), which again illustrates the large Running head: DYNAMIC FURNITURE ON CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE 6 number of classrooms that have a child with a disability. Along with the complexities of teaching a wide range of students, teachers are also held accountable to certain academic outcomes for all children (No Child Left Behind Act [NCLB], 2004), which can result in increased pressure on the teachers. Thus, the task of teaching has become increasingly complex as classrooms are now inclusive and high-stakes testing (Black-Hawkins, 2010) is included to meet requirements of legislation like the NCLB (2004). The practice of inclusion in general education classrooms is associated with environmental and teaching modifications for the purpose of increased participation in the learning experience. These adaptations can be complex to carry out because each challenge to learning requires different environmental modifications (Gal, Schreur, & Engel-Yeger, 2010). Hemmingsson and Borell (2001) found that a lack of adequate environmental modifications in the general education classroom directly limited the participation of students with disabilities. This finding was validated by Gal and colleagues (2010), who also stated that these environmental modifications are often not enacted due to prevailing attitudes or other factors such as funding. Yet it is through participation in the learning experience that academic achievement occurs, which is one of the expected outcomes of inclusion (Black-Hawkins, 2010). Therefore, a lack of appropriate environmental modifications can limit the learning experience of children with disabilities. Legislation Legislation surrounding education has shifted in the past quarter century creating new demands on teachers and supporting services. The push toward inclusion necessitates that teachers are able to address a wider spectrum of needs in the classroom. One of the largest determinants of this shift in the school system was the Education for All Handicapped Act Running head: DYNAMIC FURNITURE ON CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE 7 (EHA) of 1975 (Public Law 94-142). This legislation brought children with disabilities into education settings as compared to services received in segregated medical facilities. Later, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) (Public Law 101-336), granted children with disabilities the legal rights to a barrier-free environment. These two laws paved the way for the current education reforms that support the participation and learning of all students in the school. The latest reauthorization of special education laws emphasizes providing services in the least restrictive environment and using benchmarks to measure outcomes while supporting the learning of all students. With the enactment of the IDEA 2004 the emphasis of services within educational settings became to support children through the general curriculum (Polcyn & Bissell, 2005). The NCLB (2004) enforces the educational outcomes for all children while the IDEA 2004 promotes the services to support children with disabilities in learning (AOTA, 2009). Both NCLB and IDEA 2004 assert the need for evidence of effectiveness of services provided in schools. This same push for evidence-based practice is seen in occupational therapy (AOTA, 2009) and the joint goal of documenting individual progress toward specific goals allows for collaboration between teachers and occupational therapists (Asher, 2010). Characteristics of Students Inclusive classrooms are diverse in the characteristics and learning needs of the students. The needs of students receiving services under IDEA 2004 range from specific learning disability to emotional disturbances (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2010), which highlights the variability in needs and required support services to facilitate participation and learning. The most prevalent population who receive services through IDEA 2004 is children with speech or hearing problems (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2010). Children with specific learning Running head: DYNAMIC FURNITURE ON CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE 8 disabilities are characterized by difficulty understanding and processing language, which can affect both communication and mathematics (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2010). Both diagnoses represent the common concerns with attention and learning problems for children who are receiving services through IDEA 2004. It is the characteristics of the student that dictate what related services are needed to ensure participation and learning in the general education classroom. Sensory Processing Some researchers and theoreticians have proposed that difficulties with processing sensory input could be the root of some behavioral and attention problems within the classroom (Polatajko, 2010). Parham (1998) suggested that an immature sensory processing system may impede classroom function because sensory processing disorders may interfere with the student’s ability to regulate responses to sensations. Researchers estimate that some 5 to 13% of children within the general education classrooms demonstrate difficulties processing sensory information (Ahn, Miller, Milberger, & McIntosh, 2004) and that these difficulties can be manifest as behavioral concerns, attention difficulties, and decreased social skills. In addition, Gal et al. (2010) discussed the high morbidity of sensory or motor difficulties with other more challenging difficulties such as emotional regulation or attention. The prevalence of sensory processing difficulties and the resulting behavioral challenges, combined with the fact that teachers do not have training or expertise in providing interventions to address these concerns, creates a need for occupational therapists to partner with teachers to address sensory processing difficulties in their students and promote school success (AOTA, 2009; Bazyk & Case-Smith, 2010; Polcyn & Bissell, 2005). Sensory processing theory describes the manner in which sensation can be used to Running head: DYNAMIC FURNITURE ON CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE 9 support attention and behavior (Ayres & Robbins, 1979) leading to increased productivity in the classroom (Polcyn & Bissell, 2005). Advocates of sensory integration intervention claim that proprioceptive input can inhibit the over-responding to other sensations that often leads to poor attention and behavior (Honaker & Rossi, 2005) allowing the child to better attend to task (AOTA, 2009) and demonstrate increased behavioral organization (Honaker & Rossi, 2005). In addition, some have proposed that vestibular input can help children to focus attention (Ayres & Robbins, 1979). Other research has proposed that interventions and environmental modifications designed to address sensory modulation difficulties in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) could be beneficial for entire classrooms (Mulligan, 2001). Dynamic seating options are one such environmental modification that can be implemented to provide proprioceptive and vestibular input to students while in the classroom. The goal of occupational therapists who focus on sensory processing in their practice is to improve the client’s ability to interact with the environment and therefore learn (AOTA, 2009). Participation in the normal classroom activities is an appropriate outcome for sensory processing interventions because the goal is to increase involvement in life (Strzelecki, 2008). Other researchers have discussed that participation involves active engagement in the learning process (Black-Hawkins, 2010). Lack of Movement Shifts in the schedule and teachers’ expectations of classrooms have been noted over the past thirty years. Many of these changes are influenced by pressure to increase instructional time (Center on Education Policy, 2008; Center for Public Education, 2008) in an effort to meet the standards of NCLB (2004). Students now sit for some six hours during the school day, which heightens the importance of correctly fitting desks and chairs and the need for dynamic seating Running head: DYNAMIC FURNITURE ON CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE 10 (Cotton et al., 2002; Weimann, 1991; Wingrat & Exner, 2005). An average of half an hour recess per day has been cut out of the school day in the majority of elementary schools following the implementation of NCLB (Center for Public Education, 2008). Another analysis found that the time at recess decreased by one-fifth in elementary schools between 2001 and 2007, whereas physical education decreased by almost one-tenth (Center on Education Policy, 2008). The highstakes testing associated with current education legislation has resulted in more instructional time at school on the specific subjects tested, which takes away time previously devoted to activities like recess and physical education (Center on Education Policy, 2008). The decrease in opportunities for students to move at school is important to consider because of the effect movement has on the learning process. From the perspective of sensory processing theorists who believe proprioceptive and vestibular input is as beneficial to learning as visual and auditory input (Polcyn & Bissell, 2005) children are not provided sufficient opportunities for movement at school. Previous research has found that increased attention and work completion is associated with the use of controlled movement or dynamic seating options (Pfeiffer, Henry, Miller, & Witherell, 2008). Other researchers speculate that a decrease in movement opportunities at school will result in lower academic gains (Center for Public Education, 2008). School-based Occupational Therapy Teachers remain the primary professional involved with children in general education classrooms, but other related services supplement the traditional instruction. Related services, such as occupational therapy, can help support teachers in meeting the added demands found in inclusive classrooms. Related services are defined as those support services that “may be required to assist a child with a disability to benefit from special education” (IDEA, 2004, Running head: DYNAMIC FURNITURE ON CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE 11 §602.26). Related services personnel practice according to their respective professional domains of practice, but the emphasis remains on the educational outcomes of the students and is therefore governed by educational legislation and regulations. Several other related services that are supported through IDEA 2004 include physical therapy, speech-language pathology, counseling, and social work. Occupational therapy has been included as a related service throughout the educational reauthorizations of the past quarter century because of the close similarities in legislative goals and the scope of practice (Bazyk & Case-Smith, 2010). School-based occupational therapists are qualified to partner with teachers in better meeting the diverse needs of today’s students by providing assistive devices and accommodations to the traditional classroom environment. Occupational therapists have a professional focus on identifying barriers to performance and participation in meaningful activities (AOTA, 2002; Asher, 2010). Barriers often influence the success of inclusion in the classroom, which again highlights the role of occupational therapists in today’s education system. Previous emphasis in pediatric occupational therapy has been on modifying the individual’s behavior with less emphasis placed on changing the environment, but focus is now shifting to ergonomic and sensory modifications to promote academic success (Asher, 2010). Ergonomic and sensory modifications tend to include environmental modifications, which is something that occupational therapists can facilitate in the school setting (Asher, 2010; Griswold, 1994; Swinth, 2009). The impact of these environmental modifications needs to be studied further to better understand the implications for inclusive classrooms. Factors of interest to this study that influence performance at school, such as sensory processing and motor development, are within the domain and process of occupational therapy Running head: DYNAMIC FURNITURE ON CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE 12 (AOTA, 2002). Training in sensorimotor strategies to facilitate sensory processing allows occupational therapists to support teachers in making environmental modifications (Mulligan, 2001). Occupational therapy practitioners can help teachers and administrators consider the sensory properties of classroom furniture in order to make informed decisions about classroom modifications (Knight & Noyles, 1999; Polcyn, 2005). The role of occupational therapists in the school setting can be either direct intervention with children or it can be consultation to the teachers (Bazyk & Case-Smith, 2010; Swinth, 2009). It is through consultation with the teacher that the occupational therapist’s professional expertise in environmental modifications and intervention strategies are shared (Swinth, 2009). A dynamic services approach like that of occupational therapists also pairs well with current educational demands in which a child’s needs may vary by setting or expectation (Polcyn & Bissell, 2005). Several other roles specific to school-based occupational therapists support the needs of all children in the education setting. Occupational therapists can act as advocates for modifications in schools by addressing the administration directly when necessary (Asher, 2010; Bazyk & Case-Smith, 2010). This contact with school administration can influence inclusion because availability of financial resources can often dictate what accommodations are made within the classroom (Gal et al., 2010). The long-term benefits of modifications to classroom furniture can also be addressed by the occupational therapists when discussing cost factors with school administrators (Polcyn & Bissell, 2005). The information gained from this study will help occupational therapists and teachers when considering alternative classroom furniture options for intervention with children in the school setting because it will assess several different options of varying cost. These alternative furniture options can supplement the changing demands placed on elementary school classrooms. Running head: DYNAMIC FURNITURE ON CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE 13 Furniture Options A variety of nontraditional classroom furniture options are available that can help to meet the movement needs of students while they are engaged in instructional activities. Options for ball chairs, standing desks, and treadmill desks now exist for schools, each of which advertises benefits for users on multiple levels. Unfortunately, marketing does not always portray the reality of the effectiveness of these alternatives. Schools are understandably hesitant to invest in materials or tools until their value and cost-effectiveness is clearly evident, especially with the increasing fiscal demands placed on school systems. Both financial and societal standards influence what modifications are acceptable and therefore implemented (Eriksson & Granlund, 2004). Dynamic classroom furniture allows freedom of movement and increased range of motion while students are learning and working. Previous work has assessed the effects of dynamic seating options on attention and handwriting in preschool and elementary school students (Schilling & Schwartz, 2004; Schilling, Washington, Billingsley, & Deitz, 2003). However, other dynamic furniture options such as Zuma cantilever chairs® (Virco Manufacturing) and standing desks with Original FootFidget® (Classroom Seating Options Standing Desk Conversion Kit) in the elementary school classroom need to be explored to examine the potential effect of these environmental modifications on student participation. The purpose of this study, therefore, will be to better understand the impact of dynamic classroom furniture, specifically Zuma cantilever chairs®, Disc‘O’Sits® (inflated seat cushions), and standing desks with Original FootFidget®, on attention to task, quality of work, and work completion for elementary school students with and without sensory processing or attention