in the classroom
Vasse Primary school in Western Australia . Picture : Supplied .
Funky furniture
Having an ottoman in class can help relieve teachers ’ workloads .
By Emilie Lauer
Teachers can reduce their workloads and boost student engagement by using innovative furniture in their classrooms , a new study shows .
A three-year study by Edith Cowan University found that ‘ innovative furniture ’ such as ottomans , sofas , high tables and benches in primary schools can positively impact students ’ learning and encourage them to be more autonomous .
According to study author ECU Visual Arts Senior Lecturer Dr Julia Morris , while primary school students often report high levels classroom engagement , teachers have to work “ much harder ” in a traditional setting to keep it going .
“ In a traditional environment , students became less adventurous in their learning ,” she said .
“ Teachers had to find ways of getting students to be creative , think differently , and stay engaged , which increases their workload .”
Join Education Review in a conversation with Dr Morris about how innovative furniture can slash teachers ’ workloads .
ER : What is the link between furniture and students ’ learning ? In this last phase of the study , we identified that up to 97 per cent of students feel that furniture made a difference in their learning .
In primary schools , students started with high engagement and maintained that throughout the furniture arrangements , whether in a traditional or innovative classroom setting .
However , teachers had to work much harder in the traditional space to keep that engagement high .
When teachers moved from a flexible environment to a traditional one , they wanted to keep their students engaged in learning .
They said that the traditional classroom model didn ’ t give them the flexibility to engage in the active , hands-on learning they wanted , which they support as an inquiry-based school .
Instead , they were taking the students outside more to boost engagement and doing the learning out there , resulting in a much bigger workload for teachers .
Additionally , we found that students could meet more of their selfdetermination needs by being in a flexible space , as they could pick what was relevant to their learning .
Students picked particular furniture which made them feel comfortable in that space . For example , an eight-yearold told us he chose a high table to help him manage his sore back . Other told us they sit at a round table to work collaboratively with other students and boost their learning motivations .
In that study , we saw students from a young age making sophisticated , articulate decisions about the furniture they use and how it supports them to learn best .
How do classroom settings impact educators and the way they teach ? In Australia , teachers are more likely to do didactic teaching , with the teacher at the
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