Does this chair make me look smart? An examination of flexible seating in the higher education classroom

Changes in student expectations and attitudes combined with research on the positive relationship between active engagement and student learning have many college administrators and planners in higher education reconsidering classroom design. One element of classroom design that has the potential to address the unique needs of an increasingly diverse university population is flexible seating; however, most of the research on flexible seating is anecdotal and has been done on elementary student populations. Guided by Barkley's model of student engagement in the college classroom, this mixed-methods study evaluated student perceptions and the academic, social, and emotional impacts of flexible seating in the higher education classroom. Results suggest that flexible seating positively impacts students' experience in the higher education classroom including the ability to move during class, greater comfort, increased focus and engagement, reduced anxiety, and decreased pain. In addition, students with disabilities and anxiety may be more like to choose flexible seating. Implications and future research on the use of flexible seating in the higher education classroom are included.