Abstract:
Although researchers have reported benefits from a non-traditional educational approach, where the teacher is merely a facilitator in the learning environment, there remains a need for a paradigm shift among educators. This needed paradigm shift calls for more than simply restructuring schools and classrooms into a collaborative meeting space, but also calls for a change in mindset among educators. This mindset shift will allow teachers to become more comfortable acting as facilitator, allowing students to guide the learning through interaction with peers and exploration. Students need to be equipped with 21st Century skills such as written and oral communications, thinking and problem-solving skills, teamwork, personal skills, and creativity in order to be successful citizens (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2009). A flexible seating environment provides a space where learning is student-centered and social, providing students with opportunities to implement soft skills.
Five elementary school teachers shared their voices in this interpretive qualitative study by participating in one-on-one interviews as well as a 6 week focus group conducted through an online Facebook forum. The results from the study yielded four themes that addressed the two research questions. These themes were student comfort, community and collaboration, teachers letting go of control, and teachers acting as facilitators. The significance of this study was the potential to improve confidence among educators to create a space of collaborative learning and ease the fears of unstructured chaos. The voices of the teachers in this study can be used to inform educators on the benefits from implementing flexible seating as well as on the drawbacks, disadvantages, and struggles experienced during the implementation of flexible seating.