Exploring the Impact of Classroom Seating on the Educational Wellbeing for Students with Diverse Bodies
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Date
2024-05
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Public seating is designed with the “average” body frame in mind, leaving out people with diverse body types and those with accessibility challenges (Holcomb, 2022; Urdapilleta et al., 2019). This is especially true for people who are pregnant, have larger body sizes, struggle with chronic pain, are tall, and those who have physical disabilities. This problem extends to higher education where “tablet style” desks, stools with small surfaces, and chairs with fixed arms are the norm (Holcomb, 2022). There is a gap in research examining how inaccessible seating impacts academic performance, though we know that the learning environment influences student behavior which in turn impacts academic achievement and satisfaction (Gould, 2022; Holcomb, 2022; Muhammad et al., 2014; Stewart et al., 2023; Wurster et al., 2021). This study addresses the gap by examining the impact of seating options offered at The Ohio State University on feelings of belonging, emotional wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and academic wellbeing.
Study participants were students enrolled in in-person classes across five Ohio State University campuses. Online data was collected between November 2023 and March 2024 through a Qualtrics survey with 29 close-ended questions and three long-answer questions. Results included representation from five of the campuses associated with The Ohio State University (n=123). The most cited physical attributes impacting classroom experiences included height, larger body sizes, and chronic pain. Results show impacts on all four of the variables listed above, with some differences between campuses. Suggestions from participants to make seating more accessible include moving away from the seats with attached desks, spacing seating out for more walkways and legroom, and designing classroom spaces in a way that allows for a variety of seating options.
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Keywords
Accessibility, Educational Wellbeing, Diverse body types