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As a first grade teacher, movement is essential throughout every day. Beginning as a suggestion from our school leader, I had an idea to use stability balls, or exercise balls, instead of regular desk chairs as an intervention in my classroom. The purpose of this study is to find out if students sitting on stability balls instead of chairs will increase their focus and attention which in turn could possibly improve their academics.  As an open-minded teacher, I want to see my students succeed in every way possible therefore I am conducting this research in hopes that it will help my students and I. “Action research is conducted by people who want to do something to improve their own situation” (Sagor, 1992 p.7). I see some of my students struggle daily to stay focused during reading and assignments so I’m hoping for a positive outcome with my research so that I can help these struggling students succeed. I plan to study student’s focusing ability and quality of work because I want to find out if using stability balls as chairs in the classroom impact their learning to show that the extra movement can enhance their focus and learning so that I may better understand the best learning environment for all learners. As I was studying some relating articles and journals, I noticed four common themes: promoting healthy and active lifestyles, giving students choice, physical advantages, and brain stimulation.

With the increase in child obesity, there has been a huge push on keeping students active throughout each day and healthy eating. “Physical inactivity contributes to the obesity epidemic” (Beckmann, 2010). Also, with all of the advances in technology including computers and tablets, keeping kids active is a challenge. Parents and teachers have to be creative in how they motivate kids to want to live healthy. “We can help make the classroom experiences more activity permissible thus providing additional opportunities for the promotion and practice of life-long movement and good health (Kilbourne, 2013). Our bodies are built to move, yet often our teaching strategies still insist on children sitting for long periods of time during the day. By using stability balls as their seating, they are getting that consistent movement throughout the day. “Another reward for advocating for the use of exercise balls and active seating alternatives in schools and workplaces is a move towards a “motion promotion,” which simply means integrating more movement throughout everyone’s day” (Spaulding & Kelly, 2010). I think it is also extremely important that if a teacher does use stability balls that they specifically explain how the ball is helping the students stay active. “The balls for sitting would encourage proper posture and spinal health at a young age, which would set healthy habits for life” (Witt, 2001).

Students feel a great sense of empowerment when they are given choices that they get to make. In regards to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs, being given choices fulfills our five basic needs of survival, belonging, fun, and especially freedom and power.  Giving students choices can increase their learning, increase positive emotions, teaches decision making, and increases their interest. “An overall consensus is that kids love choices and they love to move” (Spaulding & Kelly, 2004). Giving students the choice to use a stability ball to sit on to enhance their concentration may also give them motivation and ownership of their learning. The use of stability balls in the classroom is perceived as positive as long as the students earn the use of the balls through the training program and as long as the students and teachers are given the choice of use on a daily basis (Gamache-Hulsmans, 2007).

Using stability balls daily instead of a regular desk chair can have many positive influences on a student’s body. “Sitting on the exercise balls increases blood circulation up and down the spinal column and to the brain. This increased circulation in turn oxygenates the blood the brain receives” (Spaulding & Kelly, 2004). A study completed by Lisa Witt showed that the use of the stability balls for sitting was effective in improving flexibility and range of motion, strength and stability, balance, and posture (2001). Sitting upright on a ball requires the lower-body and core muscles to be engaged, and that increases brain function, Kilbourne says (2013). By implementing these stability balls into the classroom we are not only promoting healthy lifestyles for the future but actually improving the student’s health at the present moment.

The final theme that arose from my resources was that using the stability balls not only enhances physical health, it enhances mental health in students as well. The use of the stability balls has been studied and has shown to increase focus and concentration. This concept is where I am most interested. From what I’m researching, by using these balls I will be able to help my students focus more. This is extremely powerful and exciting! “Students used all of their excess energy to keep from falling off the ball and therefore stayed focused on what they were learning” (Pinellas Education Foundation, n.d.). Every one of my resources mentioned how using the stability balls can have a positive effect on students focusing and attention.

By completing this literature review, I am now more aware of the important components associated with my topic of study.    There were quite a few ideas that I read about that I had not thought about when deciding on my topic. From reading all of my resources, I am very excited to continue my research and to really experiment with my students to see if they too will have a positive experience with the stability balls. If my hypothesis is correct that the stability balls will improve focus than I will be sure to purchase a class set in the future to help all of my students expell their hyperactivity and improve their learning overall.

I plan to study student’s focusing ability and quality of work because I want to find out if using stability balls as chairs in the classroom impact their learning to show that the extra movement can enhance their focus and learning so that I may better understand the best learning environment for all learners. In completing this study, my hopes are to replicate the works of Ginette Hulsman-Gamache and Lisa Witt by showing the positive correlations between students using stability balls in the classroom and their focusing abilities. Giving students the option to use a stability ball as their chair will give them a sense of empowerment and help them take ownership of their learning. There are an abundance of physical and psychological advantages of using the balls that will help teachers promote healthy lifestyles.

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What's So Smart About Smart Seating?

https://www.ed.psu.edu/educ/pds/teacher-inquiry/2010/schmittLauren_20092010Inquiry.pdf

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WittFitt Pilot Project Report

http://www.wittfitt.com/case-studies

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Stability Ball Use in the Classroom

http://184.105.249.250/media/case_study/5_banffelementarystabilityballstudy2007.pdf

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School Based Physical Activity and Fitness Promotion

http://physicaltherapyjournal.com/content/90/9/1214.full

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Moving Physical Education Beyond the Gymnasium

http://works.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=john_kilbourne

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Use of Stability Balls as a Chair in the Classroom

http://184.105.249.250/media/case_study/7_wittfittstudy.pdf

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Keeping Students on the Ball

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA192644092&v=2.1&u=

lom_marygrove&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=a50e6f0df9be406a2c9b6689fd0e816d

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Best Seat in the House

http://go.galegroup.com.library.marygrove.edu:

2048/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA-SORT&inPS

=true&prodId=AONE&userGroupName=lom_marygrove&tabID=T002&searchId=R2&resultList

Type=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=4&contentSet=

GALE%7CA307414780&&docId=GALE|A307414780&docType=GALE&role=

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Rewards for Using Exercise Balls

http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/rewards-for-using-exercise-balls

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Bouncing Towards Success

http://www.pinellaseducation.org/annual-report/solutions/classroom-grants

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Stability Balls as An Intervention

http://www.mnsu.edu/urc/journal/2013/kafkalimberg.pdf

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Measuring and studying time on task/focused as opposed to off task,

performing study with a select few students

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Research Topic: Stability Balls in the Classroom

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Potential Problems

- Behavioral problems

-May be potentially harmful to uncoordinated students

-behavioral biases

-Teaching and following classroom stability ball rules and expectations

- Funding and costs being a potential barrier to implementation

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Possible Resources: