Squeaking, creaking and groaning are familiar sounds to anyone who has ever encountered a rolling chair used in science classes. In order to mitigate distractions and create a focused learning environment, science classrooms should switch out rolling chairs for bigger tables with locking wheels.

Senior Surya Kakarlapudi, who has taken four classes with the rolling chairs, said the size of the table negatively impacts her learning experience. Additionally, the mobility of the rolling chairs leads to sounds and movements that can be especially distracting to students trying to focus.

“The tables of those rolling chairs are really small,” Kakarlapudi said. “So if you have a textbook and your computer, you can only really keep one of those two on the desk, and then the other one needs to be in your lap.”

Larger desk space and locking wheels are necessary improvements for the science classrooms’ rolling chairs. Increased table space allows for students to productively complete the work assigned in class, and locking wheels maintain the mobility of the chairs for classroom cleaning and collaboration opportunities, but also allow for safer walkways between rows and less distracting noises.

“While the teacher is talking, some people may fidget around with it and move around in those chairs because they’re bored and have nothing to do,” chemistry student and sophomore Sayed Adil said.]

Some may argue that replacing the rolling chairs for larger tables means that there are less opportunities for collaboration. Students would be confined to their table groups, which was a problem the rolling chairs were meant to solve, according to anatomy and chemistry teacher Andrew Kranz, who has taught with the rolling chairs for five years. With flexible seating like the rolling chairs, students are able to be more academically engaged, according to The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology.

“With mobile students, you can break off into groups, spin around, talk to each other, that kind of thing,” Kranz said.

If the current desk size is unable to accommodate the assignments given in class, the need for larger tables should be prioritized over the chair’s mobility to maximize a student’s learning experience. Even though the current rolling chairs do offer some flexibility, the distraction these chairs cause are not conducive for a learning environment. Additionally, a majority of students in these classrooms gravitate towards the lab station tables, according to Kranz, which shows a greater need for more work space.

All in all, replacing the rolling chairs for desks with greater table space and locking wheels would positively contribute to a student’s learning experience by giving them more room to place needed items and also reduce distractions, allowing for greater focus.