Is Education Furniture Different?

What sets apart furniture which has been specifically designed for classroom use? These are the characteristics you should look out for in your next purchase.

 

Not every table and chair will have success in the classroom compared to any other private or professional setting. There are a number of demands placed upon furniture items due to their everyday uses in education. As suppliers of the best education furniture Australia has to offer, we hope to give some pointers to help you choose furniture that serves your classes’ needs appropriately.

 

Remember who will use the furniture, and how.

We all have our stereotypical understanding of school furniture as plain hardwood desks with a chair welded on – and while most schools no longer look like this, the underlying ethos remains the same. School furniture is all about enabling students to access their lesson, removing barriers to participation, and communicating a message about what types of learning are acceptable. The only change is that while in the past most students were learning from lectures and worksheets, today classroom instruction is mainly driven by independent inquiry, practical projects and self-guided learning.

The educational furniture Sydney schools tend to implement today has to take into mind students’ diverse needs, as well as capabilities for STEM-based and project-based instruction. It’s common to see tables which enable groupwork and provoke creative thinking, such as panel layouts and shared spaces. Tables and chairs still need to be ergonomic and comfortable, as we still expect students to remain seated for long periods of time in the school day. Educational furniture must be sturdy, safe and easily mass-produced so that schools can make lasting investments in classrooms and study spaces.

 

Modern trends in educational furniture

The demands of a classroom environment are often the key drivers to successful classroom furniture. The education furniture Australia based practitioners prefer will allow teachers and students to reshape and rearrange the room easily, and facilitate a variety of learning styles. This is why classroom furniture tends to be lighter and more easily moved around, whether by wheels or handles. Flexibility in furniture arrangements is a great asset for teachers, who can use the capabilities of their classroom to imbue their lessons with variety.

Furthermore, the diverse needs of students have recently driven a trend towards more inclusive furniture choices. The types of educational furniture Sydney classrooms have been increasingly opting for include student-choice seating, with stools, backed chairs and padded seating options allowing students to dictate what type of furniture they engage best with. By giving students a choice in how they prefer to sit and learn, they become active agents in their own learning.

 

Not just ordinary tables and chairs

All of these considerations go to show that educational furniture goes a great length to enabling quality learning for students all across Australia. Instead of thinking of classroom furniture as merely tables and chairs, an in-depth look into student engagement will reveal how a few small furniture choices can have a big impact in learning outcomes.

 

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