Surveying Teachers about the Use of Stability Balls as an Intervention

Student's Name

Nicole Kafka, Minnesota State University, Mankato
RaeLynn Limberg, Minnesota State University, Mankato

1st Student's Major

Psychology

1st Student's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Students' Professional Biography

Nicole D. Kafka is a graduate from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and a minor in Political Science. She was a Dean’s List member and was a part of the Student Nurses Association along with the Pre-Law Society at Minnesota State. Her future education plans include attending a graduate program for law and psychology. RaeLynn J. Limberg is from Shakopee, Minnesota and graduated in 2013 from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and a minor in Communication Disorders. She is a member of Psi Chi, an International Honor Society for Psychology, and was awarded the 2013 Margaret Philips Commitment to Children Award from the Department of Psychology at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Her future educational goals include earning her Doctorate degree in School Psychology from Minnesota State University, Mankato while continuing to research popular classroom interventions.

Mentor's Name

Carlos Panahon

Mentor's Email Address

carlos.panahon@mnsu.edu

Mentor's Department

Psychology

Mentor's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Other Mentors

Natasha Olson

Abstract

Stability balls, which are commonly used for physical fitness, have become a recent interest among educators as a classroom intervention. Educators implement stability balls as an alternative to traditional classroom seating with the intent to improve classroom behavior and academic engagement. Little empirical support, however, exists for their use and effectiveness. For the purpose of this study, an 18-item questionnaire was administered to teachers working in school districts in Southern Minnesota that have and have not implemented stability balls as a classroom intervention. The intent of the questionnaire was to uncover motivations for implementation, perceptions regarding effectiveness, and estimate the prevalence of stability balls in classrooms. It was hypothesized that teachers are motivated to use stability balls based on individual student’s needs and are perceived as a beneficial intervention in lieu of experimental analysis supporting their efficacy.

Recommended Citation

Kafka, Nicole and Limberg, RaeLynn (2013) "Surveying Teachers about the Use of Stability Balls as an Intervention," Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato: Vol. 13, Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56816/2378-6949.1002
Available at: https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/jur/vol13/iss1/3

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