Framework for the Evaluation of Nap-Compatible Classroom Chairs

Recent policy initiatives, such as the Ministry of Education of China’s guidelines on student sleep management, together with international empirical studies on daytime rest, highlight that appropriate opportunities for midday rest can support students’ attention, memory, and overall learning. Motivated by these developments, this study introduces a conflict-sensitive, multidimensional framework for evaluating nap-compatible classroom chairs. The proposed PLEASURC framework integrates eight evaluation dimensions, organized into four domains—ergonomic, operational, perceptual, and affective—thereby combining both expert and student perspectives across three use scenarios (writing, adjusting, and napping). Perceptual divergence between groups is addressed through Jensen–Shannon divergence–based adaptive weighting, which adjusts expert–student influence according to their agreement level. Scenario-sensitive patterns are extracted via tensor decomposition (a statistical factor analysis technique), while SHAP-enhanced machine learning (an explainable model interpretation method) is employed to identify the most influential predictors of perceived comfort. Findings indicate that relational and emotional dimensions (e.g., Relatability, Learnability, Aesthetics) significantly influence perceived comfort, surpassing structural considerations alone. The study also demonstrates a closed feedback loop from evaluation to redesign, supporting the practical utility of the framework through the optimized chair prototype. Overall, this research offers a replicable and interpretable framework for ergonomic evaluation and data-driven redesign of multifunctional school furniture, contributing to both student-centered learning environments and sustainable educational infrastructure.