• Dr. Giselle Ann D souza

Among the myriad factors that influence students’ learning, ‘Sustained Attention’ remains the forerunner. With overcrowded classrooms, exhaustive syllabi to be covered in a restricted period of time and the challenge of engaging each and every learner in a mixed ability classroom, a teacher constantly grapples with the academic plague of student inattentiveness. These distracted students either resort to day dreaming or become nuclei of cliques creating chaos in the classroom causing other learners’ attention to dwindle. Since centering attention on learning paves the way for academic success, it follows that a teacher has an added responsibility in securing and holding students’ attention during the teaching-learning process. It’s time for a breakthrough in classroom dynamics by transforming the scars in the area of students’ learning behavior to stars through a re-discovery of the main causes of student distraction and how it can be curtailed. The present study delved into 4 categories of factors responsible for students’ attention, namely Physical Environment, Personal Factors, Social Factors and Student Learning Preference. The sample comprised of 462 students of the secondary section of an English medium S.S.C. school in Mumbai. The Students’ Sustained Attention Scale and the Students’ Attention Span Scale were administered to collect the required data. Results indicated that the category of Personal Factors ranked highest in both Middle and High School students affecting their sustained attention. Further, regression analysis indicated that all the factors significantly contributed to the Attention Span of the students, with Personal Factors again making the highest contribution. This study could provide a beacon of light to teachers in devising strategies to train students in concentrating their undivided attention on learning, as they as learners play a pivotal role in their own learning process.

Attention Span, Physical Environment, Personal Factors, Social Factors, Student Learning Preference

"Transforming Scars to Stars: A Multivariate Analysis of Factors Affecting Sustained Attention and Attention Span", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.10, Issue 10, page no.h251-h256, October-2023, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2310630.pdf

"Transforming Scars to Stars: A Multivariate Analysis of Factors Affecting Sustained Attention and Attention Span", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.10, Issue 10, page no. pph251-h256, October-2023, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2310630.pdf