Education Commons^™

The Relationship Between Problematic Smartphone Use And The Academic Performance Of University Students, Richard Robinette

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

To fulfill the explicit mandate of meeting (or exceeding) benchmarks established for the learning objectives associated with programmatic curricular goals, it is incumbent and imperative that the educational process of sharing instructional material with students is not interfered with. However, mobile technology – especially in the form of smartphone use by students while in the classroom during learning activities – may effectively distract attention and focus sufficiently enough to jeopardize both academic performance and the concomitant achievement of learning objectives. The concern is serious and the consequences are significant. This study has attempted to ascertain if the problematic use of …

Music As An Instructional Modality To Increase Attending Behavior Of Elementary Students, Zachary Grossman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Audio and audiovisual cues, when used as teaching tools, result in desirable learning outcomes for young learners when compared to visual cues alone (Havy et al., 2017; Kirkham et al., 2019; Sloutsky & Napolitano, 2003). Previous research has demonstrated that music can be an effective delivery method for teaching math in the elementary classrooms (An & Tillman, 2015; An et al., 2014; Azaryahu et al., 2020). However, the effectiveness of music at increasing attending behavior specifically has not been assessed in these studies. This study evaluated the effectiveness of music based instruction on students’ attending behaviors compared to non-music based …

College Students' Relationship With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder And Learning Accommodations At The University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Brianna Danehey, Kim Hansen Dr., Chelsea Witt Dr.

Honors Theses

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can provide many challenges for college students due to difficulties focusing, multi-tasking, and staying organized. Colleges are required to offer academic accommodations to students with disabilities in an attempt to provide students with an equitable learning environment. However, accommodations may be ineffective if they are highly unattainable, unused by the student once granted, or hindered by university faculty.

The objective of this study was to identify barriers to receiving effective and beneficial academic accommodations for individuals with ADHD at the University level and to provide insight into college students' knowledge and relationships relating to the …

Developmentally Appropriate And Evidence Based Approaches For Improving Attention In Kindergarteners, Alana Brown

A with Honors Projects

This project examines evidence based practices to improve the attention of kindergarteners in the classroom based on development in three domains: cognitive, social emotional, and physical. It describes scientifically based practices in contrast with popular practices, or fads, that have little or no evidence of success in improving attention. The findings reported here provide information that teachers can use to assess whether classroom techniques use developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) to improve the attention of children.

Experimental Research On The Influence Of Innovative After-Class Activities On Primary Students’ Attention, Zhongting He, Xiaozan Wang, Jiarong Zhong

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Nowadays, due to factors such as long teaching time of the teacher, students often show problems of inattention. The purpose of this article is to explore whether innovative after-class activities can significantly improve the attention level of third-grade primary students. Through teaching experiment intervention, the attention levels of boys and girls in the experimental group and the control group were compared. According to the principle of no significant difference in the previous test, four classes of the third grade of Xiangtan Road Primary School in Qingdao, Shandong Province were selected, two as experimental classes (60 students, including 30 boys and …

Sensory Rooms: Increasing Preschool Students’ Focus And Engagement In The Classroom, Tasha Pierce

Master's Theses & Capstone Projects

This paper analyzes the need for schools to implement a multi-sensory room to help students regulate their sensory needs. Students today require a multitude of experiences and different levels of support in order to effectively learn. Teachers are faced with the challenge of providing this support to students so they can engage in and retain what is learned each day. To overcome this challenge, we looked at the history of multi-sensory rooms, the benefits they have for all students in the classroom, and how one can be properly implemented in a preschool classroom. We put forth an action plan that …

An Exploratory Study Of Behavioral Engagement In People With And Without Aphasia: Comparisons And Relationships, Vivian Elisabeth Ward

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research suggests that attentional deficits could be the underlying cause of language impairments in people with aphasia (PWA) and that behavioral engagement ratings can be an accurate way to measure attention to specific tasks. Previous research also suggests that PWA have lower levels of behavioral engagement than neurologically healthy adults. Participants in the present study included 9 PWA and 18 neurologically healthy adults. This was an exploratory study investigating the relationships and differences between behavioral engagement and physiological measures, perceived arousal, and naming accuracy and response time in PWA and neurologically healthy adults. Participants completed a confrontational naming task …

Correlation Of The Anterior Salience Network With Attention: A Resting-State Fmri Analysis, Matthew Brooks

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Background: Some studies have broadened our understanding of attention while other studies have used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analyses to identify brain regions that are functionally connected and may be associated with salience processing. This thesis sought to examine the relationship between the anterior salience network and attentional control. The current study hypothesized that resting-state functional connectivity between regions of the anterior salience network would be associated with attentional control ability. Methods: Forty-eight college-aged students completed the affective Stroop task to assess attentional regulation ability. Accuracy on trials of the task was examined in correlation with resting-state functional …

The Effects Of A Mindfulness Curriculum On Sixth Grade Students In A Title I School, Jason A. Tackett

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Mindfulness is being integrated and studied across school settings as studies continue to reveal its beneficial effects. One of the largest mindfulness-in-schools organizations is Mindful Schools, which published a revised version of The Mindful Schools Curriculum for Adolescents (MSC-A) in 2019. While the effects of previous versions of the MSC-A have been evaluated in past studies and shown to be beneficial for students, the effects of the 2019 MSC-A have not been explored. This project sought to identify the effects of a condensed schedule of select lessons from the 2019 MSC-A on student and teacher perceptions of student mindfulness as …

Memory In The Process Of Scientific Research And The Role Of Breaks In It, Zoyira Payanovna Nadirova

Scientific reports of Bukhara State University

Introduction. Man has always sought to know the structure of the universe, the laws of the development of what it contains, and phenomena.In the process of cognition, there are three cases when a person suddenly, by chance, information is needed to make a quick decision in a limited environment, making his own decision "in advance", "exactly as it is necessary to do". One such case we call intuition.Intuition is a complex phenomenon of cognition, a specific way of generating real knowledge. A long period in science came when the mechanism of intuitive cognition was not known.For this reason, every kind …

Neurofeedback Needs Support! Effects Of Neurofeedback-Eeg Training In Terms Of The Level Of Attention And Arousal Control In Sports Shooters, Miroslaw Mikicin, Marta Sczypanska, Katarzyna Skwarek

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Background: ‪Achievements in sports shooting are associated with the level of attention and agitation control, which improve to a significant extent the effectiveness of shooters in sports competition. The purpose of this study was to analyse changes in the level of attention and activation in sports shooters after neurofeedback-EEG training. Material and methods: ‪The study included students of the Military University of Technology (27 subjects). The Vienna Test System was used: a test for assessing attention (COG) and a test for assessing the functional activation (FLIM). The measurements were carried out before and after 20 neurofeedback-EEG training sessions oriented towards …

Improving Reader Motivation With Machine Learning, Tanner A. Bohn

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis focuses on the problem of increasing reading motivation with machine learning (ML). The act of reading is central to modern human life, and there is much to be gained by improving the reading experience. For example, the internal reading motivation of students, especially their interest and enjoyment in reading, are important factors in their academic success.

There are many topics in natural language processing (NLP) which can be applied to improving the reading experience in terms of readability, comprehension, reading speed, motivation, etc. Such topics include personalized recommendation, headline optimization, text simplification, and many others. However, to the …

Get The Wiggles Out: Sensory Paths A Motor-Based Intervention To Decrease Out-Of-Seat Events In Preschool Children With Special Needs., Teresa Ludwig

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

Sensory Paths are sensory motor-based interventions that will provide opportunities for teachers to incorporate structured movement into the natural classroom routine, such as before circle time, to help the children in their classes be ready for learning by increasing attention and decreasing out of seat events.

This single subject A-B-A design project, rooted in the Ecology of Human Performance framework, explored providing structured sensory motor-based opportunities prior to circle time throughout the classroom day to decrease interfering behaviors in the classroom, such as out of seat behaviors and improve attention during circle time.

The results indicate that the Sensory Paths …

Implementing Mindfulness: The Effect On Student Behavior And Focus At The Elementary Level, Brianna Anderson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The practice of mindfulness is being used with increasing regularity in classrooms around the world. Mindfulness is the idea of being present in the moment without thinking about the past or wondering about the future. Teaching students about practicing mindfulness has several components including breathing, seeing, stretching, and listening. Provided is a literature review and research on the positive effects mindfulness has on a students’ ability to focus, self-regulate, and release anxiety and stress in a Title 1 elementary classroom. Analysis of the data showed a decrease in the frequency of off-task behaviors in four out of six students during …

The Relationship Between Mindfulness, Academic Stress, And Attention, Tida Blackburn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Some degree of anxiety in learning situations is expected and normal. However, excessive anxiety and stress negatively affect cognitive performance, especially working memory, concentration, and sustained attention. Studies have shown that higher success in academics is related to a better ability to maintain focus on the information presented including auditory and visual attention. College students who are better able to manage stress are more successful than those who cannot. One method of coping with stress and anxiety is the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present in the moment, be aware of one’s mind, body, and …

The Effects Of A Mindfulness-Based Intervention On Middle School Students With Special Needs, Michelle Castillo

Education | Master's Theses

Adolescence is a vulnerable period to a child’s emotional and social environment due to the puberty-related changes in hormones, which has an effect on their judgement, impulse control, and emotional regulation. Middle school students face several daily stressors at school, at home, and in their communities. Although adolescents face stressors in and out of school, a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) can be beneficial. This research focuses on the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on middle school special education students in regards to their attention and behavior in general education classes as well as their self-perception. While prior studies address the benefits …

Effects Of Yoga On Student Attention In Pre-K, Amanda Paulson

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects Yoga Calm (Gillen & Gillen, 2009) had on student attention in Pre-Kindergarten students. Nine pre-kindergarten students receiving special education services at an elementary school participated in 5-10 minutes of yoga practice each day in a small group environment before returning to a large group setting for shared reading. The yoga time consisted of teaching of different sequences along with breathing techniques that could also be used independently. Observations were conducted on a weekly basis during shared reading. The observations focused on whole body listening (eyes, ears, mouth, hands, arms, legs, …

A Single-Subject Study On Listening To Student-Selected Music Through Headphones For Students With Adhd, Jennifer Renee Royster Ramey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects that self-selected music have on the working memory of fifth grade students with an ADHD diagnosis. A single-subject ABACAC design was used, and a convenience sample of five fifth-grade students from a rural central Virginia middle school participated in the study. An on-line working memory N-back task (Cognitive Fun!, 2008) was used to measure the working memory of each participant under the conditions of no music, teacher-selected music listened to through headphones, and self-selected music listened to through headphones. The results of this study found that one participant experienced a …

Exploring The Utility Of Mindfulness In The Elementary School Classroom, Sarah M. Wells

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Current evidence supporting the efficacy of mindfulness training in the K-12 setting is quite limited. In addition there is a lack of theory that is committed explicitly to explaining how a direct mindfulness-achievement effect might appear. This study builds a promising foundation for helping address this gap in the existing literature. Framed within the context of a limited source model of self-regulation, academic achievement and perceptions of third, fourth, and, fifth graders participating in a 3-week mindfulness training program were examined across variables of executive control, and emotional regulation. Mindfulness training produced observed emotional and cognitive benefits, including increased executive …

Examining Relationships Between The Wakids Gold Social-Emotional And Cognitive Subtests Of Executive Function And Kindergarten Reading Readiness, Amy J. Wright

Education Dissertations

Executive function skills, which are defined as a person’s ability to regulate behaviors such as attention, working memory, and inhibitory control, play a role in a child’s successful transition from preschool to kindergarten. The purpose of this study was to review and analyze the relationship between executive function in early childhood, as measured by the WaKIDS GOLD^TM social-emotional and cognitive subtests, and early reading readiness. The research design was both correlational and predictive (Gall, Gall, & Borg, 2006). The target population is kindergarteners in a suburban Washington State school district. The study is based on data collected at the …

Neural Correlates Of Interval Timing Deficits In Schizophrenia, Ariel W. Snowden, Catalin V. Buhusi

Psychology Faculty Publications

Previous research has shown that schizophrenia (SZ) patients exhibit impairments in interval timing. The cause of timing impairments in SZ remains unknown but may be explained by a dysfunction in the fronto-striatal circuits. Although the current literature includes extensive behavioral data on timing impairments, there is limited focus on the neural correlates of timing in SZ. The neuroimaging literature included in the current review reports hypoactivation in the dorsal-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), supplementary motor area (SMA) and the basal ganglia (BG). Timing deficits and deficits in attention and working memory (WM) in SZ are likely due to a dysfunction of …

Physical Activity In The Secondary Classroom, Rebecca Streit Nelson

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to review literature related to exercise breaks in the secondary classroom. There is a current nation-wide effort to increase active behavior in our youth. Secondary teachers and administrators are finding new methods to incorporate exercise in the classroom based on professional and personal interests and Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs. Research reviewed on exercise breaks includes cognitive and attentional benefits and variables to consider when planning exercise breaks. Most research identifies a positive correlation between exercise breaks in the secondary classroom and increases in cognitive or attentional benefits for students. No major negative impacts …

Mindfulness Training And Its Effects On Behavior And Achievement, Amber L. Woeltge

All Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness is a concept that has been around for hundreds of years dating back to 3000B.C. However, as of recent it has reached our youth and adolescents in education and elsewhere. Mindfulness–Based Training involving young children and adolescents has been a relatively new topic of research over the past ten years. The context of this research paper was to examine published, empirical, peer-reviewed studies that analyze the impact Mindfulness-Based Training programs have in regard to behavior and academic achievement on youth and adolescents. The focus on behavior is to determine if Mindfulness-Based Training can positively influence behavior concerns with regard …

Working Memory And Attention As Predictors Of Processing Speed In Elementary School Students: A Developmental Study, Monih Alshehri

Dissertations

Problem

Many studies suggest that Processing Speed (PS), Attention, and Working Memory (WM) are major cognitive functions that collaborate to achieve a coherent cognitive system. The aim of the current study was to improve the conception of how these cognitive functions interrelate. The study addressed two main questions: the first, whether PS can be predicted by WM (visual, verbal, and the central executive) and attention of elementary students in first and fifth grade; the second, whether there are gender differences in the rate of change in WM and PS from first to fifth grade.

Method

The participants were taken from …

Storytelling Study, Samantha Irene Pepe

Honors Theses and Capstones

Expressive prosody (i.e., a manner of communication that is characterized by lively rhythm and tempo) and inexpressive prosody (i.e., monotone speech) present different environments for listening to a story during a read-aloud session. This study aims to assess whether there are visual attention differences for preschoolers in these varied prosodic environments and how this affects comprehension.

The Roles Of Biophilic Attitudes And Auditory Stimuli Within Attention Restoration Theory, Jason B. Boggs

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Attention Restoration Theory indicates that interacting with nature allows one’s fatigued, directed attention to be restored. This effect has been documented and produced through directed interaction with nature, such as a walk in the park, as well as through indirect interactions (e.g., photographs). The current dissertation was designed to: 1) investigate whether and how biophilic attitudes affect the attention-restoring effects incurred from interactions with nature, and 2) extend the research on ART by assessing the impact of nature-related audio stimuli. A total of 184 participants completed an assessment of biophilic attitudes, engaged in attention fatiguing exercises, and participated in one …

Exploring The Influence Of Mindfulness On Elementary-Aged Students Through The Lens Of The Classroom Teacher: A Case Study, Angela Penna-Wilkos

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this research study is to explore schoolteachers’ perceptions and experiences regarding the implementation of mindfulness practices with school-aged elementary students. The concept of mindfulness involves three interrelated mental skills and dispositions: (a) concentrating attention intentionally on the here and now; (b) perceiving the present moment in a calm, clear, and receptive manner; and (c) experiencing each moment just as it is without bias or judgment (Kostanski & Hassed, 2008). As mental health education gains greater priority in schools, interest has increased in the utility of mindfulness practices as one of the key approaches of addressing student well-being. …

The Effect Of Purposeful Movement In The Garden On Attention And Focus In The Primarymontessori Classroom, Linda Webb

Masters of Arts in Education Action Research Papers

This study explores how gardening affects students’ focus and attention in a primary Montessori classroom. Over the course of a four-week intervention, the teacher-researcher provided eleven students with mini-gardening lessons, followed by time to use purposeful movement in the garden. When students returned to the classroom to assume their Montessori work activities, the researcher collected data by recording the time it took the students to get on task, whether or not students were focused, and which unfocused behaviors were exhibited. A pre-and post-attitude scale was completed by the students to determine prior experiences and attitudes towards gardening. The study revealed …

The Effectiveness Of Student Choice Of Self-Monitoring, Victoria Dougherty

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of choice on self-monitoring systems with students in first and second grade with disabilities. Specifically the study analyzed the effects of self-monitoring and choice on (a) on task behaviors and (b) academic achievement. Moreover, student satisfaction with self-monitoring and choice of self-monitoring were evaluated for social validity. Four students participated in the study, one female and one male first grade student and one female and one male second grade student. Three students were classified Specific Learning Disability and one student was classified Communication Impaired. The design of this research was …

Effects Of Sustained Attention On The Social Skills Of Assertion, Cooperation, Self Control, And Peer Competence, Amy Jean Burns

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The current study explored the relation between sustained attention and the social skills of assertion, cooperation, self-control, and peer competence and whether sex moderated this relation. Data from the National Institute of Child Health and Development – Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development were analyzed. Structural equation models were used to test the possibility of sex as a moderator for each relation. Results suggest sex moderates the relation between sustained attention and assertion skills. Additionally, results suggest sex moderates the relation between sustained attention and cooperation skills. However, results suggest sex did not moderate the relation between sustained …