Researcher: Happy Rajpurohit, Researcher and Writer for EnvisionSTEM
Writer: Alexander Dominguez, Lead Writer for EnvisionSTEM
There’s always the same common, recurring theme amongst students in school: boredom. If there’s anything that both teachers hate, it's having students that are bored in their classes, and similarly, students hate boring classes. Therefore, we at EnvisionSTEM have researched ways that teachers can improve their students’ attention span and some advice for students to enjoy their school life more and make the most of it.
The Annoying Facts:
Unfortunately, the majority of students in schools are bored and stressed out. Surveys have indicated that most students aren’t entirely happy—79.83% were stressed, 69.51% were bored, and around 58% of students said that they were tired (Belli). "Negative feelings may be interrelated in this case, with tiredness, for example, contributing to boredom or stress. (Belli)." It’s also possible that being tired and bored as a result may make it more difficult for students to show curiosity and interest in their classes.
To cope with boredom, students begin to fidget, doodle, or find other methods to keep their minds active, and for the most part, these behaviors are unacceptable. Additionally, if a student isn’t paying attention because they’re bored, they may begin to feel stressed when they’re called on to answer questions (Fox). As a result, we at EnvisionSTEM have researched ways for both students and teachers to tackle the issue of boredom.
What Teachers Can Do To Help:
Boredom comes from a lack of engagement. It’s impossible for students to learn something new if they aren’t engaged. Teachers just expect their students to "try harder" or "focus more" to not get bored, but obviously, that won’t ever work (Fox). Here are some ways that we recommend teachers use to increase engagement and reduce boredom in their classes (Reeves):
1. Physical Activity: Having students take a break by playing a game, going outdoors for class, or having students do a quick stretch can drastically help students mentally. Firstly, students will enjoy the class more considering that they know their teacher allows breaks and fun. Secondly, students will have less negative energy in that class because they can get rebooted back into reality if they are bored. Physical activity can also reduce stress, which in turn can reduce boredom. Note: this example applies mostly to elementary and middle school instructors, since students in higher education have more challenging classes to pass.
2. Adjust Timing in Activities: Here’s a known fact: The younger the child, the lower their attention span. Children can concentrate on one task for two to five minutes per year old. For instance, if a child is at the age of 10, teachers should expect 20 to 50 minutes of attention from them before they get bored. With that being said, it is crucial for teachers to keep that in mind. Again, this mostly applies to early education rather than higher education, where students are more mature and may pay attention for a whole hour. Also, teachers should be mindful of students with shorter attention spans (ADHD) by checking up on them more often to see if they’re following the material.
3. Remove Distractions: Almost everyone who has gone to school has been in a classroom with strange images or other distracting elements. Teachers should re-evaluate their classrooms and see if there is any distracting material that might disrupt their students' focus.
4. Play Games: The first solution that comes to everyone’s mind when it comes to making a class more fun is playing games. For educational purposes, we highly recommend memory games on the subject. Memory games will not only increase student engagement but will also help students understand the material better. Additionally, we recommend electronic games like Kahoot every now and then for a review because it makes reviewing material before a test exciting and will help students do better on the test. Obviously, there are more creative and unique fun games that teachers can implement into their class, but those examples we listed were just to name a few.
5. Break Large Tasks Into Smaller Parts: Teachers who assign lengthy assignments to students should divide them into smaller chunks. One way that this can work is through group work, where students can work together on parts of the assignment at a time. Group work will also make the class more engaging and even fun. Not only that, students will also gain social skills, which are a great set of soft skills that are needed for almost every job.
6. Get Feedback From Students: Teachers should receive some sort of feedback from students. Usually, teachers ask for feedback after a project, but they should occasionally ask for feedback after a lecture as well to see what students enjoyed about the lecture and if they are confused about anything. Once teachers obtain feedback, it’s their responsibility to change their methods according to what they believe is right for success.
What Students Can Do:
Sometimes, it’s not always a teacher’s fault that a student isn’t doing the best that they can in class. The only way for students to excel in school is through staying engaged. Here is some advice we at EnvisionSTEM have gathered and recommend (Kiley):
1. Get in the Right Mindset: First and foremost, the only way to succeed in anything in life is by having the right mindset. The most crucial part of this tip is for students to change the way they think and their outlook on school. For instance, instead of a student thinking, "Oh my, when is this class going to be over? I’m bored here.", they can instead think, "Today I’m going to learn something new. I’m going to get a good grade in this class, and then I’m going to be a genius. As a matter of fact, everything I do from here on will matter when it comes to me being successful in life. Success is not a destination, but a journey." This was a bit exaggerated and sarcastic, but in fact it’s accurate. Getting adequate sleep is a key factor that affects mood and energy, so that’s a great start!
2. Reduce Distractions: This method may work differently depending on the student. For some students, it’s better to sit at the front of the classroom to avoid distractions from other students in the classroom, and the teacher can easily monitor their behavior if the student has their phone out or isn’t paying attention. However, other students may prefer to sit towards the back of the classroom because having others sit behind them makes them feel uncomfortable. Keep in mind that it’s easier to be engaged when sitting at the front as opposed to the back of the classroom. Note that people pay more for front-row seats at sports games, concerts, and plays because it's more engaging.
3. Improve Note-taking skills: We at EnvisionSTEM previously did an article on note-taking, but here’s what we recommend: Rather than trying to write down everything,
students should listen to the key concepts that the teacher is talking about and jot them down. They should try to implement the usage of symbols and keywords to make note-taking easier. Sometimes, using different colored pens and highlighters might help when it comes to reviewing material later.
4. Remain Active: Besides note-taking, students should be active in class (actively engaged). Some ways of doing this include asking questions for clarification, answering questions, and contributing to class discussions. Not only will students understand the material better, but they will also feel more alert and active in class.
5. Talk To Teachers: Students should feel safe and comfortable developing interpersonal relationships with their teachers. Interacting with them before, during, and after class might help a student get to know them better and feel more comfortable in their class. Developing an interpersonal relationship with a teacher will allow the student to like them more and enjoy their class more, reducing boredom. There are more benefits to this, such as having a potential recommender when students begin to apply to college.
6. Be Prepared: In order to participate in class and be part of discussions, students must know what they’re getting themselves into. That’s why students should consistently study their notes to update their knowledge on the topic and see if they still need clarification on some gray areas.
Final Words:
It is important for both teachers and students to remember that overcoming boredom and increasing attention span take effort. The best teachers aren’t just lucky or "natural-born-teachers," but instead have taken time to study their students and know what’s best
for them and the material they teach. Students also have to be in the right mindset in order to be engaged in class, which will lead them to like the class more and pay attention.
Works Cited
1. Belli, Brita. “National Survey: Students’ Feelings About High School Are Mostly Negative.” YaleNews, 30 Jan. 2020,
https://news.yale.edu/2020/01/30/national-survey-students-feelings-about-high-school-ar e-mostly-negative.
2. Fox, Jenifer. “Boredom in School and Its Effects on Your Child’s Health.” Huffpost, 17 Nov. 2011,
www.huffpost.com/entry/boredom-in-school-and-its_b_200602#:~:text=One%20of%20th e%20main%20problems%20with,or%20demand%20it%20for%20their%20children%3F& text=One%20of%20the%20main,it%20for%20their%20children%3F&text=the%20main% 20problems%20with,or%20demand%20it%20for.
3. Reeves, David. “7 Ways to Increase a Student’s Attention Span.” Edutopia, 10 July 2015, www.edutopia.org/discussion/7-ways-increase-students-attention-span. 4. Kiley, A. “6 Ways to Stay Engaged in Class.” Elite Educational Institute, 12 May 2017, www.eliteprep.com/blog/2017/5/12/6-ways-to-stay-engaged-in-class.
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