ACTION RESEARCH

BY: DONDE M. NECANOR

 ICT
INTEGRATION TO IMPROVE THE
ATTENTION SPAN OF STUDENTS.
CONTENT AND RATIONALE
 Essentially classroom teaching consists of a
teacher who teaches and learners who learn.
According to Psychologist Matthews A.
Killingsworth of Harvard University the simplicity
of this relationship is influenced by a number of
factors, both external and internal, which have an
effect on the significance and the excellence of
teaching and learning. The amount of time and
effort spent in a classroom is worthless unless the
learners are learning. This is manifested within
the concentration span in a classroom.
The oldest definition of attention
can be traced back to William
James (1890) as cited in Styles
(2006) who suggested that it is
“the taking possession of the mind
in clear and vivid form … it implies
withdrawal from some things in
order to deal effectively with
others” (Perry, 1935).
This explanation still serves today to
encompass an effective definition of
the word, attention. James
(Friedenberg & Silverman, 2006)
suggested that substantive thought
occurs when the mind slows down,
perhaps when attention is focused.
Vigilance has therefore often been
thought of as the essence of attention.
Concentration can be defined as that
faculty of the intellect which focuses
single mindedly on one object without
interruption. It must be emphasized
that true concentration is a
wholesome one-pointedness of mind,
“forcing the mind to remain on one
static point” (Gunaratana, 1994).
Teachers need to capture the attention
of learners during a lesson, irrespective
of their learning style and, if the
attention of learners tends to wander,
teachers should be able to shift rapidly
to a new activity to capture it once again
(Rinne, 1997). . It is therefore important
to determine what appeals to different
learners during a lesson.
 In a dated but still relevant document
Wallington (1977) defines technology in a
teaching context as a complex, integrated
process involving people, procedures and
devices in situations in which learning is
purposive and controlled. Purposive
learning is learning in which someone else
has determined that learning is to occur
within a learner and the purpose of such
learning has been specified in advance.
 Controlled learning is learning in which the
learner’s behavior is determined and managed by
someone else. Part of the management process
may include the use of technology. Technology is
used to facilitate human learning through the
systematic identification, development,
organization and utilization of a full range of
learning recourses and through the management
of these recourses. It can be described by the
material it uses and by describing what
practitioners do with it. (Wallington, 1977)
 The use of technology has undergone an
evolutionary process. Initially visual devices such
as overhead projectors and slides were used to
explain difficult material as concretely as
possible. Visual devices were later extended to
include audio-visual devices such as films and
videos since hearing in combination with a visual
component enhances a person’s attention span
resulting in better retention of the content. In
the following phase the focus shifted to
communication.
 Technology, such as computers, is utilized to promote interactive
teaching and learning. Learners do not only receive
 content in a visual or auditory way but actively react to what is
presented to them. (Harris and Hofer. 2009)


 Harris et al. (2009) emphasize that the use of technology in a

classroom can only be successful if pedagogical principals are
taken into account. Before a teacher decides to use technology
he/she should verify pedagogically which content should be
taught in differentiated ways, according to students’ learning
needs, which concepts are difficult to learn, and how technology
can overcome conceptual challenges. No technology is able to
replace the teacher in the classroom.
It can however be
 successfully integrated into lessons which could
maximize the learning experience since technology has
become an integral part of the life world of today’s
learners. (Smaldino, Lowther & Russell, 2008)
Research Questions

1. What is the attention span of the students

before the intervention?
2. What is the attention span of the students after
the intervention?
3. Is there significance difference on the attention
span before and after the intervention?
Innovations Intervention and Strategy

 Explanation of Intervention
 Schools are looking for creating a positive learning
environment in the classroom. I want to design and
implement the ICT integration in the classroom discussion.
This design will help to improve and boost the interest among
student in listening Aralin Panlipunan subject. It allow student
to experience and learn actively through the course of
discussion.
 In my review on teaching innovation thru
ICT, several teachers mentioned that they
used Power Point and other computer
programs to improve their presentation of
material to class. Teachers explained that
technology enabled teachers to deliver
more material to students and it also
eliminated several basic problems such as;
poor hand writing, poor artistic skill,
contrast, lighting, and visibility(Scott
Reid,2002).
 Intervention Plan

 The first step would be to present my

proposal to the research coordinator for
approval. I would present the ICT
integration to improve the attention span of
the student. The proposal is research-based
to come up with a fact that the proposal
would addresses to a particular problem.
 Next, the action research before the
intervention involved gathering of the second
grading score in Aralin Panlipunan examination.
In keeping with an action research approach,
this data took only the records of the students
particularly in second and third grading period.
Once all the data has been collected, I would
compile a table of the finding and make an
analysis for interpretation. I would need eight
weeks to compile this information. The time
frame would be ten weeks from start to finish
my part.
Research Method

a. Participant of the study

 The course of the study are participated by

grade 8 Oleander and Lawaan. The section
Oleander is the controlled group.
 Data gathering Method
RESEARCH QUESTION DATA COLLECTION TOOLS WHY THIS TOOL? JUSTIFY IT USE IN TIMEFRAME
YOUR STUDY HOW AND WHEN DATA WILL BE
COLLECTED?

1. What is the attention span of RECORDS A records is used to show the The records of the students will be
the students before the intervention? performance of the students during the compiled thru tables to be completed
2nd grading. by the teacher within a week.

2. What is the attention span of RECORDS A records is used to show the The records of the students will be
the students after the intervention? performance of the students during the compiled thru tables to be completed
3rd grading. by the teacher within a week.

3. Is there significance difference RECORDS A records is used to show the The records of the students will be
on the attention span before and after comparison between the 2nd and 3rd compiled thru tables to be completed
the intervention? grading performances. by the teacher within a week.
Data Analysis

BEFORE THE AFTER THE

INTERVENTION INTERVENTION

GRADE 8 OLEANDER GRADE 8 OLEANDER GRADE 8 LAWAAN GRADE 8 LAWAAN

MEAN MEAN MEAN MEAN

80.04 (2ND GRADING) 80.75 (3RD GRADING) 74.67 (2ND GRADING) 72.91( 3RD GRADING)
Discussion and Conclusion
 After 3rd grading period, finally the data has been completed.
There are two sections participated in the study. Grade 8
Oleander which is the controlled group and the section Lawaan.
The study shows that there is a significance difference between
before the intervention and after the intervention. As you can
see the mean of the controlled group after the intervention is
greater than before the intervention so, therefore, the
integration of ICT to improve the attention span of the students
has a big deal in terms of attaining higher grade in Aralin
Panlipunan.
Timeline
1st wk. of 2nd wk. of 2nd wk. of January 4th wk. of January 2nd wk. February 3rd wk. of
November November February

 Introduction  Starting  Withdrawal of  Teacher gather  Data analysis  Finalizatio

to Action discussing the ICT in the class the 3rd grading n
Research lesson with ICT discussion data of the action
 Teacher integration. research
gathered
the 2nd
grading
data.