The strategies to gain and sustain student attention have been studied by many experts, convinced that without the involvement of the students the teaching cannon be effective.
The objective of this small-scale research is to explore the task implemented in a language school for adults in order to understand what strategies adopted by the teacher contribute to students’ involvement.
The analysis of the data obtained from the video recording, complemented by the feedback from the students and other teachers shows that the observed teacher uses successfully many different strategies to gain and maintain students’ attention, such as setting a positive mental set, employing clarity, encouragingness and using attention-getters.
Key words: gain student attention, sustain student involvement, positive mental set, encouragingness, group focus, activity flow, effective monitoring
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Context
3. Theoretical Framework
3.1 Strategies to gain students’ attention at the beginning of the lesson.
3.2 Strategies to maintain students’ attention.
4. Focus of the observation.
5. Methodology.
6. Analysis and discussion.
7. Conclusions.
8. References.
9. Annexes.
9.1 Transcript 1.
9.2. Transcript 2.
Research Objectives and Focus
This research aims to identify and analyze the pedagogical strategies employed by a teacher to effectively gain and sustain student attention in an adult language learning environment, specifically focusing on the transition from the beginning to the body of a lesson.
- Identification of verbal and non-verbal cues for lesson openings.
- Exploration of techniques to maintain student engagement and group focus.
- Analysis of classroom management strategies based on empirical observation.
- Evaluation of the impact of teacher enthusiasm and active listening on student participation.
- Synthesis of classroom-based findings with established educational theory.
Excerpt from the Book
6.1. Transcript 1. Beginning of the lesson
In the turn number 1 the teacher follows one of the basic rules of a good lesson beginning ( Jones & Jones, 2001, as described in Burden, 2003). She uses both verbal and non-verbal cues for getting students’ attention. ”Hello everybody” is a verbal cue while standing in front of the students, smiling and looking at them are non-verbal signals. The start of the lesson is smooth without any external interruptions, which is also very important to gain students’ attention.
Moreover, she successfully creates a positive mental set (Kyriacou, 1998), by standing centre-stage, at the front of the room, speaking clearly, keeping an eye contact and scanning the room constantly. Furthermore, she appears relaxed, self assure and confident, which, according to Kyriacou (1998), are also very important elements to create a positive mental set.
Also, students are engaged because the teacher herself is a good physical attention-getter; it is the first time she is with this class and the students are naturally interested in her. Moreover, she uses her name as an element of surprise which is an effective attention-getter. The class is surprised with the way her name is spelled.
Furthermore, at the end of this turn the teacher uses humour to gain students’ involvement. They laugh when she says how her name should not be pronounced. The students are attentive also because they have a real purpose for listening; they want to find out something about a new teacher, they are curious about her. “A sense of curiosity, excitement and purposefulness of what is to follow contribute to keeping students’ attention” (Kyriacou, 1998, p. ).
Finally, the teacher shows enthusiasm all the time, through verbal and non verbal communication. Her gestures, face expression and tone of voice convey enthusiasm.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the scope of the study as a small-scale research focused on teacher-led interaction strategies to maintain student attention.
2. Context: Describes the setting of the observation, specifically a level 4 English group for adults, and the nature of the teacher-fronted activity utilized.
3. Theoretical Framework: Outlines core pedagogical concepts regarding lesson beginnings, activity flow, and strategies for sustaining engagement.
4. Focus of the observation.: Defines the specific research questions regarding the strategies used at the beginning and during the body of the lesson.
5. Methodology.: Details the qualitative-ethnographic approach, including the use of video transcripts and professional self-reflection.
6. Analysis and discussion.: Provides an empirical evaluation of two lesson transcripts to identify specific attention-gaining techniques.
7. Conclusions.: Summarizes the findings, highlighting how the teacher’s use of surprise, enthusiasm, and cognitive matching leads to successful student involvement.
8. References.: Lists the academic literature and educational theories that support the analysis.
9. Annexes.: Contains the detailed transcripts used as primary data for the research.
Keywords
gain student attention, sustain student involvement, positive mental set, encouragingness, group focus, activity flow, effective monitoring, classroom management, pedagogical strategies, teacher enthusiasm, cognitive matching, active listening, student engagement, language learning, teaching strategies
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this research paper?
The paper explores the pedagogical strategies used by teachers to gain and sustain student attention in adult language learning classrooms.
What are the primary themes addressed in the work?
Central themes include classroom management, student engagement, the importance of a positive mental set, and the effective use of verbal and non-verbal communication.
What is the main research question of this study?
The study seeks to identify what strategies a teacher employs to successfully gain student attention at the lesson's start and maintain involvement throughout the lesson.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author uses a qualitative-ethnographic approach, conducting classroom-based research through self-observation, video recording analysis, and transcript evaluation.
What topics are discussed in the main body of the paper?
The main body examines theoretical frameworks such as activity flow, movement management, group focus, and the practical application of these through specific teaching techniques.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include activity flow, positive mental set, group focus, effective monitoring, and student involvement.
How does the teacher use 'surprise' to increase engagement?
The teacher uses personal details, such as the unusual spelling of her name, as an element of surprise to capture student curiosity and create an immediate personal connection.
What role does humour play in the observed lessons?
Humour is utilized as a device to relieve tension, increase student enjoyment, and sustain attention during the instructional process.
Why is 'cognitive matching' considered important by the author?
Cognitive matching ensures the level of difficulty in a task is appropriate for the students' abilities, preventing boredom while avoiding frustration.
What are the implications of the teacher's use of 'active listening'?
By using non-verbal cues like leaning forward and maintaining eye contact, the teacher demonstrates genuine interest, which encourages students to participate more actively.
- Citation du texte
- Iwona Okret (Auteur), 2011, Teacher Strategies to Gain and Sustain Student Attention, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/294469
