The study of factors affecting concentration in classroom among high school students in Divandarreh City, Iran, in 2018

BACKGROUND: Concentration is one of the most important requirements of education and learning; so that decentralization and distraction in the classroom is one of the most common educational problems. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors affecting the concentration in the classroom among high school students in Divandarreh City, Iran, in 2018. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 among all high school students in Divandarreh City. The sample size was 370 and the cluster sampling method was used. The research instrument was a questionnaire containing demographic characteristics and concentration in classroom. Exclusion criteria included the lack of consent or incorrect completion of the questionnaire. Finally, the data were analyzed by descriptive statistics [frequency, mean, and standard deviation (SD)] and chi-square test. RESULTS: In this study, 54% (198 boys) were male and 46% (172 girls) were female. The average score of the factors related to the teacher was 28.98 ± 5.79, for the factors related to the student was 29.07 ± 5.76, and for the environmental factors was 8.20 ± 2.48. The most effective factor in concentration in class was the teacher ethics and his/her appropriate behavior with the students (3.18 ± 1.00) and the least effective factor was relying on booklet (1.94 ± 1.10). There was a significant relationship between gender and the teacher-related factors (P < 0.001), student-related factors (P = 0.004), and environmental factors (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: According to the results of this study, by improving the behavior of teachers and professors and empowering them to bring their students together, they can play a major role in increasing the students' learning and concentration.