Promote selective attention in 4th-grade students: lessons learned from a school-based intervention on self-regulation

Abstract

Academic success is a complex concept comprising not only good academic performance, but also the development of competencies and the accomplishment made by the ends of learning. Among the motivational and attentional variables likely to influence academic success, extant literature reports the relevance of developing self-regulation and attentional control to foster school success. Still, little is known about how to foster attentional control competencies through training on self-regulated learning strategies. The present study aims are twofold: (i) to assess the efficacy of a program targetted to promote self-regulation strategies on attentional control, specifically in selective attention, and (ii) to explore the role of selective attention on arithmetic performance. Participants were 136 fourth grade students, aged from 8 to 11 years old. Of those, 68 were enrolled in a school based intervention aimed to promote self-regulation. At the end of the intervention, the experimental group showed higher levels of self-regulation and selective attention that were significantly different when compared to the control group. The SR training has influenced positively participants SA with impact on their arithmetic competencies. The findings of this study can provide relevant insight to better understand these variables and to design better in-class practices.