| The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between the subjects' background experience and the apparent attention. Also the study attempted to investigate the relationship between subject's age, sex, and motivation and apparent attention. The study was designed to answer the following questions: (1) Do quick non-intensive self-reports provide valid data on global attention that correlates with: (a) observer judgement; (b) teacher judgement; (c) interview results; (d) questionnaire results. (2) Under what conditions do students attend most in the TESL classes? (3) Are the grades students receive in the course related to the level of attention they reportedly paid during the class?; The sample for this study consisted of students enrolled in the Method of Teaching English as a Second Language class, "407", at Michigan State University during Fall term, 1987. A total of fifty-six students were in the class. The (10) students were randomly selected from the class to be observed extensively and interviewed by the researcher.; Methodologies employed, were questionnaire, thought sampling questionnaires, observations by the researcher and interviews.; The findings revealed the rate and importance of the type of activities and length of the activities on the student's attention level. Timing of the activities appears to have a slight influence on the student's attention level. The results also indicated that there were significant differences in the level of attention to various classroom activities based on age. Gender was not related to level of attention to various classroom activities except for attention to lecture versus individual activities in which married students showed higher levels of attention than single students. Academic classification was not significantly related to level of attention in all classroom activities. Teaching experience and reason for taking the course were not related to the level of attention. Finally, the study revealed that the level of attention had a significant role in the student's knowledge gain (final grade). |
