Skip to main content
eScholarship
Open Access Publications from the University of California

Attentional Competition in Genuine Classrooms: Analysis of the Classroom VisualEnvironment

Creative Commons 'BY' version 4.0 license
Abstract

Prior research in laboratory settings suggests highly decoratedlearning environments reduce attention to instructional taskshampering learning. However, systematic research examininghow the visual environment relates to children’s on-taskbehavior in genuine learning environments is more rare. Thus,it is unknown whether prior laboratory findings can beextended to genuine classrooms and what specific aspects ofthe visual environment might pose a challenge for children’sattention regulation and learning. This study aims to (1)provide a nuanced examination of specific elements of theclassroom visual environment (e.g., visual noise, quantity ofposters, color darkness, color variability, adherence to generaldesign principles) by analyzing panoramic photographs of 58classrooms, and (2) investigate whether specific elements ofthe visual environment are related to rates of on-taskbehavior. Results indicate on-task behavior declined inclassrooms containing greater visual noise.

Main Content
For improved accessibility of PDF content, download the file to your device.
Current View