In recent years, students’ concentration in the classroom has decreased in a lot of countries. This phenomenon is due to students being physically and mentally exhausted and having a lot of extra activities outside the classroom. To solve the problem, having an effective time management strategy is crucial, and the school should also prioritise the core subjects which align with the future major chosen by the students for university.
One primary reason for the decline in students’ concentration is that they are usually physically and mentally exhausted. When students have assignments and join various school activities, they will spend more time at school and have less time to rest. This leads them to feel not only less motivated but also less excited to start class every morning. For instance, most schools in Indonesia start as early as 7 in the morning, giving students more pressure to prepare. In addition, pupils these days are allowed, or even required, to have their own gadgets when studying. Often, these gadgets easily distract them, as there are various activities they can do instead of studying. That is why they tend to have a lower attention span during lessons in the classroom.
To address this issue, it is vital that students develop better time management skills, and schools must prioritize core modules or essential subjects. Setting a well-managed timetable to guide them to keep up with all the homework and extracurricular activities is crucial, especially when students have a full-day class for five days a week, as is the case in Indonesia. Moreover, the government should also focus on important subjects which can support students with their future dream careers rather than giving them lots of subjects without deeper comprehension. Students should be equipped with modules that are highly relevant to their future based on their preferences, instead of forcing them to learn subjects they are not interested in. By doing so, they will spend their time more effectively and improve their concentration during the lessons.
In conclusion, students’ concentration may decrease because they feel physically and mentally exhausted, as well as having a lot of extra activities. If this is not mitigated properly, the problems will continue to happen in the future, and this will cause more students to have low outcomes, which generally may negatively affect their academic performance.