Page 17 - The Regent Digest Volume 13 Issue 19

FROM THE Several strategies have been identified through research to manage mind wandering in ed-

LANGUAGES ucational settings. These solutions aim to increase students’ focus, engagement, and emo-

FACULTY tional regulation.

Mindfulness Training

Mindfulness exercises, such as focused
breathing and mindfulness meditation, can
Mind-wandering in Active Learning help students become more aware of when

their minds wander and bring their attention
the classroom Active learning involves engaging back to the task.

students in hands-on, interactive
activities, rather than passive lis-
tening. Techniques include group
By Mrs Esther Ajala, Assistant Vice Principal School Improvement. discussions, problem-solving
tasks, debates, peer teaching, and
project-based learning.
esearch shows that when listening to a story, pupils’ minds
Frequent Breaks and Movement
wander 20 to 30 percent of the time. So what can teachers
Allowing students to take short breaks or
R do to get them back on track? The human brain is built to
engage in movement during lessons can
be miserly. We continually hoard mental energy so that we are al-
help prevent mental fatigue and reduce
ways ready to fulfil our evolutionary fight-or-flight needs. To save this
mind wandering.
mental energy, we all engage in the act of mind-wandering which,
as every teacher knows, can prove costly for pupils’ learning and re-
Reducing External Distractions
membering.
Minimising external distractions, such
as noise, technology, or social interrup-
Recent research on mind wandering in secondary school students Implementing a combination of these strat-
tions, can help students focus better on
highlights its dual nature - while it can be a source of creativity or egies can help secondary school students
the task at hand. Teachers can create a
emotional relief, it more often impedes learning and academic suc- better manage mind wandering, leading to
distraction-free learning space by man-
cess. Effective strategies to manage mind wandering, such as fos- improved attention, academic performance,
aging classroom noise levels, using quiet
tering attention control, mindfulness, and active engagement, are and well-being. Fostering an engaging, inter-
time for focused tasks, and setting clear
becoming increasingly important in educational contexts. active, and supportive learning environment,
boundaries for when technology can be
along with teaching self-regulation skills, can
used.
Students who view themselves as capable learners tend to experi- reduce the frequency and negative effects of
ence less mind wandering. In contrast, students who doubt their ac- mind wandering in the classroom.
ademic abilities may disengage more easily, allowing their minds to Part of this article was culled from Alex Quigley’s –
wander during tasks. ‘How to tackle mind wandering in the classroom’

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