Attention span and academic performance in subject medical surgical 1 among 3rd year student nurses in a private university

Abstract

This research study aimed to identify the relationship between attention span and academic performance of third year student nurses in a private university in the subject Medical Surgical 1. The study sought to understand how the attention span of the student nurses during lecture affects their academic performance in this demanding subject. The study employed descriptive correlational design, utilizing a researcher-made questionnaire to determine the attention span and academic performance of the respondents. The respondents of the study were 143 out of 223 3rd year student nurses selected through stratified random sampling to ensure that the respondents were proportionately represented. Descriptive statistics, including frequency distribution tables, means, percentages, and standard deviation were utilized to summarize the gathered data. The Pearson’s r was used for inferential statistics, determining the relationship between attention span and academic performance. The results show a direct, very high correlation between attention span and academic performance, implying that students that have longer attention span in class tend to achieve a high result in academic performance. The study also found that the students’ attention span varied widely, with many of them experiencing trouble in focusing for a longer period of time. The findings of the study emphasize the importance of creating a learning environment that encourages sustained attention span and the need for the teachers to create strategies to help the students to become more adept at focusing.