Teachers’ and Students’ Opinions About Students’ Attention Problems During the Lesson

Abstract

This research which investigates teachers’ and students’ opinions about students’ attention problems during the lesson is a descriptive study in the survey model. 432 teachers and 1023 students from secondary schools in the central districts of Adana voluntarily participated in the study. The research data were collected with a Written Interview Form developed by the researchers and a descriptive content analysis was used for data analysis. As a result of the research, it was observed that the teachers perceived the attention problems that the students experienced during the course mostly as a problem arising from the students themselves while the students associate this problem not only with themselves, but also with other students, teachers and the environment. According to the results, teachers as well as students easily noticed the psychological characteristics, the behaviors they exhibited and their low academic performance, but the teachers evaluate this situation more as disciplinary problems. The solution suggestions of the teachers who kept the attention problems of the students out of their own sphere and their teaching practices were that passing exams should be harder and discipline regulations should change to facilitate punishment. The students stated that teachers should show more interest towards the students, approach the students positively and use a variety of teaching methods in accordance with the students’ level.