Participatory Techniques Supported by Digital Resources and Their Effect on Attention and Concentration in Fifth-Grade Elementary School Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/asce.v5i1.705Keywords:
Sustained Attention, Concentration, Participatory Techniques, Digital Resources, Executive Functions, Gamification, Elementary Education.Abstract
Sustained attention and concentration are executive functions that determine school learning outcomes, and their progressive decline in classroom environments saturated with external stimuli represents a major pedagogical challenge. This study examined the effect of an intervention program based on participatory techniques supported by digital resources on the attentional processes of fifth-grade elementary school students. A quasi-experimental single-group pre-test/post-test design was adopted, with an intentional sample of 33 students (17 males and 16 females, aged 9 to 10 years) enrolled at Escuela Ciudad de Ventanas, Ventanas canton, Los Ríos province, Ecuador. The d2 Test of Attention (adapted version for Spanish-speaking child populations) was administered before and after an eight-week pedagogical intervention that incorporated gamification, technology-mediated cooperative learning, and project-based learning activities using interactive digital tools. Results showed statistically significant increases in the concentration index (CI) and concentration performance (CP) following the intervention (t(32) = 8.43, p < .001, Cohen's d = 1.84), indicating a large effect size. Gains were equivalent across male and female students. These findings suggest that the systematic integration of digitalized participatory techniques can optimize attentional processes during the middle school stage, with direct implications for curriculum design and teacher training in Latin American contexts.
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