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Instructional Strategies to Maintain Students' Attention: A National Teacher Survey on Classroom-Based Breaks.

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Title: Instructional Strategies to Maintain Students' Attention: A National Teacher Survey on Classroom-Based Breaks.
Authors: Godwin, Karrie E.1 (AUTHOR) kgodwin@umbc.edu, Moreno, Amanda2 (AUTHOR), Leroux, Audrey J.3 (AUTHOR), Kaur, Freya1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Early Childhood Education Journal. Apr2026, Vol. 54 Issue 4, p2333-2345. 13p.
Subject Terms: *Teaching methods, *School recess breaks, *Early childhood education, *COVID-19 pandemic, *Student engagement, Questionnaires
Abstract: Teachers report difficulties sustaining students' attention during instruction, a challenge exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers are seeking instructional strategies that help regulate students' attention while simultaneously facing added pressure to facilitate recovery from pandemic-related learning loss. This study represents a unique effort to survey a large (n = 796), nationally representative sample of K-2 teachers. We investigate trends in students' attention regulation patterns, utilization of classroom-based breaks as an instructional strategy, and the perceived benefits/drawbacks of breaks. Four major findings emerged: (1) teachers frequently use breaks, although the extent differs depending on the subject area, (2) teachers are administering more breaks post-pandemic, (3) the most common breaks were physical activities, videos, and dancing, and (4) breaks were perceived as beneficial for both students and teachers; however, implementation obstacles were also identified. This work underscores the importance of designing instructional strategies that take teachers' perspectives and classroom constraints into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Early Childhood Education Journal is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: Instructional Strategies to Maintain Students' Attention: A National Teacher Survey on Classroom-Based Breaks.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education+Journal%22">Early Childhood Education Journal</searchLink>. Apr2026, Vol. 54 Issue 4, p2333-2345. 13p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+methods%22">Teaching methods</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+recess+breaks%22">School recess breaks</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Early+childhood+education%22">Early childhood education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19+pandemic%22">COVID-19 pandemic</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+engagement%22">Student engagement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Questionnaires%22">Questionnaires</searchLink>
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  Data: Teachers report difficulties sustaining students' attention during instruction, a challenge exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers are seeking instructional strategies that help regulate students' attention while simultaneously facing added pressure to facilitate recovery from pandemic-related learning loss. This study represents a unique effort to survey a large (n = 796), nationally representative sample of K-2 teachers. We investigate trends in students' attention regulation patterns, utilization of classroom-based breaks as an instructional strategy, and the perceived benefits/drawbacks of breaks. Four major findings emerged: (1) teachers frequently use breaks, although the extent differs depending on the subject area, (2) teachers are administering more breaks post-pandemic, (3) the most common breaks were physical activities, videos, and dancing, and (4) breaks were perceived as beneficial for both students and teachers; however, implementation obstacles were also identified. This work underscores the importance of designing instructional strategies that take teachers' perspectives and classroom constraints into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Early Childhood Education Journal is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=193085237
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        Value: 10.1007/s10643-025-01996-7
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        Text: English
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        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School recess breaks
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      – SubjectFull: Early childhood education
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      – SubjectFull: COVID-19 pandemic
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              Text: Apr2026
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