Attention, time‐on‐task and children's learning: research or ideology?

Abstract

There has been an increasing emphasis upon the concept of ‘time on task’ within the educational research community, especially in the USA. The idea that the amount of time which children spend ‘on task’ influences their learning has certain attractions in the current educational and economic climate. In this paper it is argued that the research base of the time on task research is suspect and educationally barren. Finally, it is suggested that the notion of time on task is a proxy for the notion of ‘attention’ and that information contained in methods texts is more subtle and relevant to the needs of the class teacher than the findings emerging from time on task research.