The Use of Attention Signal – AEOM on Form 1 Students During ESL Lesson
Nur Alina Nishaq Azman1, Maria Shu Hong Bee Abdullah2*
1, 2*Faculty of Languages and Communication, Sultan Idris Education University, Malaysia
mariashb@fbk.upsi.edu.my2*
Article History: Received: 10 November 2020; Revised: 12 January 2021; Accepted: 27 January 2021;
Published online: 05 April 2021
Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the use of attention signal AEOM (All Eyes On Me)among Form 1 students during
an ESLlesson in Perak. AEOM has helped the teacher during their language teaching and learning. Some of the students were unable to stay focus and they were easily distracted. The two main objectives of this study isfirstly to investigate the students’ reactions and secondly the students’ perceptions towards the use of AEOM. The findings of the study indicated that the students have shown positive reactions towards the use of AEOM by the teacher during the English language lesson.
Keywords: Attention Signal, AEOM, Language Teaching, Learning, Focus, Reactions, Perceptions
1. Introduction
In Malaysia, English is the second language that is widely used by Malaysian. Learning will take place with good planning, great learning instructions, andimportantly, students’ attention which is the most crucial element in the learning process. Students’ attention in the classroom is closely related to the strategies used by the teacher when teaching and can be put under the classroom management aspect (Purwanti, Salija&Dollah, 2017). This simply means that the students’ attention in any classroom are depending on the teacher’s way of grabbing and maintaining their attention throughout the lesson. Students’ attention can be referred as students’ willingness to participate in the learning process (Purwanti, Salija&Dollah, 2017). When the students pay attention to the teacher and the lesson, learning objectives are highly achievable.
Surprisingly, in these 21stcentury classrooms, students’ attention is a problem most discussed by all educators
in the Malaysian education context. To ensure the students achieve the learning objectives of the day, the teachers seek possible strategies to students’ attention and focus.To solve this problem, the researcher decidedto use the attention signal- All Eyes on Me (AEOM) during ESL lesson with a class of Form 1 students. The attention signal was adapted from Jennings (2016) research. The objectives of this study investigated on the students’ reactions and their perceptions on the use of attention signal AEOM in the language classroom.
2. Literature Review
Attention signal is categorized under the classroom management strategies. Postholm (2013) believed that classroom management referred to the set of strategies used by the teacher to escalate students’ cooperation and engagement and to reduce their disruptive behavior in the classroom, thus keeping an appropriate learning environment to all students (as cited in Lopes, Silva, Oliveira, Sass and Martin, 2017). In the same study by Lopes et al. (2017), Brophy (1996) and Doyle (1986) stated that the classroom management also incorporated the establishment of clear rules and procedures to coordinate classroom activities as the rules were meant to control students’ behavior that may disturb classroom activities and environment. In another study by Chandra (2015), she pointed out classroom management as a variety of activities and extends beyond the traditional behavior management techniques recommended to manage students with disruptive behavior.
On the same note, Biggs & Tangs (2007) also pointed out that students learned better when they were motivated to engage in classroom activities. Students’ engagement was affected by how the teachers encouraged the students to participate in the classroom activities actively and achieve all the learning objectives created (as cited in Jiao, 2015). Skinner, Wellborn & Cornell (1990) stated that it was important to keep the students engaged in the classroom learning as it would lead the students to get higher grades and achieve better marks on achievement tests (as cited in Roorda, Jak, Zee, Oort&Koomen, 2017). This was also supported by Pintrich& De Groot (1990) in another study conducted by Parsons et al. (2018) which indicated that students’ engagement was crucial because it was correlated with students’ expected positive outcomes such as learning, grades and many more.
Furthermore, Lee (2014), Appleton, Christenson & Furlong (2008) and Fredrick et al. (2004) in their research have identified several components of students’ engagement, such as behavioral, emotional/psychological,
behavioral and emotional. Under behavioral engagement, there were three forms and one that was related to this study was the positive conduct. Examples of positive conduct were attending classes, avoiding disruptive behavior, responding to directions, and abiding classroom rules. When students were engaged in the process of learning,theyavoid doing any disruptive behavior in the classroom and at the same time try to achieve the learning objectives designed by the teacher.
Purwanti, Salija, &Dollah (2017) stated that students’ attention referred to the tendency of students’ interest in classroom learning and excitation to learn. Norton &Pettegrew (1979) and Penner (1984) mentioned that attention was a receptive and cognitive process that aware human of arousing stimuli before entering consciousness (as cited in Rosegard and Wilson, 2013). Rosegard and Wilson (2013) elicited that students’ attention was somehow related to the students’ span of attention. Arousal was said to be responsible for activating and regulating numerous mechanisms such as attention and memory. Based on these statements, it was believed that arousal played a crucial role in activating students’ attention in the classroom learning. Therefore, the attention signal AEOM was chosen as the arousal to activate students’ attention in the ESL classroom.
3. Methodology
This study was conducted in asecondary classroom in Perak, Malaysia. The participants were from a class of twenty-eight (28) Form One students. This research area focused on the students’ reactions and perceptions towards the use of AEOM by the teacher in an ESL lesson. The attention signal AEOM was used by the teacher in one (1) lesson at the stage of presentation, practice as when giving extra information or instructions and whenever necessary during the lessons. The teacher explained the rules of the attention signal to the students beforehand and started to implement it whenever the teacher believed it was necessary to signal the students’ attention. The research participants were kept anonymous throughout the research. Verbal and written consent was given by the participants to participate in this study.
There were four instruments used in this study, the video recording, video transcription and pictures, observation checklist and questionnaire. The rules of the attention signal were explained to the students before the lesson started. The use of attention signal AEOM in the ESL classroom depended on the teacher’s judgement and students’ behaviors during lesson.
At the first phase, the lesson was video recorded. The researcher watched and transcribed the video recording. The researcher went through the video transcription several times to listen and transcribe accurately. The observation checklist was used during the video transcription to note the students’ reactions which were portrayed through their face and body language, such as, eyes movements, smile, nod, sitting position and any movement of body gestures were analyzed thoroughly. There were eight items in the observation checklist in total. Pictureswerealso extracted from the video to observe the students’ reactions.
The questionnaire session was conducted after the lesson ended. The questionnaire consisted of 10 items was distributed and students took part in answering the questionnaire. The purpose was to investigate the students’ perception towards the use of attention signal AEOM in the ESL classroom. The questionnaire was carefully constructed bilingually in English and Malay language to ensure the participants respond without any bias or influence from their surroundings.
4. Findings and Discussion Questionnaire
The questionnaire was conducted at the post lesson level. The questionnairewasadapted from Balbalosa (2010) consisted of 10 items and all the questions are designed to investigate the students’ perception towards the use of attention signal AEOM in classroom learning.
Table 1.Questionnaire Responses
Item Statement Yes Not
Really
No
1. I understand what AEOM means. 28
100%
0 0%
0 0%
2. I do not realize it when the teacher use the attention signal AEOM in the classroom learning.
5 17.86% 19 67.86% 4 14.29%
3. I find it is necessary for the teacher to use the attention signal AEOM in the classroom learning.
19 67.68% 9 32.14% 0 0%
4. I like it when the teacher use the attention signal AEOM in the classroom learning.
25 89.29% 3 10.71% 0 0% 5. I prefer to do my own work than listening to the teacher. 0
0%
0 0%
28 100%
6. I will keep on completing my task even when the teacher use the attention signal AEOM.
5 17.86% 6 21.43% 17 60.71%
7. I think the teacher will give good information whenever she use the attention signal AEOM.
26 92.86% 2 7.14% 0 0%
8. I do not like it when the teacher interrupts my work or discussion with my friends using the attention signal AEOM. 0 0% 0 0% 28 100%
9. I will focus on whatever the teacher says even without using the attention signal AEOM in the classroom learning. 28 100% 0 0% 0 0%
10. I think the use of attention signal AEOM helps me to focus in the classroom learning.
27 96.43% 1 3.58% 0 0%
Foritem 1 of Table 4.1 above, all students (100%) agreed that they understood what AEOM meant. The attention signal AEOM was used orally by the teacher and repeated by students aloud with the purpose of grabbing attention. As of Item 2 in Table 4.1, 67.86% of respondents stated that they sometimes realized the teacher used the attention signal AEOM, and sometimes they did not. Based on the class observation and the video recording, the teacher had to use and to say the AEOM several times before the students finally stay focus on the teacher. The researcher believed that the attention signal AEOM needed to be verbalized several times in the lesson.
Looking atBandura social learning theory, some students could not hear the teacher well especially the students seated at the back rows. Based on the theory, the students who sit near the teacher notice the teacher first and focus on the teacher. This would be followed by other students who sit close to them. The social learning theory emphasized on students learning through modelling. The students will model their peers in focusing and paying attention to the teacher.
Item 3 from Table 4.1 indicated the students’ perceptions on the necessity of using the attention signal AEOM in classroom learning. 19 students (67.86%), were undecidedon the use of attention signal. The students felt that they could just focus on the teacher even without having to use the attention signal AEOM in their classroom learning. This was also supported by item 9 from Table 4.1, where all students (100%) agreed that they could focus on the teacher even without AEOM attention signal.
As stated in Table 4.1, twenty-five (25) students (89.29%)ofitem 4 liked the use of attention signal AEOM in the classroom. This was supported by Item 8 from the same table where all the students (100%) do not regard as being interrupted by their teacher with AEOM. The students believed that the teacher provided information every time she used the attention signal as item 7 shown. Item 5 highlighted the students’ preferences to listen to the teacher. However, some students agreed with item 6with the statement that they would keep on finishing the task given by the teacher even when the teacher was signaling for their attention. Theseoccurrences happened towards the conclusion of the lesson, due to time factor, the students ignored the teacher as they stayed engaged on the performing their tasks. The video recording helped the teacher to realize the importance of time management and good voice projection and the use of clear and precise classroom instructions.
towards the use of attention signal AEOM in the classroom was positive as it helped them to focus on the classroom learning.
Observation Checklist
In order to view the video recording reliably, an observation checklist adapted from Cassar& Jang (2010) was used to help the researcher to analyze the reaction of students. The observation checklist comprised ofseven items and the checklist was used thrice as the teacher used the attention signal AEOM three times in the lesson.
First Use of Attention Signal AEOM
Table 2.Student Observation Checklist 1st.Use AEOM STUDENTS’ BEHAVIOUR OBSERVED
CLASS: 1 KREATIF DATE: 27TH AUGUST 2019 TIME: 12.50 PM – 1.50 PM TOPIC: PLACES
NUMBER OF STUDENTS DN (Do not meet)
M (meet)
DN M
1. Students stop whatever they are doing and pay attention to the teacher.
5 23
2. Students’ eyes are on the teacher. 11 17
3. Students listen to the teacher attentively. 7 21
4. Students ask questions related to the lesson content. 28 0
5. Students respond to teacher’s question and instructions. 0 28
6. Students jot down notes on the information given by the teacher.
28 0
7. Students sit properly and face the teacher. 8 20
According to the results of the checklist above, it clearly showed majority of students obeyed the teacher’s instructions after the use of attention signal AEOM in the classroom.As in Table 4.2, item 1, a total number of 23 students out of 28 students, hadmet the behavioralcriteria.When the teacher first used the attention signal AEOM, the students automatically stopped talking to their friends and stayed focus on the teacher. However, 5 students in the classroom did not pay attention to the teacher and it showed that the use of attention signal AEOM did not work on them. Below, Table 4.3is the video transcription on the first use of the attention signal AEOM in the classroom.
Table 3.Video transcription of the first use of attention signal AEOM
Teacher Okay, today we are going to learn about places. Now, take out you Pulse textbook and turn to page 28. Page 28 class. If you don’t have the book, share. Page 28.
Students Mukasurat 28! 28!
(Students making noises)
Teacher Okay, there is… Class! All eyes on me! All eyes on me!
(Noises reduced) Okay. So, there is a review on Sherlock Holmes Museum, isn’t it? I will give you 5 minutes to read the review. Read the text. I am gonna ask you after this.
Next, item 2 from the Table 4.2stated that students’ eyes were on the teacher, the researcher found 17 students meet the criteria on the first use of AEOM. Theother 11 of them did not meet the criteria and were seen to be doing other things and were not affected by attention signal AEOM. In addition to that, a total number of 21 responded to Item 3 (Table 4.2) where students listened to the teacher attentively after the use of attention signal AEOM. The observationchecklist and video recording indicated that 21 students lookedand listened to the teacher attentively. This showed that the use of attention signal AEOM helped them to focus on the teacher’s instruction or presentation. The teacher used the attention signal at the instance to give new information, new instructions, to edit errors and so forth. So, as the students’ attention was crucial, the attention signal AEOM helped them remained attentive.
Moreover, as for item 4 in Table 4.2, no students were observed to ask questions related to the lesson content. The purpose of the first attention signal AEOM used was to grab the students’ attention and focus on the progression of the lesson. The use of AEOM before giving instructions was necessary as it helped in avoiding confusion among the students. Item 5 was to observe on students’ responses and reactions to the teacher’s questions and instructions and all students were seen engaged in the tasks.
Second Use of Attention Signal AEOM
Table 4.Student Observation Checklist 2nd.Use AEOM STUDENTS’ BEHAVIOUR OBSERVED
CLASS: 1 KREATIF DATE: 27TH AUGUST 2019 TIME: 12.50 PM – 1.50 PM TOPIC: PLACES
NUMBER OF STUDENTS DN (Do not meet)
M (meet)
DN M
1. Students stop whatever they are doing and give their attention to the teacher.
6 22
2. Students’ eyes are on the teacher. 10 18
3. Students listen to the teacher attentively. 0 28
4. Students ask questions related to the lesson content. 28 0 5.Students respond to teacher’s question and instructions. 4 24
6. Students jot down notes on the information given by the teacher.
28 0
7. Students sit properly and face the teacher. 9 19
In the second use of attention signal AEOM, the teacher used the AEOM to signal to gainstudents’ attention again and to progress to the next activity (Table 4.3). Twenty-eight students listened to the teacher,responded to the teacher’s questions and instructions, seated positively with their eyes on the teacher. The teacher asked a few questions related to their previous lesson and all of them listened to the teacher carefully as shown in the transcription as in Table 4.5 below. However, some of the students were seen reading the review in their Pulse book and no attention given to the teacher.
Table 5.Video transcription of the second use of AEOM
Teacher Finish? Alright. Class, all eyes on me. All eyes on me.Semuamatapadasaya. Okay do you remember the tenses that we have learn? Can you give me one? Was and ?
Students Were!
Teacher Yes, was and were. Okay, two more. It starts with C.
Students C?
Teacher Its grammar. Start with C. We have learn that previously. Students Could?
Teacher Yes, could. One more? Couldn’t! Okay, in your textbook, use pencil, I want you to underline these words, was, were, could, and couldn’t. Underline.
Third Use of Attention Signal AEOM
STUDENTS’ BEHAVIOUR OBSERVED CLASS: 1 KREATIF DATE: 27TH AUGUST 2019 TIME: 12.50 PM – 1.50 PM TOPIC: PLACES NUMBER OF STUDENTS DN (Do not meet)
M (meet)
DN M
1. Students stop whatever they are doing and give their attention to the teacher.
10 18
2. Students’ eyes are on the teacher. 12 16
3. Students listen to the teacher attentively. 9 19
4. Students ask questions related to the lesson content. 28 0 5. Students respond to teacher’s question and instructions. 12 16 6. Students jot down notes on the information given by the
teacher.
28 0
7. Students sit properly and face the teacher. 7 21
The teacher’s purpose in using the attention signal AEOM for the third time was to give extra information regarding the task given to the students in the practice stage. However, the students kept on discussing and talking loudly ignoring the teacher. To capture their attention, the teacher used the AEOM for the third time. From the observation checklist on Item 5,sixteen students did not respond orally to the teacher, but they only nodded in response.
Table 7.Video transcription on the third use of AEOM
Teacher Okay, all eyes on me! Okay, look at me. The last question has no answer. This one is up to you. Remember, if yes, Yes, I would. If no, No, I wouldn’t.
Students (Students continue discussing and completing the template after listening to the teacher.)
Based on the findings above, the students reacted differently based on the situation that initiated the teacher to use the attention signal AEOM in the classroom. During the third use of AEOM by the teacher, the researcher believed that the students’ attention was decreasing due to the frequent repetition of AEOM. The observed lesson was in the afternoon and it was the last lesson of the day. Hence, the students’ attention decreased from thefirstapplication of AEOM use to the third application of AEOM use in one language learning lesson.This suggested that the repetition of the same attention signal AEOM use may not sustain the learners’ attention.
5. Conclusion
From the classroom observation, the observation checklist and video recording showed that the students reacted positively towards the teacher’s use of attention signals in the classroom. The reactions showed by the students implied that the attention signal AEOM was accepted by the students. The students’ perception on the use of attention signal was also positive and they believed that the attention signal AEOM helped them to focus better with the classroom learning. The students’ behavior was under control as the attention signal guided them to obey orders. However, suggestions for teachers in introducing AEOM and other attention signals to be used alternately in a language classroom may arrest the problem of becoming complacent to one type of attention signal throughout the entire lesson. The mix match of other attention signals can be more effective in grabbing students’ attention and focus in the language classroom.To conclude, for an English language teacher to try new things and improve classroom learning, the students’ opinions, reactions, and perceptions should be taken into consideration. With the right techniques and strategies and a well-planned lesson, teaching and learning the second language can be fun and rewarding.
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