Relationship between the level of attention and information retention in upper basic level students

Abstract

The objective was to determine the relationship between attention level and information retention among upper-basic students during hands-on activities on the same content. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional study was conducted; the population comprised tenth-grade students. A finite-population formula with a 5% margin of error and 95% confidence level yielded a sample of 132 individuals, selected through simple random probability sampling. Results showed a predominance of 14-year-olds and a balanced sex distribution; for attention, difficulties centered on sustaining work pace (43.9% “No”) and regulating questions (44.7% “No”), whereas highlighting key parts reached 41.7% “Yes” and visual focus 40.2% “Yes,” indicating weaker persistence than stimulus selection. For immediate retention, the mean score was 50.2%; at the item level, 47.0–55.3% correct responses were observed. For delayed retention, the mean was 5.73/10 (SD = 2.10; median = 6; range 0–10), while the attention–retention association showed Spearman’s rho = 0.379; p < 0.001, with accuracy increasing as attention scores rose. A pattern was identified in which improvements in sustained concentration and in-task control were linked to more stable information retrieval; thus, attention functioned as a component that co-evolves with immediate and delayed recall in the analyzed context.