The issue of concentration (Fokus) among learners is an inherent problem in their psychology, varying in degrees. This is due to many reasons and factors. I do not mean concentration only during tests, but rather the focus during lessons, particularly when a teacher explains a specific concept, or when a student is asked to complete an assignment.
Concentration is the combination of alertness, keenness, and the activation of sensory faculties to grasp specific information or solve a problem. It is a mental process connected to a physical sense, and this partnership is what constitutes what is often referred to as intelligence. Intelligence is measured by the speed at which this process (concentration) is completed, which varies from one learner to another.
Generation 'Z' generally faces concentration problems. Due to their constant use of screens and continuous exposure to blue light, the coordination of their nerve cells and sensory organs has been shown to be in a state of constant slowdown, making it harder for them to focus. Unfortunately, this issue coincides with the alarming rise in family breakdowns, leading to severe neglect of children, both at home and outside, causing learners to approach lessons with little attentiveness and mental distraction. This issue requires addressing, as much as possible.
As a teacher, I have found myself dealing with a group of learners who lack focus on the information I provide, attending according to the nature of the lesson or the general mood of the class. On many occasions, I've found that my own emotional state affects the overall mood of the learners, leading to a very strange situation.
The lack of focus on assessment topics or tests is understandable to me, as it is related to the social pressure exerted by parents on their children, stemming from a desire to achieve grades that will satisfy their own emotional needs, aiming to achieve high social status at the expense of their children and their aspirations.
The absence of focus due to the nature of school, which is a new environment for learners in the first-grade class, is always a result of the stress caused by the lack of psychological preparation that the child should experience before becoming a student in the classroom. This negatively affects many learners who need time to adapt to the new environment—the school—let alone focus on lessons and contribute to their success by participating in them.
However, the situation that seemed, and still seems, strange to me, which I mentioned earlier, is what happens with a learner who pays attention to every detail in the classroom—such as the blackboard, the decoration on the walls, the teacher's clothes, and even the color of the notebooks and registers of his classmates—but does not focus on what the teacher is saying during the lesson explanation.
After focusing on examples of these learners, I found that all of them—the ones who focus on everything but the lesson—without exception, have negative feelings towards the teacher. These feelings stem from many possible causes, such as fear of the teacher, unwillingness to attend school, or difficulty separating from the family home, among others.
A learner who is properly prepared before joining school finds that learning in first-grade classes becomes as routine as eating, drinking, and playing. I have found many students who excel and even surpass me as a teacher in delivering lessons and explaining complicated issues to their peers—not for any particular reason, but because they understand that school is just another part of life, like home. On the other hand, a learner who is removed from home and finds themselves in a new environment that doesn't meet their recreational needs will, unfortunately, suffer from significant psychological pressure, causing them to focus on everything around them except the teacher and what he says.