Attention and focus are essential for students to process and retain new information effectively. Attention refers to the selective focus of conscious thought on specific information, allowing students to engage meaningfully with learning tasks. Engagement encompasses how students behave, feel and think as they actively participate in learning activities.

This explainer examines how students direct their attention in a schooling environment and how the actions of the teacher can support focus, minimise the impact of distractions on learning and foster conditions for learning success. Understanding these processes is important because sustained attention lays the foundation for effective learning and deeper engagement with learning content.

This explainer is one in a series of four that describe the cognitive science of how students learn. Teachers and school leaders can use these explainers to deepen their understanding of the cognitive science of how students learn and consider implications for practice.