VISUAL ATTENTION IN EARLY PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS DURING OBSERVATION ACTIVITIES

Soyeon Jang; Sungman Lim

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VISUAL ATTENTION IN EARLY PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS DURING OBSERVATION ACTIVITIES

Title	VISUAL ATTENTION IN EARLY PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS DURING OBSERVATION ACTIVITIES
Publication Type	Journal Article
Year of Publication	2026
Authors	Jang, S, Lim, S
Journal	Journal of Baltic Science Education
Volume	25
Issue	3
Start Page	461-474
Pagination	Continuous
Date Published	June 2026
Type of Article	Original article
ISSN	1648-3898
Other Numbers	E-ISSN 2538-7138
Keywords	eye-tracking, observation skills, primary school students, science education, science process skills, visual attention
Abstract	Scientific observation is a foundational inquiry skill in early childhood science education, yet how visual attention develops during observation tasks among lower-grade primary school students remains underexplored. This study examined whether and how visual attention during science observation activities differs across Year 1, Year 2, and Year 3 primary school students and adults in Korea. A cross-sectional comparative design was employed, using eye-tracking technology to measure fixation duration, fixation count, and gaze transitions across four tasks structured according to SAPA's hierarchy of observation skills. A total of 108 participants (Year 1: n=16, Year 2: n=35, Year 3: n=33, Adults: n=24) completed the tasks, and group differences were examined using one-way ANOVA with Scheffé post hoc tests. Year 1 students consistently differed from all other groups: they showed shorter fixation durations on target areas, more frequent gaze transitions, greater attention dispersal toward irrelevant information, and weaker top-down attentional control. Year 2 and Year 3 students generally performed comparably to adults. These findings indicate that Year 1 students are at a critical developmental stage in the development of observation ability, and suggest that the design of science observation activities and curriculum materials for lower-grade students should reflect these age-related attentional characteristics.
URL	https://journals.indexcopernicus.com/search/article?articleId=4913726
DOI	10.33225/jbse/26.25.461
Refereed Designation	Refereed
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