Open AccessPredictors of on-task Behaviors: Evaluating Student-level Characteristics
Author(s) -
Natalie M. Golaszewski,
John B. Bartholomew,
Vanessa L. Errisuriz,
Elizabeth J. Korinek,
Esbelle M. Jowers
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
health behavior and policy review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2326-4403
DOI - 10.14485/hbpr.8.2.6
Subject(s) - demographics , demography , psychology , body mass index , ethnic group , gerontology , developmental psychology , medicine , pathology , sociology , anthropology
Objective: In this study, we examined students’ fitness, body mass index (BMI), and demographics as predictors of observed time on-task (TOT) behaviors as an indicator of behavioral inattention. Methods: We collected demographics, fitness estimates, and BMI from 2020 fourth-graders (Mean age = 8.6 (SD = 0.5); 47% girls; 49% white) from 28 schools. We measured TOT through momentary time sampling observations. Three-level linear models were conducted to determine whether characteristics predicted differences in TOT. We tested interactions between characteristics and TOT. Results: Older students exhibited greater percent of TOT (estimate = 2.34, SE = 1.02, df = 919, t = 2.30, p .15). Conclusions: Girls and older students spent more TOT. These findings are of interest to educators and psychologists working on the development of research-based guidelines aimed to support elementary students’ engagement in the classroom.