Specific Features of Attention in Students During the Learning Process

Abstract

This article investigates the dynamics of attention in first- and second-year university students throughout the academic year. The study was conducted at Qarshi State University and involved a total of 125 students — 27 male and 98 female — divided into first-year (n=63) and second-year (n=62) groups. Attention was assessed using the Schulte-Gorbov table method on the NS-Psychotest apparatus (Neurosoft), which measures the speed and flexibility of attentional switching; results were recorded in seconds, with shorter completion times indicating higher attentional efficiency. Measurements were carried out at four stages: at the beginning of the academic year (September), before examinations (January), after examinations (February), and at the end of the academic year (May). This longitudinal design allowed the researchers to track the wave-like pattern of attentional changes across the full academic cycle. All tests were administered during morning hours under standardized conditions. In first-year male students, the baseline task completion time was 55±2.4 seconds, while in female students it was 48±3.4 seconds, indicating higher attentional efficiency in females at the outset. Before the examination session (January), task completion time increased significantly in both groups — to 62±1.8 s in males and 56.3±2.3 s in females — and these changes were statistically significant (P<0.05). After examinations (February), partial recovery was observed in both groups; however, indicators did not return to baseline levels. By the end of the academic year (May), attention efficiency deteriorated again to 62.8±2.2 s in males and 58±1.2 s in females (P<0.05). A similar pattern was observed in second-year students. Baseline values were slightly higher (i.e., completion times were longer) than in first-year students, suggesting a degree of residual cognitive strain already present at the start of the academic year. The most pronounced change was recorded in second-year female students, whose completion time increased from 50.3±2 s to 63±4 s before examinations (P<0.05). Recovery after examinations was partial, and by May, values remained significantly higher than baseline in all groups (P<0.05 in males; P<0.01 in females). The results demonstrate that academic workload and examination stress have a measurable and consistent negative impact on attentional performance in university students. The incomplete recovery of attentional indicators between assessment points reflects the cumulative effect of academic stress across the academic year.