Peers and Instructors as Sources of Distraction from a Cognitive Load Perspective

• Main Authors: Brandi Frisby, Benson Sexton, Marjorie Buckner, Anna-Carrie Beck, Renee Kaufmann
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Georgia Southern University 2018-07-01
• Series: International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
• Subjects: distraction; cognitive load; instructor misbehaviors; anti-citizenship behaviors
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/ij-sotl/vol12/iss2/6

Framed by literature regarding classroom interactions that affect students’ cognitive processing, this study provided an integrative approach to understanding distracting instructor and student communication. Participants qualitatively reported on either a distracting peer (n = 90) or instructor (n = 127). The responses were coded using anti-citizenship behaviors and instructor misbehaviors. One additional category emerged that extends the instructor misbehavior literature. Participants completed a new distraction scale and a cognitive load scale. Our results revealed differences in frequencies for each behavior, but all instructor and student behaviors were equally distracting and had similar negative influences on students’ cognitive load. Implications for instructors to manage these distracting behaviors are discussed.