Volume-09 Issue 11, No embe -2025 ISSN: 2456-9348
Impac Fac o : 8.232
In e na ional Jou nal o Enginee ing Technology Resea ch & Managemen
(IJETRM)
h ps://ije m.com/
IJETRM (h p://ije m.com/) [340]
WHEN FOCUS WANDERS: UNDERSTANDING INATTENTION AND
HYPERACTIVITY AMONG KINDERGARTEN LEARNERS THROUGH
CLASSROOM OBSERVATION
Richie B. Lo en
Facul y, Depa men o P o essional Educa ion, Cen al Mindanao Uni e si y
Abegail B. Baysa
Rangeleine A. Cagali an
Ch is ian Paul N. Cas illo
Jasphene A. Fe nandez
Alliah G ace D. Jo ia
Allyssa Gaile D. Juanico
Ma ygene O. Li ong
Jus ine Reena M. Malunjao
Rhengie T. Obe es
Kimbe ly R. Sabandija
S uden s, Ea ly Childhood Educa ion, Cen al Mindanao Uni e si y
ABSTRACT
The s udy i led “When Focus Wande s: Unde s anding Ina en ion and Hype ac i i y among Kinde ga en
Lea ne s h ough Class oom Obse a ion” aimed o examine how ina en ion and hype ac i i y mani es ed
among Kinde ga en lea ne s in hei na u al class oom se ing a Musuan In eg a ed School (MIS). I sough o
iden i y h ee key inqui ies: (1) how child en showed signs o ina en ion and hype ac i i y; (2) he si ua ions in
which hey mos ly occu ed; and (3) how eache s esponded o o managed hem. Using a quali a i e
desc ip i e design h ough na u alis ic obse a ion, he esea che s documen ed eal-li e beha io s o 34
Kinde ga en lea ne s, wi h 13 lea ne s (9 males and 4 emales) iden i ied as exhibi ing equen signs o
ina en ion and hype ac i i y. Da a we e collec ed h ough obse a ion guided by he NICHQ Vande bil
Assessmen Scale and suppo ed by in o mal eache in e iews, p o iding a de ailed unde s anding o how
hese beha io s a ec ed class oom ou ines. Findings e ealed ha ina en i e beha io s we e commonly
obse ed du ing sea wo k and w i ing ac i i ies, whe e lea ne s o en los ocus, o go ins uc ions, and needed
equen eminde s om he eache . Many we e easily dis ac ed by class oom noises and by people walking
ou side he class oom. Hype ac i e beha io s we e equen ly seen du ing ansi ions be ween ac i i ies.
Lea ne s we e o en idge ing, lea ing hei sea s, o alking excessi ely. Some blu ed ou answe s wi hou
wai ing o hei u n and in e up ed hei classma es du ing discussions. These beha io s a ec ed ask
comple ion and dis up ed class oom ou ines. The esul s indica ed ha ina en ion and hype ac i i y we e
common ye manageable beha io s in ea ly childhood class ooms. The indings highligh ed he impo ance o
p o iding s uc u ed ou ines, engaging and mo emen -based lea ning asks, and consis en eache suppo o
help lea ne s sus ain ocus and egula e ene gy le els.
Keywo ds:
Class oom Beha io , Ea ly Childhood Beha io , Hype ac i i y, Ina en ion, Obse a ion
INTRODUCTION
In a Kinde ga en class oom, child en na u ally display a wide ange o beha io s as hey explo e,
in e ac , and adjus o school ou ines. Among hese beha io s, ina en ion and hype ac i i y a e equen ly
obse ed and can in luence how child en pa icipa e in lea ning ac i i ies and social in e ac ions. F om a
na u alis ic pe spec i e, hese beha io s a e conside ed pa o no mal de elopmen , e lec ing child en’s
eme ging sel - egula ion and hei esponses o en i onmen al ac o s such as class oom s uc u e, ac i i ies, and
eache in e ac ion (Ko ucu e al., 2022). Young lea ne s aged ou o i e a e s ill de eloping hei capaci y o
Volume-09 Issue 11, No embe -2025 ISSN: 2456-9348
Impac Fac o : 8.232
In e na ional Jou nal o Enginee ing Technology Resea ch & Managemen
(IJETRM)
h ps://ije m.com/
IJETRM (h p://ije m.com/) [341]
ocus, ollow di ec ions, and sus ain a en ion o ex ended pe iods, making his s age pa icula ly c i ical o
unde s anding a en ion- ela ed beha io s.
Despi e being pa o no mal de elopmen , ina en ion and hype ac i i y could p esen challenges in
class oom managemen and lea ning engagemen . Child en became easily dis ac ed, mo ed equen ly, o los
in e es when asks did no align wi h hei immedia e in e es s o ene gy le els (Gla e al., 2025). By
obse ing hese beha io s in a na u al class oom se ing, he esea che s iden i ied pa e ns, igge s, and
con ex s in which ina en ion and hype ac i i y we e mos likely o occu . This s udy ocused on unde s anding
how hese beha io s mani es ed among he 13 iden i ied Kinde ga en lea ne s a Musuan In eg a ed School
(MIS) and how eache s esponded o managed hem, p o iding p ac ical insigh s o imp o ing class oom
in e ac ions and ins uc ional s a egies.
The indings o his s udy we e signi ican o bo h eache s and ea ly childhood educa ion as a whole.
By unde s anding he na u e and igge s o ina en ion and hype ac i i y, educa o s could de elop mo e
e ec i e, child-cen e ed s a egies ha p omo ed sus ained a en ion, engagemen , and posi i e lea ning
expe iences. Addi ionally, insigh s om his esea ch could guide he design o class oom en i onmen s,
ac i i ies, and in e en ions ha suppo ed lea ne s’ social, emo ional, and cogni i e de elopmen , ul ima ely
con ibu ing o mo e inclusi e and p oduc i e ea ly educa ion se ings.
OBJECTIVES
This s udy seeks o examine how ina en ion and hype ac i i y appea in he Kinde ga en class oom
and how eache s espond o hese beha io s.
Speci ically, i aims o:
1. To iden i y he obse able signs o ina en ion and hype ac i i y displayed by Kinde ga en
lea ne s du ing class ac i i ies.
2. To de e mine he common si ua ions o igge s in which ina en ion and hype ac i i y mos
equen ly occu .
3. To desc ibe he s a egies used by eache s in managing and esponding o hese beha io s in
he class oom.
METHODOLOGY
Resea ch Design
This s udy used a quali a i e desc ip i e esea ch design, speci ically employing na u alis ic
obse a ion as i s p ima y app oach. This design was pa icula ly app op ia e because i enabled he esea che s
o obse e and desc ibe how ina en ion and hype ac i i y na u ally mani es ed among Kinde ga en lea ne s
wi hin hei e e yday class oom en i onmen wi hou manipula ing he se ing o in luencing pa icipan s’
beha io (Hall, 2024).
Resea ch Locale
The s udy was conduc ed in a Kinde ga en class oom se ing a Musuan In eg a ed School du ing a
no mal class session. Obse a ions we e ca ied ou h oughou he school day, om 8:00 AM o 3:00 PM,
allowing he esea che s o examine lea ne s’ beha io s in au hen ic, e e yday lea ning expe iences. The
class oom p o ided an ideal en i onmen o obse e how ina en ion and hype ac i i y mani es ed among young
lea ne s and how eache s implemen ed s a egies o manage and suppo hese beha io s du ing a ious
ac i i ies, including s uc u ed lessons and ee play.
Pa icipan s
The pa icipan s o he s udy we e 34 Kinde ga en lea ne s, aged 5 yea s, among whom 13 (9 males
and 4 emales) we e iden i ied as exhibi ing signs o ina en ion and hype ac i i y and we e selec ed o close
obse a ion in he s udy.
Da a Collec ion Me hods
The esea che s used na u alis ic obse a ion, a a ing scale (NICHQ Vande bil Assessmen Scale),
and in o mal eache in e iews o ga he da a. The na u alis ic obse a ion was guided by he NICHQ
Vande bil Assessmen Scale, which enabled he esea che s o sys ema ically iden i y and documen signs o
ina en ion and hype ac i i y as hey appea ed na u ally du ing class oom ac i i ies. The use o his alida ed
a ing scale was app op ia e because i p o ides a s uc u ed and eliable amewo k o assessing hype ac i i y
and ina en ion symp oms among young lea ne s, ensu ing accu acy and consis ency in beha io al obse a ion
(Musullulu, 2025). In o mal in e iews wi h he class oom eache we e also conduc ed o ga he in o ma ion
Volume-09 Issue 11, No embe -2025 ISSN: 2456-9348
Impac Fac o : 8.232
In e na ional Jou nal o Enginee ing Technology Resea ch & Managemen
(IJETRM)
h ps://ije m.com/
IJETRM (h p://ije m.com/) [342]
abou he lea ne s’ backg ound and beha io , as well as o gain insigh s in o how hese beha io s we e managed,
including he s a egies and esponses used o suppo lea ne s’ ocus and engagemen . Combining hese
me hods ensu ed a comp ehensi e unde s anding o he lea ne s’ beha io s in hei na u al class oom se ing.
E hical Conside a ions
P io o da a collec ion, w i en in o med consen was ob ained om he school p incipal and class oom
eache a e hey we e ully in o med abou he s udy’s pu pose, objec i es, and p ocedu es. Pa icipa ion was
olun a y, and bo h we e assu ed ha hey could wi hd aw a any ime wi hou consequences. To p o ec
pa icipan s’ iden i ies, no pe sonal in o ma ion such as names was used; ins ead, each child was assigned a
code numbe . All collec ed da a we e secu ely s o ed, ea ed wi h s ic con iden iali y, and used solely o
academic and esea ch pu poses, speci ically o analyzing pa e ns o ina en ion and hype ac i i y among
Kinde ga en lea ne s. The s udy s ic ly ollowed e hical guidelines o esea ch in ol ing young child en,
ensu ing hei igh s, p i acy, and well-being we e p io i ized a all imes. Obse a ions we e conduc ed
na u ally wi hin he class oom se ing wi hou any di ec in e ac ion wi h he lea ne s o p e en in luence on
hei beha io o lea ning ac i i ies. The esea che s ac ed wi h p o essionalism and sensi i i y, a oiding any
o m o labeling o compa ison among lea ne s. The da a ga he ed we e analyzed objec i ely o iden i y
common beha io s and in o m s a egies o be e class oom managemen . Findings we e p esen ed
cons uc i ely, ocusing on imp o ing eaching p ac ices a he han e alua ing indi idual lea ne s, ensu ing ha
he esea ch con ibu ed posi i ely o ea ly childhood educa ion.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This pa p esen s he s udy’s indings on ina en ion and hype ac i i y among Kinde ga en lea ne s
and discusses hei implica ions o class oom p ac ice.
Table 1.1 p esen ed he equency o ina en i e beha io s exhibi ed by he lea ne s. The mos commonly
obse ed beha io s included no lis ening when spoken o di ec ly (11 O en; 2 Ve y O en) and being easily
dis ac ed by ex aneous s imuli (6 O en; 7 Ve y O en). O he beha io s equen ly a ed as “O en” included
making ca eless mis akes (n=10) and expe iencing di icul y sus aining a en ion o asks o ac i i ies (n=8).
Mode a e occu ences we e eco ded in ailing o ollow ins uc ions (n=6), di icul y o ganizing asks and
Volume-09 Issue 11, No embe -2025 ISSN: 2456-9348
Impac Fac o : 8.232
In e na ional Jou nal o Enginee ing Technology Resea ch & Managemen
(IJETRM)
h ps://ije m.com/
IJETRM (h p://ije m.com/) [343]
ac i i ies (n=5), and eluc ance o engage in men ally demanding ac i i ies (n=5), while o ge ulness in daily
ac i i ies appea ed leas equen (n=1 Ve y O en; n=3 O en).
These pa e ns sugges ed ha many lea ne s s uggled o sus ain ocus and comple e asks accu a ely,
possibly leading o un inished o inaccu a ely comple ed schoolwo k. The p esence o diso ganiza ion and
eluc ance o exe men al e o indica ed challenges ha may ha e hinde ed lea ne s’ p oduc i i y and
pa icipa ion. O e all o als showed ha he mos equen ly selec ed ca ego y was “O en” (n=46), ollowed by
“Occasionally” (n=42), indica ing ha ina en i e beha io s we e consis en ly p esen , hough di e ing in
in ensi y ac oss lea ne s.
The esul s implied ha ina en ion was a ecu ing conce n in he class oom, po en ially a ec ing
lea ne s’ abili y o ollow ins uc ions, s ay o ganized, and main ain on- ask beha io . These indings align wi h
ecen li e a u e desc ibing ina en ion symp oms, such as dis ac ibili y, di icul y sus aining a en ion,
diso ganiza ion, and o ge ulness, as common ac o s in luencing lea ne s’ academic pe o mance (Hulsbosch
e al., 2025). Suppo om s uc u ed ou ines and a ge ed ins uc ional accommoda ions may be necessa y o
add ess hese challenges and imp o e lea ne s’ ocus and ask engagemen .
Table 1.2 p esen ed he equency o hype ac i e beha io s among lea ne s. Mos a ings ell unde “O en”
(n=47) and “Ve y O en” (n=39), wi h only wo esponses eco ded unde “Ne e ,” indica ing ha hype ac i i y
was p esen in nea ly all obse ed lea ne s. The mos commonly no ed beha io s included lea ing one’s sea
when emaining sea ed was expec ed (10 O en; 2 Ve y O en), unning o climbing excessi ely (7 O en; 3
Ve y O en), alking excessi ely (5 O en; 7 Ve y O en), and ac ing as i “d i en by a mo o ” (5 O en; 7 Ve y
O en). Impulsi e beha io s such as blu ing ou answe s (8 O en; 1 Ve y O en) and in e up ing o in uding
on o he s (4 O en; 7 Ve y O en) we e also equen ly obse ed.
These esul s showed ha many lea ne s s uggled wi h sel - egula ion, mo emen con ol, and u n-
aking du ing class oom ac i i ies. The p e alence o es less and impulsi e beha io s sugges ed ha lea ne s
may ha e had di icul y ollowing ou ines and main aining app op ia e beha io du ing ins uc ion. Taken
oge he , he dis ibu ion o esponses indica ed ha hype ac i i y was consis en ly p esen and posed ongoing
challenges wi hin he class oom.
Volume-09 Issue 11, No embe -2025 ISSN: 2456-9348
Impac Fac o : 8.232
In e na ional Jou nal o Enginee ing Technology Resea ch & Managemen
(IJETRM)
h ps://ije m.com/
IJETRM (h p://ije m.com/) [344]
The indings implied ha ele a ed ac i i y le els and impulsi i y likely dis up ed lea ning ac i i ies
and ou ines, a ec ing bo h indi idual and g oup pa icipa ion. These esul s e lec ed he pa e ns discussed in
ecen s udies, which desc ibe hype ac i i y as cha ac e ized by es lessness, excessi e mo emen ,
impulsi eness, and di icul y wai ing, all o which may in e e e wi h class oom unc ioning (Ka es &
LaF enie e, 2025). These beha io s indica ed a need o s uc u ed beha io al s a egies, mo emen -inclusi e
ou ines, and suppo i e class oom p ac ices o help lea ne s egula e hei ene gy le els and imp o e
engagemen .
Figu e 1 p esen ed he pe cen age dis ibu ion o Kinde ga en lea ne s exhibi ing ina en ion and hype ac i i y
based on class oom obse a ions. The da a showed ha ina en ion occu ed a a ying equencies, wi h 6.5 %
o lea ne s ca ego ized as “ne e ,” 39.3 % as “occasional,” 43.0 % as “o en,” and 11.2 % as “ e y o en.”
Hype ac i i y was also obse ed a di e en le els: 1.8 % we e in he “ne e ” ca ego y, 20.7 % “occasional,”
42.3 % “o en,” and 35.1 % “ e y o en.” Analysis o he da a e ealed ha ina en ion was mos equen ly
obse ed on an occasional basis, whe eas hype ac i i y appea ed mo e p ominen ly in he o en and e y o en
ca ego ies, indica ing ha while some lea ne s expe ienced occasional lapses in ocus, a signi ican numbe
displayed highe ene gy o es lessness du ing class oom ac i i ies. This pa e n sugges ed ha young lea ne s
we e s ill de eloping a en ion egula ion and sel -con ol skills, which a e essen ial o e ec i e lea ning
(G anzie a e al., 2021). These indings unde sco ed he impo ance o s uc u ed ou ines, engaging ac i i ies,
and s a egies ha p omo ed ocus and posi i e ene gy managemen in he class oom. By os e ing sel -
egula ion and a en ional con ol skills, eache s could c ea e a lea ning en i onmen ha was de elopmen ally
app op ia e and suppo i e o ea ly childhood lea ning ou comes.
Table 2.1 Summa y o Lea ne s Exhibi ing Ina en ion
Volume-09 Issue 11, No embe -2025 ISSN: 2456-9348
Impac Fac o : 8.232
In e na ional Jou nal o Enginee ing Technology Resea ch & Managemen
(IJETRM)
h ps://ije m.com/
IJETRM (h p://ije m.com/) [345]
Table 2.1 p esen ed he hemes iden i ied among lea ne s who exhibi ed ina en i e beha io s. Th ee
majo hemes eme ged: di icul y sus aining ocus, low ask engagemen , and ask a oidance. Lea ne s wi h
di icul y sus aining ocus o en showed sho a en ion spans, equen ly o go asks, and equi ed cons an
eminde s. Lea ne s wi h low ask engagemen pa icipa ed minimally in class ac i i ies, while hose
demons a ing ask a oidance ended o s a e o o a oid comple ing hei asks. These beha io s a e consis en
wi h he desc ip ion o ina en i e symp oms ou lined by he Ame ican Psychia ic Associa ion (2013), which
included challenges in main aining a en ion, ollowing h ough on ins uc ions, and a oiding asks ha equi ed
sus ained men al e o . Simila ly, Ba kley (2015) emphasized ha ina en ion in child en o en leads o low
class oom p oduc i i y and poo ask comple ion.
Di icul y Sus aining Focus
Lea ne s who exhibi ed di icul y sus aining ocus demons a ed sho a en ion spans, equen
o ge ulness o ins uc ions, and a consis en need o eminde s om hei eache s. These beha io s we e
pa icula ly e iden du ing s uc u ed and cogni i ely demanding asks such as w i ing exe cises o sea wo k
Such pa e ns sugges ed challenges in main aining goal-di ec ed beha io and cogni i e pe sis ence,
especially when asks equi ed p olonged concen a ion. The obse ed lapses in a en ion o en esul ed in
incomple e wo k and limi ed ask accomplishmen , indica ing de ici s in sus ained men al e o .
Ba kley’s Execu i e Func ion Theo y posi ed ha ina en ion s emmed om he lack o sel - egula ion
and wo king memo y. These unc ions we e go e ned by inhibi o y con ol, he capaci y o esis dis ac ions
and main ain ocus on ele an s imuli (Diamond, 2013). F om a Vygo skian pe spec i e, a en ion de eloped
h ough social media ion wi hin he zone o p oximal de elopmen , whe e lea ne s in e nalized sel - egula o y
beha io s h ough guided pa icipa ion. Teaching s a egies such as modeling, eedback, ques ioning, and
cogni i e s uc u ing p o ided sca olding ha suppo ed lea ne s who s uggle o sus ain ocus (Sande s &
Welk, 2005). The equen need o eache eminde s in his s udy implied ha he lea ne s we e s ill in he
p ocess o in e nalizing hese cogni i e con ols and equi ed con inuous sca olding o sus ain a en ion.
The compa ison be ween DSM-IV and DSM-5 p esen ed by he Subs ance Abuse and Men al Heal h
Se ices Adminis a ion (2016) u he highligh ed ha ina en i e beha io s mus be de elopmen ally
inapp op ia e and e iden ac oss mul iple se ings. This dis inc ion ein o ced ha young child en’s ina en ion
should be unde s ood as pa o hei de elopmen al p ocess a he han as a pa hological condi ion. The e o e,
consis en adul guidance, isual p omp s, and s uc u ed ou ines suppo he g adual de elopmen o sus ained
a en ion among ea ly lea ne s.
Low Task Engagemen
Se e al lea ne s displayed low le els o engagemen in class oom ac i i ies. Lea ne s pa icipa ed
minimally, appea ed passi e, and seldom esponded du ing eache -led discussions o collabo a i e asks.
Low engagemen e lec ed limi ed in insic mo i a ion o a lack o connec ion be ween he lea ne s and
he ac i i ies p esen ed. This beha io migh ha e a isen when ins uc ional me hods ailed o spa k cu iosi y,
au onomy, o a sense o compe ence, esul ing in disengagemen and educed lea ning pa icipa ion.
In Albe Bandu a’s Social Lea ning Theo y, child en’s engagemen was in luenced by obse a ional
lea ning–lea ne s we e mo e likely o pa icipa e when hey obse ed pee s being ewa ded o ac i e
in ol emen . When posi i e ein o cemen is absen , disengagemen can pe sis . Simila ly, Sel -De e mina ion
Theo y by Deci and Ryan (1985) asse ed ha mo i a ion lou ished when lea ne s expe ienced au onomy,
compe ence, and ela edness. When class oom en i onmen s limi hese psychological needs, s uden s lose
in insic mo i a ion and exhibi passi e beha io (Manninen, 2022).
C ea ing a need-suppo i e lea ning en i onmen ha alued au onomy, social connec ion, and hands-
on explo a ion enhanced engagemen in ea ly childhood class ooms. Play-based and collabo a i e ac i i ies,
consis en wi h De elopmen ally App op ia e P ac ice (DAP), p omo ed sel -mo i a ion and deepe lea ning
in ol emen .
Task A oidance
Se e al lea ne s demons a ed ask-a oidan beha io s, such as dayd eaming, s a ing o , o e using o
engage in cogni i ely demanding class oom ac i i ies.
Task a oidance se es as an adap i e esponse o us a ion o pe cei ed di icul y. Lea ne s ended o
disengage when he cogni i e o emo ional demands o a ask exceeded hei de elopmen al eadiness, o when
p io expe iences wi h academic challenges led o anxie y and sel -doub .
The Commonweal h Cen e o Connec ed Heal h and Ca e (n.d.) desc ibed a pe sis en d i e o
au onomy o demand a oidance as a esis ance o asks, e en p e e ed ones, when hey we e ex e nally
Volume-09 Issue 11, No embe -2025 ISSN: 2456-9348
Impac Fac o : 8.232
In e na ional Jou nal o Enginee ing Technology Resea ch & Managemen
(IJETRM)
h ps://ije m.com/
IJETRM (h p://ije m.com/) [346]
imposed. This pa e n eme ges as a p o ec i e mechanism agains epea ed ailu e o nega i e eedback.
Consis en wi h Vygo sky’s heo y, such a oidance beha io s diminish when lea ne s we e suppo ed h ough
sca olding ha ma ched hei cu en de elopmen al le el and emo ional s a e.
To add ess ask a oidance, eache s applied posi i e ein o cemen , p o ided speci ic eedback, and
b oke complex asks in o smalle , manageable s eps. Ensu ing ha ac i i ies we e de elopmen ally app op ia e
and emo ionally suppo i e helped lea ne s expe ience success and build pe sis ence, ans o ming a oidance
in o p oduc i e engagemen .
Table 2.2 Summa y o Lea ne s Exhibi ing Hype ac i i y
Table 2.2 summa ized he beha io s o lea ne s exhibi ing hype ac i i y. Two key hemes had been
iden i ied: es lessness and physical ac i i y, and impulsi e exp ession. Lea ne s who we e es less displayed
con inuous mo emen , idge ing, and di icul y emaining sea ed. Meanwhile, hose who exhibi ed impulsi e
exp ession equen ly in e up ed o he s o alked ou o u n. These indings aligned wi h he beha io al
indica o s o hype ac i i y no ed by DuPaul and S one (2014), who desc ibed hype ac i e child en as
cons an ly in mo ion and s uggling wi h impulse con ol. Simila ly, Zen all (2017) highligh ed ha hype ac i e
beha io s o en in e e ed wi h social in e ac ions and class oom lea ning ou ines.
Res lessness and Physical Ac i i y
Many lea ne s displayed es lessness and con inuous physical ac i i y, equen ly idge ing, lea ing
hei sea s, o mo ing a ound du ing class ac i i ies. This beha io was iden i ied as one o he mos common
o ms o hype ac i i y obse ed.
These ac ions in e e ed wi h lea ne s’ abili y o main ain ocus and comple e asks. Res less beha io s
we e especially e iden du ing s uc u ed lessons equi ing sea ed a en ion and limi ed mo emen , sugges ing
di icul y in ex e nal beha io al egula ion.
F om he pe spec i e o Execu i e Dys unc ion Theo y, es lessness e lec ed a lack o beha io al
inhibi ion and imma u e p e on al co ex de elopmen (Diamond, 2013). In Vygo sky’s Zone o P oximal
De elopmen , lea ne s equi ed sca olding h ough adul guidance, e bal cues, and s uc u ed ou ines o
in e nalize sel - egula ion and con ol hei ene gy. Mo emen b eaks and kines he ic ac i i ies we e
ecommended o help channel his ene gy cons uc i ely.
DuPaul and S one (2014) no ed ha hype ac i e child en o en s uggled wi h cons an mo ion, which
dis up ed class oom engagemen . P o iding sca olded s a egies and s uc u ed physical oppo uni ies aligned
wi h de elopmen ally app op ia e p ac ices o imp o e ocus and ask pa icipa ion (Diamond, 2013; McLeod,
2025).
Impulsi e Exp ession
Impulsi e exp ession had been obse ed when lea ne s had equen ly blu ed ou answe s, had
in e up ed classma es, o had spoken ou o u n du ing lessons. Those beha io s had dis up ed he low o
class oom ac i i ies and had a ec ed pee in e ac ions, indica ing challenges wi h impulse con ol. Unlike
es lessness, impulsi e exp ession had e lec ed di icul ies in egula ing e bal esponses a he han physical
ac i i y.
Impulsi e exp ession was linked o unde de eloped execu i e unc ion, speci ically inhibi o y con ol
(Diamond, 2013). In Kohlbe g's P e-con en ional S age o mo al de elopmen , child en ac ed acco ding o
Volume-09 Issue 11, No embe -2025 ISSN: 2456-9348
Impac Fac o : 8.232
In e na ional Jou nal o Enginee ing Technology Resea ch & Managemen
(IJETRM)
h ps://ije m.com/
IJETRM (h p://ije m.com/) [347]
immedia e desi es a he han social ules, highligh ing he need o guidance in u n- aking, pa ience, and
empa hy. Sca olding h ough e bal p omp s, guided p ac ice, and modeling app op ia e social beha io s
helped lea ne s g adually in e nalize sel -con ol. Resea ch by Zen all (2017) emphasized ha impulsi e
beha io s in e e ed wi h class oom lea ning and pee ela ionships. S uc u ed in e en ions, posi i e
ein o cemen , and consis en eache guidance os e ed imp o ed beha io al egula ion and coope a ion among
hype ac i e lea ne s (McLeod, 2025).
Co esponding o he goal o he s udy, in conce n abou how Kinde ga en lea ne s became ina en i e
and hype ac i e du ing class oom ac i i ies, he da a showed obse able beha io al pa e ns, such as
o ge ulness, minimal engagemen , and impulsi e exp ession, which clea ly illus a ed hese endencies.
F equencies o ele en lea ne s "o en" did no lis en when spoken o di ec ly, and se en " e y o en" alked
excessi ely, suppo ed hese quali a i e obse a ions.
In ela ion o he si ua ions in which ina en ion and hype ac i i y had mos o en occu ed, i had been
ound ha bo h beha io s had been mo e likely o ake place wi hin s uc u ed, eache -di ec ed, and cogni i ely
demanding asks, whe eas play ul and in e ac i e ac i i ies had diminished such beha io s. This had poin ed
owa d he impo ance o ma ching he demands in he class oom o child en's eadiness.
As he esea che s compa ed he wo g oups, i could be obse ed ha ina en i e lea ne s had
s uggled mo e wi h in e nal egula ion ( o example, ocus, ask comple ion), whe eas hype ac i e lea ne s had
exhibi ed di icul ies wi h ex e nal egula ion ( o example, body con ol).
In ela ion o beha io s like mo emen and impulsi e beha io , bo h se s o beha io s had a ec ed
lea ning ou comes and pee ela ionships. As had been no ed by Ba kley (2015), ina en ion and hype ac i i y
had been in e connec ed dimensions o a en ion-de ici /hype ac i i y beha io s ha had equi ed di e en ia ed
class oom s a egies. E ec i e in e en ions had included s uc u ed ou ines, isual cues, and oppo uni ies o
mo emen , which had helped child en sel - egula e and s ay engaged (Ame ican Psychia ic Associa ion, 2013;
DuPaul & S one , 2014).
Re e ing o how eache s had esponded and managed hese beha io s, he s udy had consis en ly
obse ed eache s using co ec i e eedback, e bal edi ec ion, physical p oximi y, and posi i e ein o cemen .
Teache s had also used p oac i e s a egies like mo emen b eaks and g oup pa icipa ion o keep s uden s
ocused. I had been consis en wi h he emphasis ha Bandu a had made on modeling and ein o cemen and
had e lec ed a de elopmen ally app op ia e p ac ice aligned wi h Piage 's and Kohlbe g's s ages o mo al
de elopmen in which young child en had elied on ex e nal guidance o in e nalize beha io no ms.
These indings had g ea implica ions o ea ly childhood educa ion. Teache s we e conside ed he i s
acili a o s in de eloping child en’s beha io al sel - egula ion and mo al easoning. Lea ning and sel - egula ion
we e socially media ed p ocesses; he e o e, child en in e nalized beha io al conduc h ough guided in e ac ion
wi h adul s. Consis en modeling by eache s h ough calm, pa ien , and a en i e beha io sca olded lea ne s o
egula e hei a en ion and impulses.
The s udy showed ha posi i e ein o cemen , e bal encou agemen , and oppo uni ies o social
collabo a ion e ec i ely enhanced child en’s ocus and coope a ion. Teache s who inco po a ed play-based and
mo emen -o ien ed ac i i ies in o hei eaching s yles de eloped lea ning en i onmen s ha allowed lea ne s o
di ec ene gy cons uc i ely. In line wi h Bandu a’s p inciple o modeling, lea ne s we e mos likely o imi a e
p osocial beha io when he eache in iew demons a ed empa hy, pa ience, and coope a ion. Mo eo e ,
beha io al in e en ions o lea ne s wi h ina en i e o hype ac i e beha io s we e ound o be mo e e ec i e
when hey we e unde s anding-o ien ed a he han puni i e. The ole o eache s was o help child en ecognize
and alida e hei emo ions and espond o hem app op ia ely, he eby p o iding hem wi h ele an emo ional
egula ion skills ha educed impulsi e ou bu s s. P ees ablished ou ines, isual eminde s, and ask di ision
also helped lea ne s main ain hei a en ion. Addi ionally, close collabo a ion be ween eache s and pa en s
ensu ed con inui y o beha io al expec a ions a home and school, hus ein o cing consis ency o mo al and
social lea ning.
The s udy was limi ed by i s small sample size and sho obse a ion pe iod, which es ic ed he
gene aliza ion o indings. In elying on na u alis ic obse a ion, he e was a isk o possible obse e bias since
obse e s migh ha e in e p e ed beha io di e en ly. Mo eo e , con ex ual ac o s—home en i onmen ,
ela ionships wi h pee s, o empe amen —we e no comp ehensi ely add essed and migh ha e a ec ed he
way beha io was mani es ed.
Fo u u e obse a ion, i was ecommended ha esea che s obse e spaces whe e eache s p o ided
p edic able ou ines and oppo uni ies o physical ac i i ies o s imula e lea ning, and whe e eache s also used
Volume-09 Issue 11, No embe -2025 ISSN: 2456-9348
Impac Fac o : 8.232
In e na ional Jou nal o Enginee ing Technology Resea ch & Managemen
(IJETRM)
h ps://ije m.com/
IJETRM (h p://ije m.com/) [348]
posi i e ein o cemen in he class oom o enhance ocused a en ion and beha io . Pa en s we e encou aged o
p o ide consis en expec a ions a home and os e a en ion-p omo ing ou ines. Fu u e s udies we e sugges ed
o in es iga e long- e m ajec o ies o a en ion and hype ac i i y, and o examine hei ela ions o
socioemo ional and execu i e unc ioning in b oade samples.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Conduc ing his na u alis ic obse a ion has been a uly inspi ing and li e changing jou ney o he
esea che s. This s udy would no ha e been possible wi hou he p aye s, pa ience, encou agemen , and
guidance he esea che s ecei ed om he people who con inuously belie ed in hem and s ood by hei side
h ough e e y s ep o he p ocess. The esea che s would like o ex end hei since es g a i ude o he ollowing:
D . Julie Ann A. O obia, dean o he College o Educa ion, o he kind app o al and suppo in
making his esea ch possible;
M . Richie B. Lo en, he dedica ed esea ch ad ise , whose guidance, aluable insigh s, and pa ience
se ed as a s ong ounda ion o he success o he s udy;
D . Weenkie Jhon A. Ma celo, p incipal o Musuan In eg a ed School, o wa mly welcoming he
esea che s in o he school and g an ing pe mission o conduc he obse a ion;
The Kinde ga en lea ne s, ou dea pa icipan s, whose genuine beha io s and in e ac ions p o ided
meaning ul insigh s in o he opic and became he hea o his s udy;
The esea che s’ pa en s and amilies, o hei uncondi ional lo e, sac i ices, and cons an suppo —
emo ionally, inancially, and spi i ually ha se ed as a cons an sou ce o s eng h and mo i a ion;
To e e yone who, in one way o ano he , sha ed hei ime, knowledge, and kindness h oughou he
comple ion o his s udy; and
Abo e all, we gi e ou highes p aise o God Almigh y o His endless guidance, wisdom, and
blessings ha made his esea ch possible. Th ough e e y challenge and iumph, His g ace has been ou
g ea es sou ce o s eng h and inspi a ion.
CONCLUSION
Using he s udy’s da a, hese conclusions we e d awn:
• Kinde ga en lea ne s exp essed ina en ion by no lis ening when spoken o, being easily dis ac ed,
o ge ing, and a oiding ac i i ies ha equi ed sus ained e o . Hype ac i i y mani es ed i sel as
alking excessi ely, cons an mo emen , idge ing, lea ing sea s, and in e up ing o he s. Such conduc
sugges ed ha mos lea ne s equen ly ailed o sus ain ocus and inhibi impulses, e lec ing he
de eloping a en ion and sel - egula ion skills ypical o ea ly childhood.
• The s udy e ealed ha ina en ion and hype ac i i y mos equen ly occu ed du ing s uc u ed
lessons, whole-g oup discussions, and ansi ional pe iods be ween ac i i ies. These si ua ions o en
equi ed highe le els o sus ained a en ion, limi ed mo emen , and adhe ence o ou ines, making
hem mo e challenging o young lea ne s. Meanwhile, ewe signs o ina en ion and hype ac i i y
we e obse ed du ing hands-on asks, ou doo play, and ee-choice ac i i ies, sugges ing ha
en i onmen s allowing mo emen and au onomy suppo ed be e engagemen and beha io al
egula ion.
• Based on he in o mal in e iew, he eache sha ed ha she managed ina en ion and hype ac i i y
among Kinde ga en lea ne s h ough e bal edi ec ion, posi i e ein o cemen , and he use o
engaging, mo emen -based ac i i ies. She explained ha gen le cues, eminde s, and p oximi y helped
e ocus lea ne s’ a en ion du ing momen s o dis ac ion o impulsi i y. To main ain engagemen , she
inco po a ed sho b eaks, in e ac i e games, and g oup asks ha allowed child en o elease ene gy in
a posi i e way. These insigh s e ealed ha he eache alued suppo i e and de elopmen ally
app op ia e app oaches ha nu u ed young child en’s ocus, sel - egula ion, and posi i e class oom
beha io .
REFERENCES
[1] Ame ican Psychia ic Associa ion (2013). Diagnos ic and S a is ical Manual o Men al Diso de s. In
Ame ican Psychia ic Associa ion eBooks. h ps://doi.o g/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
[2] Ba kley, R. A. (Ed.). (2015). A en ion‑de ici /hype ac i i y diso de : A handbook o diagnosis and
ea men (4 h ed.). Guil o d P ess.
