Work

Teaching biology in the age of distraction: attention as scientific competency in laboratory education

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Biology laboratories increasingly operate within digitally saturated learning environments characterized by fragmented attention and habitual multitasking. This conceptual study argues that attentional discipline should be reframed not merely as classroom compliance but as a core scientific competency linked to laboratory safety, observational reasoning, and professional identity formation. Drawing on literature from cognitive psychology, higher education pedagogy, and laboratory education, the study examines how digitally mediated distraction reshapes scientific observation, procedural integrity, and reflective documentation practices. Thus, proposing attention-aware laboratory pedagogy as a framework for designing learning environments that support sustained engagement without outright rejecting technology. Rather than advocating technological prohibition, the study argues for intentional integration, mentorship, and pedagogical structures that cultivate attentional responsibility as part of scientific training.

Source: Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education

DOI: 10.1128/jmbe.00123-26

Author: Francesco Elia Marino

Institution: Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest

Language: English

Topic: Science Education and Pedagogy

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,700