What Is the Most Important Factor in Student Learning?

To the question, “What is the most important factor in student learning?” there is no one answer that can be definitively deemed correct. However, there are a lot of different things that go into it. The environment of the home is one of these factors.

Students who are raised in poverty and low-income households have significantly lower chances of succeeding in life compared to students who come from wealthier backgrounds. The significance of this factor cannot be overstated because of this fact. In this article, we will discuss the potential outcomes that can occur when families do not have access to resources, as well as how this impacts the educational opportunities and outcomes for their children.

Do you know what the single most important component of a student’s educational experience is? If not, there’s no need to panic! You will gain a better understanding of what it takes for students as well as teachers to be successful by reading this blog post.

What do you consider to be the single most important component of successful student learning? That is a challenging question for which there is no simple response. To begin, I’d like to point out that a successful student-teacher relationship is the result of a number of different factors coming together. These factors include finding an efficient way to teach, discovering how the student learns best, and locating ways in which the student can excel.

I’ll also mention that there are some things that we as educators or parents at home can do to ensure that your child comprehends these ideas and receives the education that he needs. I’ll say that again. I’ll show you how to do it!

In Dr Study, we want your child to succeed, and our tutoring programs have been proven to help students reach their full potential. With over 30,000 happy students, you can trust that we know what we’re doing.

Time Management Skills That Improve Student Learning

Students in today’s fast-paced world need to be able to effectively manage their time if they want to be successful. In spite of the fact that you may long for a less complicated time when it seemed as though time moved at a more leisurely pace, the fact of the matter is that active participation in today’s western society requires young people to have skills in time management and organisation.

Even though the ACC does not support the idea of a controlling and obsessive approach to the day-to-day activities of students, we do believe that it is essential for them to learn how to effectively manage their time and set goals for themselves. This article will discuss the importance of time management and provide a list of several strategies that can assist students in becoming better at organising their priorities and managing their time.

ACC also promotes a well-rounded strategy for time management, which takes into account God’s wish for us to find rest in Him and to have faith that He will provide for all of our requirements.

What Is Time Management?

Time, like our energy and our money, is a limited resource that requires careful management in order to be utilised to its full potential. Planning and exercising control over the amount of time you devote to completing individual tasks are the cornerstones of effective time management.

Students need to have a variety of important skills, including the following, in order to effectively manage their time:

Goal-Setting

When you aren’t sure how to spend your time, it’s difficult to make the most of the hours in the day. Students could benefit from setting both short-term and long-term objectives for themselves. For instance, one of their short-term goals could be to finish their homework early each day so that they have plenty of spare time to practise their instrument. Their ambition might be to one day play in the band at their school or church, or even in the Australian Youth Orchestra!

Prioritisation

It is possible to prioritise tasks in accordance with their level of significance by first determining what must be completed within a specified amount of time. Students can improve their chances of achieving their goals by writing down their priorities for each day, week, month, and year. It also helps to ensure that activities that are vitally important but do not require immediate attention, such as personal devotions, adequate sleep, and exercise, are prioritised appropriately. For instance, some people like to get the easiest tasks out of the way first thing in the morning so that they can use that boost to propel them further into the day. Some people like to start with the more difficult tasks.

Organisation

When one’s priorities have been established, the next step is to devise a strategy for putting those priorities into action. Some people are born naturally organised, while others have to work a little bit harder at it. Helpful strategies include keeping an up-to-date calendar and maintaining a clean and organised study environment. There are numerous applications and software programmes that can be of assistance to organisations.

Managing Stress

Under extreme amounts of pressure, no one can perform at their best. As a result, it is necessary for students to have access to productive and healthy methods of coping with the pressures associated with their studies. Both getting sufficient sleep and engaging in physical activity are excellent ways to alleviate stress and enhance one’s capacity for intellectual growth.

In the following paragraphs, you’ll learn about a lot more strategies to improve your time management.

Why Are Time Management Skills Important?

Students are able to complete more in a shorter amount of time when they have effective management of their time. This is because their attention is focused, and they are not wasting time on distractions (like social media, for example). Students who make effective use of their time report feeling less stressed as they progress through their to-do lists. In addition to this, it can give you a feeling of accomplishment when you reach your goals. For instance, they might make it a goal to finish an assignment by Friday so that they can spend the weekend socialising with their friends.

In addition, if students are able to make effective use of their time, they will be able to finish their assignments on time, continue to be engaged in their education, and have more time available to pursue activities that are important to them, such as participating in sports, hobbies, youth groups, and spending time with friends and family.

Students are able to make the most of their abilities and experience the joy that comes from accomplishing things thanks to effective management of their time. Additionally, it is one of the most in-demand skills in the labour market today.

The Bible also has a lot to say about how we should organise our time and schedules. Christians see the passage of time differently than the rest of the world does because we are aware that God has chosen to save us through Christ Jesus as part of an eternal plan (Eph 1:4).

As a consequence of this, we need to make sure that our priorities are straight by putting an emphasis on seeking His kingdom and his righteousness first (Matt 6:33). Second, the Bible tells us to make good use of our time and to seek God’s guidance regarding the most effective way to do this (Eph 5:15-17). (Ps 90:12). Third, the book of Proverbs advises us to make plans for the future (Proverbs 21:5), but we must do so with the awareness that those plans cannot be guaranteed (Js 4:13-14).

If we keep our focus on the eternal perspective (2 Corinthians 4:18), we will be able to manage our time in a way that brings glory to God and assists us in carrying out His will.

Tips On How to Improve Time Management

Fortunately, there are many ways students can improve their time management. Here’s an extensive list derived from sites including Grade Power Learning and Deakin University.

• Start with an agenda – either alone or with your help, have your child record the dates of all upcoming assignments and exams in an online or paper agenda (such as their school diary or an online calendar). Schedule in important activities and free time, too. You can even set deadlines a few days before actual due dates to allow a margin for emergencies.
• Create a master schedule – from this agenda, block off chunks of time for study or assignment work. This will help your student to prioritise their projects and stay on target with due dates. You could start by estimating how long each project will take, then calculate how much time to allow daily or weekly. Try to schedule in some study every weekday, even if it’s only brief. Colour-coding different subjects can make reading the schedule easier.
• Start assignments early – leaving assignments until the last minute is stressful. Instead, encourage your child to start working on them well before they are due.
• Make project plans – when study or assignments seem overwhelming, procrastination often results. Help your child to break their study plan or project into smaller, more manageable chunks. You can give each segment its own due date to help them feel good for meeting small goals.
• Avoid multi-tasking – divided attention is an inefficient way to learn. Instead, focus on one task at a time for maximum productivity.
• Reduce distractions – during the time scheduled for schoolwork, have your child put away unnecessary devices such as mobile phones and switch off social media notifications. Distractions can also come from internal feelings such as hunger or tiredness, so ensure they’re getting adequate sleep and have snacks and water on hand.
• Take regular breaks – working on something for too long can lead to lost focus. Short breaks every half hour or so can help them to recharge. Consider having a change of scene, such as a short walk or a drink in the backyard. Just make sure they don’t get side-tracked and don’t return to study!
• Be an early bird – encourage your child to start their homework as early as possible after school. This gives them more time to complete it while they’re alert and reduces the risk of delayed bedtimes. Also, people vary as to when they’re most productive, so allow your student to tackle challenging tasks during their best time and leave easier ones (such as organising their books or lists for the next day) when they’re not at their peak. Some might prefer to get up early and work before the school day, for example.

• Set time limits – such as “finish Introduction to Humanities essay by 3.30pm”. This prevents tasks from eating into the time allocated for other activities.
• Use time tracking apps and software.
• Keep a clock placed visibly before you – to stay aware of the current time.
• Avoid perfectionism and fussing over unimportant details – trying to make your work perfect, especially first-time round, is frustrating and a huge time-waster. Rather, get something on the page (or into the brain). Then, you can go back and improve it later if necessary.
• Use your downtime well – for example, students could be rehearsing their times tables or practising an oral presentation in the car on the way to or from school. On public transport, they may be able to study or think through their plan for that day. This tip should be used with wisdom and moderation, though, as relaxation and rest aresential.
• Reward achievement – when your child has accomplished important goals, don’t forget to celebrate. This doesn’t have to be something big or expensive. Preferably, it should be something healthy. Possibilities include some extra device or TV time, a visit to a favourite beach, park or activity, a small treat, or even a contribution towards something they are saving for.

Time Management Tips from Highly Successful People

Millions of students around the world struggle with academics. Dr. Study provides a variety of online learning and tutoring programs to assist your child to get ahead.

Clearly, some people are gifted at time management and have used it to great effect. Here’s some of their tips.

Author, teen mentor and lifelong straight-A student Daniel Wong lists 45 student time management tips. Some of his excellent ideas include:

• Setting a timer for two minutes if you’re feeling unmotivated – there’s a good chance that once you’ve started, you’ll continue working after the two minutes are over.
• Keep a time log for a few days – have your chilld track the time they spend on each activity. This will show them places where they could use time more effectively.
• Make checklists of all you need to do – writing things down helps you to remember and prioritise tasks.
• Unfollow everyone on social media except people you really care about. Wong reports saving hundreds of hours since doing this. He also advises unsubscribing from YouTube channels.
• Learn to say no. With endless ways you can spend your time, Wong recommends saying no to activities that don’t fit with your priorities.

Richard Branson, an entrepreneur and the founder of Virgin Airlines, claims that maintaining a consistent morning and evening routine enables him to better focus on his goals and get more done. He gets up every day at approximately 5 in the morning, engages in some form of physical activity (such as tennis, walking, or cycling), and then consumes a breakfast that is high in fibre, such as muesli and fruit.

According to an article published in Entrepreneur Asia Pacific, the majority of successful businesspeople have a form of morning routine that is similar to Branson’s. This routine typically involves getting up early, engaging in physical activity, consuming a nutritious breakfast, and tackling the most difficult task first.

They also note that successful people, such as Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, don’t pack too much into their schedules, which is another point that they make. Instead, it has been reported that both men attribute their successful time management to the fact that they leave a significant amount of white space in their calendars. This enables flexibility, which is helpful when dealing with unforeseen events. Additionally, it frees up time for them to concentrate on their interests.

Is it Possible to Be Over Obsessive About Time Management?

It is a good idea to teach children how to effectively manage their time, but parents should be aware that excessive focus on time management can have the opposite of the desired effect. Children may experience increased levels of anxiety and stress as a result of their constant search for ways to make better use of their time.

The available evidence suggests that tools and strategies for time management work for some people in some circumstances, but not for others. This is according to an article that was published by the BBC. When reporting on research conducted in 2017, they note that continuously chasing better time management becomes a self-defeating strategy. In this scenario, people can initially complete more by utilising these tools, but they forget the fact that productivity has limits.

When people are unable to recognise their true motivations, this can lead to more serious consequences. According to Christine Carter, a senior fellow at the Greater Good Science Centre at the University of California, Berkeley, this is one of the primary reasons why such methods are unsuccessful. Many of them attribute their achievements to their use of willpower, but “you are not really motivated by willpower as much as you are by your emotion.”

One of the authors of the study, Brad Aeon, notes that people in today’s world typically have a great deal more leeway to organise their time, and as a result, they are often juggling multiple projects at once, which results in a great deal of stress. “Freedom comes with a responsibility: you have to think a lot more about how you manage your time,” he says. “If you want to be truly free, you have to be willing to accept that responsibility.”

After coming to terms with the fact that we are all going to die, he had a realisation that had a profound impact on how he approaches the management of his time. He now gets up every day at nine in the morning after sleeping for nine hours, works for four hours per day, works out at the gym every day, and reads every day. He makes use of a number of techniques for time management, such as to-do lists, calendars, and timers, but he does not let his work consume his life. Instead, he emphasises that these tools “should allow you to take control of your life, and then structure your work around it.”

Understand Your Impact On Student Learning Growth

Considerations for gaining an understanding of the impact of teaching

Measure the development of your pupils by contrasting where they were at an earlier point in time with where they are at this present moment in order to determine the effectiveness of your teaching.

You, as the teacher, are responsible for determining what this progression means for each individual student. You can accomplish this by drawing on the evidence that you have mapped to the achievement standards of the curriculum, as well as the knowledge that your students possess.

You can review the factors that might be enabling or constraining growth with your colleagues to get a better understanding of the impact of your teaching and to evaluate its effectiveness. This assists school leaders in determining the areas of teaching that may require further development through the use of professional development opportunities.

Work Out the Impact of Your Teaching

To map student development to curriculum achievement standards from entry to the end of a unit, you can use the following pages:

• Assess knowledge and understanding of your students
• Assess the capabilities and skills of your students
• Assess the attitudes, motivations and dispositions of your students

These will help you determine learning growth. At this stage, you are working out:

• If all students have progressed as intended
• Which students have excelled
• Those students who have struggled to make progress.

Your goal is to understand each student and what they need to progress. This is an opportunity for you to reflect on the progress of your students. It is also a chance to work with colleagues to plan a more personalised approach for particular students.

Understanding Growth

To understand how the learning growth of each students, it is important to:

• Draw on your knowledge of these students
• Collaborate with your colleagues.

While growth in a general sense is welcome, optimal growth is the goal. Optimal growth means growth connected to learning excellence. What this looks like will depend on the student and their context.

It is important to note that growth can also be understood in a variety of ways. For example:

Standards-referenced growth, which focuses on a student’s years of learning:

• This growth is in relation to the continuum of learning in the Victorian Curriculum
• Some learning occurs incrementally along a learning continuum, but the rate and pace of learning are not always fixed, and constant
• Learning can develop in more complex ways through a web of connectedness that is dependent on students developing understandings, capabilities and dispositions in concert with one another. For example, being creative requires developing knowledge of creative processes, skills in creative thinking, and the disposition to be curious, adaptable, and persistent.

Age or year-level expected growth, which focuses on a student’s years of schooling.

• At the level of schools and systems, this kind of growth can help identify priority cohorts that may need intensive support to reach minimum achievement standards.
• It might not account well for the diversity of students, such as those with disabilities, learning difficulties, or interrupted schooling.

Growth in relation to targets and/or learning goals can be set in different ways and by different people.

• A powerful motivator for your students is for you to work in partnership with them to set goals informed by curriculum achievement standards. It can drive their learning when the goals set are achievable but challenging, and you support them to reflect on and evaluate their own progress.

For Team Dialogue

• How do we currently understand ‘growth’ in our context? To what extent do we have a shared understanding?
• What might ‘optimal growth’ look like for our students?

You want the best for your children and that includes giving them a strong foundation in early childhood learning. With Dr Study, you can be sure that your child is getting the best possible early childhood education that is tailored to each their needs.

Now What

You will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of your teaching and consider how well you have enabled your students to advance once you have determined and understood the growth of your students. This can provide you with the opportunity to learn what aspects of learning are being contributed to, as well as what aspects of learning may require modification and improvement. The following aspects of educators’ practises have the potential to influence students’ academic growth and development:

• Learning design
• Learning approaches
• Assessment design
• Becoming a learning community

Frequently Asked Questions

Author

Dr. Olga Abeysekera

Dr Olga Abeysekera, founder of Dr Study Tutoring and the Dr Progress Group Pty Ltd, is passionate about transforming education through innovative and personalised tutoring. With a PhD in Management from Monash University and a background in both academic research and private tutoring, she has a deep commitment to helping students excel.
Her holistic approach at Dr Study Tutoring emphasises not only academic success but also the development of lifelong skills, ensuring that each student receives the best education and support possible. Dr Olga’s dedication to continuous improvement drives her mission to inspire a love for learning that lasts a lifetime.

Check all posts

Linkedin