Using self‐monitoring to increase on‐task behaviors of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) in inclusive classrooms in Turkey (Türkiye)
A simple paper self-monitoring sheet plus teacher cues lifts on-task behavior for elementary students with ADHD in inclusive classrooms.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Three Turkish elementary students with ADHD joined regular classes.
The kids learned to stop and mark if they were on-task each time the teacher gave a quiet cue.
The team tracked on-task minutes across math, reading, and science lessons.
What they found
On-task behavior jumped for every child and stayed high after the cues faded.
Parents and teachers both said the kids could finish more work without reminders.
How this fits with other research
Herrnstein et al. (1979) first showed that self-monitoring taught in a lab can carry into class for months. Sulu et al. (2023) repeat that win inside real inclusive lessons.
Rosenbloom et al. (2019) and Fiene et al. (2015) used apps and watches for students with autism. The new study proves a paper sheet still works for ADHD.
Leif et al. (2026) found self-monitoring alone did nothing for students with IDD unless extra rewards were added. The Turkish kids gained big with only cues and marks, hinting ADHD learners may need less added reinforcement.
Why it matters
You can hand a sticky note and a pencil to a child with ADHD, give a soft cue every ten minutes, and watch focus rise without extra prizes. Try it next period; it costs nothing and keeps working after you fade the prompts.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
AbstractSelf‐monitoring interventions have been found to be effective in improving the on‐task behaviors of students with a wide range of disabilities. However, there are ongoing limitations in the literature, including the (a) lack of planning in generalization and maintenance, (b) interventions are predominantly conducted in segregated settings, and (c) inadequate number of data points collected in each condition. In the current study, self‐monitoring was used to improve the on‐task behavior of three elementary school students with ADHD in inclusive classrooms in Turkey. A concurrent multiple‐baseline across‐participants design was used. Generalization and maintenance were programmed via sequential modification, partial withdrawal, and continuous data collection. Additionally, classroom teachers rated the students' overall classroom behaviors in each data collection session. Based on the visual and the effect size analyses (i.e., performance criteria‐based effect size [PCES]), the intervention was effective in improving the students' on‐task behaviors. The self‐monitoring intervention had 1.18 (high effect), 1.06 (effective) in generalization, and 1.14 (effective) in the first maintenance set and 1.03 (effective) in the second maintenance data set. The teacher ratings aligned with the increased on‐task behaviors of the students. Implications for practice are discussed.
Behavioral Interventions, 2023 · doi:10.1002/bin.1946