does the time of day effect our ability to learn ?

Question

my job is to teach people to drive. I have been asked to work until ten o clock in the evening. but i think that people do not concentrate during the evening, i would like to find out wether there is any research which would prove or disprove my views.

Answer 1

It depends on the person.
Personally for me early morning is better. Around noon I should actually be in bed as my brain function resorts to nothing more than things regulated by the automatic nerrvous system. So I have a good learning window in the morning. I have always wished I could work a job 4am till noon and be done for the day. People I know say I am crazy to want to get up at that hour.
There are night owls that optimal brain function could be 10 at night.

Answer 2

Really recent studies at a U.K. university(past few weeks on radio 4) suggested that the starting time for lectures should be put back till mid-morning because of the 'Internal Body Clock' of students was out of kilter with the 9-5 routine of normal working. This was based on the fact that generally 'youth' sleep longer and also go to bed later.
If you feel uneasy about late night lessons, perhaps you could filter your clients by age.
It is not a myth that most adolescents don't get up till 1.00 0'clock given the chance.

Answer 3

Yes it does.
There was a bit of research that was done recently, unfortunately I cannot remember who did it, how many people, what cross-section was taken etc. but it said that the optimum time to learn or be working was at 10am.

Answer 4

That"s true for me, too!

I can concentrate, feel stronger and efficient , after 4pm. It is our biological rythm that is responsible for this.

Answer 5

http://www.edutopia.org/magazine/ed1article.php?id=Art_1333&issue=sep_05

this may help alittle... but this isn't exactly what your looknig for.