Relations between executive functions and academic achievements in primary school children

Šiuo tyrimu siekta nustatyti, kurios vykdomosios funkcijos leidžia prognozuoti pradinio mokyklinio amžiaus vaikų matematikos, skaitymo ir rašymo pasiekimus ir ištirti galimus kognityvių veiksnių (verbalinio ir neverbalinio intelekto) ir elgesio veiksnių (mokymosi elgesio ir hiperaktyvumo) mediacinius efektus. Tyrime dalyvavo 101 vaikas, besimokantis antroje pradinės mokyklos klasėje. Visi tyrimo dalyviai individualiai atliko devynias tyrimo tikslams sukurtas kompiuterines bei popieriaus ir pieštuko užduotis, skirtas Miyake ir kitų (2000) modelyje aprašytoms vykdomosioms funkcijoms (atsako slopinimui, psichinės veiklos perkėlimui ir veikliosios atminties reprezentacijų atnaujinimui) įvertinti. Užduočių konstrukto validumas buvo įrodytas patvirtinamąja faktorių analize. Vaikų verbalinis ir neverbalinis intelektas nustatytas Wechslerio trumpąja intelekto skalę (WASI). Informacija apie vaikų akademinius pasiekimus gauta iš mokytojų, kurie užpildė tyrimo tikslais sukurtą Akademinių pasiekimų skalę. Vaikų hiperaktyvumas įvertintas pagal Galių ir sunkumų klausimyno (SDQ) mokytojų versijos hiperaktyvumo skalę, o mokymosi elgesio kintamasis sudarytas remiantis mokytojų ir tėvų atsakymais raštu į klausimus apie vaiko elgesį, susijusį su mokymosi veikla. Pasitelkus struktūrinių lygčių modeliavimą nustatyta, kad vykdomosios funkcijos yra svarbus prognostinis pasiekimų pradinėje mokykloje veiksnys. Veikliosios atminties reprezentacijų atnaujinimas leido tiesiogiai prognozuoti skaitymo ir rašymo pasiekimus. Atsako slopinimas ir psichinės veiklos perkėlimas buvo susiję su pasiekimais matematikos srityje, tačiau ne tiesiogiai, o per elgesio mediatorius: atsako slopinimas – per hiperaktyvų elgesį mokykloje, o psichinės veiklos perkėlimas – per mokymosi elgesį.Although the relations between executive functions and academic achievement are considered widely proven, due to the methodological limitations of most studies little can be said about the relational importance of various executive functions for achievements in math, reading, and writing. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the role of different executive functions postulated by Miyake et al. (2000) (response inhibition, working memory updating, and mental set shifting) on academic achievements in math, reading, and writing as well as the possible mediation effects of cognitive (verbal and performance intelligence) and behavioral variables (learning-related behavior and hyperactivity). In total, 101 children were tested in the second grade of a primary school on nine simple computer tasks intended to predominantly tap one of the three executive abilities: response inhibition, mental set shifting, and working memory updating. In addition, all participants completed the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI). The construct validity of the executive function tasks was established by a confirmatory factor analysis: consistent with other latent variable studies of executive function, the three target executive abilities proved to be separable and moderately correlated with each other (Miyake et al., 2000; Rose et al., 2011). Academic achievement was evaluated by a teacher’s report. The research variables of hyperactivity and learning-related behavior were composed using teachers’ answers to the questions from the Hyperactivity Scale of Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the parents’ and teachers’ answers to additional questions concerning children’s learning-related behavior. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the structural relations of predictors (latent factors of response inhibition, memory updating, and mental set-shifting), mediators (verbal intelligence, performance intelligence, hyperactivity, and learning-related behavior) and dependent variables (math, reading and writing achievement scores). Executive functions proved to be important predictors of academic achievement in primary school. Working memory updating was directly related to achievements in reading (β=0.69, p=0.04) and writing (β=0.71, p=0,01). Response inhibition and mental set-shifting were related to math achievement through behavioral mediators: children with a better ability to regulate inappropriate responses showed fewer symptoms of hyperactivity (β=–0.42, p=0.05), which in turn led to higher achievements in math (β=–0.40, p=0.001); children with better mental set-shifting demonstrated more appropriate learning-related behaviors (β=0.49, p=0.05), while learning-related behaviors also predicted math achievements (β=0.26, p=0,04). In contrast, verbal and performance intelligence did not have any significant relation to academic achievements in primary school