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Examining Associations between Executive Function, Classroom Engagement, and Mathematics Outcomes: Does Gender Play a Role?

Fri, March 22, 3:00 to 4:30pm, Baltimore Convention Center, Floor: Level 3, Room 342

Integrative Statement

Children who develop strong mathematics skills in preschool are more likely to do well in school (NMAP, 2008). Despite increased attention to the importance of mathematics, many children enter kindergarten without foundational mathematics skills needed to succeed (Garcia & Weiss, 2015). Growing evidence suggests that children’s executive function (EF) skills may be of central importance in supporting their early mathematics (Clark et al., 2010). However, the mechanisms underlying the association between children’s EF and mathematical skills are not fully understood. Although some have hypothesized that children’s classroom engagement, including how well children stay on task, is a factor that might mediate these associations (Nesbitt et al., 2015), more research is needed. It also remains unclear whether the associations among children’s EF, task orientation, and mathematics achievement function similarly for boys and girls, which is important to better understand whether correlates of mathematics achievement are shared or whether there are differences in the associations among constructs. In this study we aim to shed light on these questions.

To address these objectives we applied whole group and multi-group path analysis to data for 328 children from low-income families living in a large, diverse county. Children were enrolled in 103 center-based pre-kindergarten classrooms in 2016-2017. In the fall and spring, children’s mathematics skills were measured using the Woodcock-Johnson Applied Problems and Quantitative Concepts subtests, which were composited to create a mathematics achievement score. Children’s fall EF skills were derived from a composite of Backward Digit Span, Head Toes Knees Shoulders, and Pencil Tap assessments. Additionally, teachers reported on children’s task orientation using the Teacher-Child Rating Scale. All models discussed below control for a rich set of covariates (see notes under Figure 1) and account for the nesting of children in classrooms.

Figure 1 presents results from the path model examining the direct and indirect association between EF and spring mathematics achievement. Results revealed that children’s EF had a significant direct association with their mathematics achievement (B = 0.147, p< .001) and task orientation (B = 0.282, p < .001), and their task orientation was associated with their mathematics achievement (B = 0.121, p = .004). The total indirect association between EF and children’s mathematics achievement, via task orientation, was also significant (B = .034, p = .003), suggesting evidence for mediation. Subsequent multi-group path analyses revealed evidence of moderated mediation, with the mediation being significant for girls (B =.05, p =.008) but not boys (B = .036, p = .165). Additionally, there was evidence that specific paths were moderated by gender (see Figure 1).

Taken together, these findings support a growing body of research suggesting that early EF skills are an important predictor of children’s later mathematics achievement. Importantly, they also suggest that children’s task engagement may be a mechanism through which EF is related to mathematics skills, although the mechanism may vary for boys and girls. These findings have implications for supporting teachers to engage in instruction that develops children’s EF and classroom engagement as a way to promote mathematics achievement.

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