1-018 - Executive Functions in the Early Years in Asia and Europe: Predicting Academic Achievement and non-Cognitive Skills

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

The term Executive Function (EF) denotes cognitive processes involved in self-regulation including inhibitory control, working memory and attentional control. Research indicates that EF develops rapidly during the preschool years, is positively related to academic achievement and that there are cultural differences in components of EF. Previous work has typically considered EF as a latent construct and it is therefore not known which aspects of EF are most relevant for predicting achievement. On the other hand, the papers in this symposium consider the unique contributions of different components of EF and/or motor skills, assessed during the preschool period, in predicting academic or non-cognitive skills in different contexts.

These four papers examine EF development in the East- Asia Pacific (Cambodia, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu) and Europe (Germany and Switzerland). Three of them consider how well EF measured at Time 1 predicts positive developmental outcomes at a later time. The other paper presents findings from a multi-country, cross-sectional study. Taken together the papers suggest that inhibitory control predicts positive development in primary school in all countries whereas early shifting competencies do not lead to adaptive coping (Germany); fine- and gross-motor skills uniquely contribute to the prediction of variance in achievement in Grade 2 over and above EF (Switzerland); preschool attendance mediates SES- related gaps in EF in low and middle-income countries in the East Asia Pacific and that preschool quality predicts positive changes in working memory in Hong Kong-Chinese children.

Sub Unit

• Cognitive Processes

Chairs

• Nirmala Rao, The University of Hong Kong

• Claudia Maehler, University of Hildesheim

Individual Presentations

• Executive Functions, Motor Skills and School Achievement: Longitudinal Links - Presenting Author: Nicole Oberer, University of Bern; Venera Gashaj, University of Bern; Claudia Roebers, University of Bern

• Developmental Changes in Executive Functions in Children Attending Preschools of Varying Quality in Hong Kong - Presenting Author: Rhoda Wang, The University of Hong Kong; Nirmala Rao, The University of Hong Kong

• Developmental Conditions of Accommodative Coping in Childhood: The Role of Executive Functions - Presenting Author: Nora Lessing, University of Hildesheim; Cathleen Kappes, University of Hildesheim; Werner Greve, University of Hildesheim; Claudia Maehler, University of Hildesheim

• Preschool Attendance Mediates the SES-related Gaps in Executive Functions: Evidence from Five Countries in East Asia Pacific - Presenting Author: Jin Sun, The Education University of Hong Kong; Nirmala Rao, The University of Hong Kong