This article is Part 3 of a 3 part series looking at the importance of Executive Functions in upper primary student’s academic success. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. This paper is the third part of a paper I wrote for a university assignment and therefore is confined in scope to answer the question asked of us within a specific word count.
Academic Research Paper
Executive Functions and the Australian Curriculum
Although Executive Functions (EFs) are not explicitly taught in the Australian Curriculum, students are required to utilise them to meet the achievement standards. For example, they are required to exhibit efficient mental strategies (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA], 2016a), plan a narrative (ACARA, 2016b), and plan elements of scientific investigation (ACARA, 2016c). Accordingly, for teachers to optimise student growth; the primary classroom must be a key environment which fosters EF skill acquisition (Diamond, 2016) through constructed situations. Drawing on both Piaget and Vygotsky, students can develop a solid repertoire of foundational EF skills by constructing knowledge on their own as well as making meaning through collaboration with teachers and peers (Salomon, 1993).
Practical Strategies
Inhibition Control
Practical strategies for teaching inhibition control include scaffolding instructions for students who become easily distracted and frustrated. Explicitly teaching students in lower primary how to set clear, realistic and structured yearly and short-term academic goals (Meltzer, 2018) contributes to them being able to finish tasks and maintain organised workspaces in upper years. In addition, students learn to self-monitor and self-regulate by slowing down and allowing enough time to complete tasks (Reid & Lienemann, 2006) by teachers who have created mini lessons and written instructions on the board.
Cognitive Flexibility
Teachers can also structure classes to promote cognitive flexibility for children who may resist changes or insist on doing tasks in a certain way. For example, teaching multiple strategies to solve problems when synthesising information for math will minimise anxiety, working with a more able peer when reading, or using the think-pair-share strategy in writing tasks. Relying on Vygotsky, peer discussion that foster deeper thinking and collaborative learning can expose students to multiple viewpoints that challenge their own views and approaches (Meltzer, 2018) and develop cognitive flexibility.
Working Memory
Teachers support working memory development by reducing student’s cognitive load. This can be accomplished by systematically teaching students how to organise and prioritise schoolwork by creating memory aids, tangible reminders, templates or using graphic organisers or think maps when reading (Kim et al., 2004). Teachers can also write instructions on the board, provide mini lessons, and encourage organised note taking to “chunk” main ideas into manageable parts (Meltzer, 2018). In addition, working memory can be developed when students are taught mnemonics, keywords, acronyms and make meaningful connections linking new information with previously retained information (Meltzer, 2018).
Conclusion
EFs are a major steppingstone in the educational ladder and are critical for academic success in upper primary. Teachers must understand the importance of EF to academic success as they are key players in explicitly teaching EFs with targeted support and scaffolding. Their pedagogy and classroom environment are contributing factors that influence EF skill development and upper primary students’ academic success.
References
Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority. (2016a). Australian Curriculum: Foundation to year 10 curriculum: Mathematics: Year 5: Number and Place Values: ACMNA291 (Version 8.3). https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/mathematics/
Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority. (2016b). Australian Curriculum: Foundation to year 10 curriculum: English: Year 5: Creating texts: ACELY1704 (Version 8.3). https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/english/
Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority. (2016c). Australian Curriculum: Foundation to year 10 curriculum: Science: Year 5: Planning and conducting: ACSIS086 (Version 8.3). https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/science/
Diamond, A. (2016). Why improving and assessing executive functions in early life is critical. In J.P. Griffin, McCardle & L. Freund (Eds.), Executive function in pre-school aged children: Integrating measurement, neurodevelopment, and translational research (pp.11-43). American Psychological Association.
Kim, A.-H., Vaughn, S., Wanzek, J., & Shangjin Wei. (2004). Graphic Organizers and Their Effects on the Reading Comprehension of Students with LD: A Synthesis of Research. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 37(2), 105–118. https://doi.org/10.1177/00222194040370020201
Meltzer, L (2018). Creating Strategic Classrooms and Schools: Embedding Executive Function Strategies in the Curriculum. In Meltzer, L. (Ed.), Executive function in education: from theory to practice (2nd ed., pp.263-299). The Guilford Press.
Reid, R., & Lienemann, T.O. (2006). Strategy Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities. Guilford Publications.
Salomon, G. (1993). No distribution without individual’s cognition: A dynamic interactional view. In Salomon, G. (Ed.), Distributed cognition. Cambridge University Press.
