scholarly journals Musical Activities, Prosocial Behaviors, and Executive Function Skills of Kindergarten Children

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 205920432110548
Author(s):  
Beatriz Ilari ◽  
Susan Helfter ◽  
Tina Huynh ◽  
Alice Bowmer ◽  
Kathryn Mason ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
The United States ◽  
Kindergarten Children ◽  
Prosocial Behaviors ◽  
Prosocial Skills ◽  
Music Program

Prosocial behaviors and executive function are staples of child development. Engagement in music has been associated with enhanced prosocial behaviors and executive function skills in children and youth. Yet, research concerning the role of formal music programs in the development of these important behaviors and skills remains elusive. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the role of a 5-week music program on prosocial behaviors (instrumental helping and sharing) and executive function skills (cognitive flexibility and working memory/inhibition control) of 103 kindergarten children from two public schools in a large urban center in the United States, serving predominantly Latinx children from underserved communities. Our data suggested that the short music program positively influenced children's cognitive flexibility, but not working memory, nor prosocial skills (sharing and helping). Findings are discussed in light of earlier studies, methodological issues, and limitations, and in relation to developmental and cultural issues surrounding child participants. Implications for future research and practice are outlined.

scholarly journals The Possibility of Using Role-Play to Train Executive Functions in Preschoolers

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-121
Author(s):  
A.N. Veraksa ◽  
O.V. Almazova ◽  
D.A. Bukhalenkova ◽  
M.N. Gavrilova
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Behavioral Control ◽  
Preschool Age ◽  
Kindergarten Children ◽  
Control Task ◽  
Role Taking ◽  
Positive Effect

In modern pre-school education, more and more time is devoted to educational activities, while kindergarten children have very little time to play. However, play activity is extremely important for the development of inhibition in preschoolers. The article presents results of a study on the relationship between the child's acceptance of different roles (positive, wise or negative hero) and the success of executive function tasks implementation (cognitive flexibility and self-restraint). The study involved 81 children aged 5—6 years of Moscow kindergartens. Assessment of the level of executive functions development was carried out three times: pre-test (without a role), test (task execution in a role), post-test (without a role) using the same complex of methods. Based on the results of the pre-test, preschoolers were divided into 4 groups (3 experimental and one control). Ekvivalent groups formation was carried out basing on the actual level of executive functions development (low and high level) and on the number of boys and girls included in each of the groups. The study showed that the adoption of the role can have both positive and negative impacts on the success of executive function tasks implementation, depending on the type of task and the level of inhibition in preschoolers. The roles of the positive and wise characters had a positive effect in all three tasks, and the role of the negative character had of positive effect only in the tasks on behavioral and cognitive restraining control (in the task on cognitive flexibility it had a negative effect). In addition, role-taking in children with low levels of executive functions interfered with the behavioral control task, whereas in the cognitive control task, role-taking contributed to improved outcomes. Thus, accepting a role can help a preschooler to regulate their behavior, which confirms the role of play as the leading activity in preschool age.

scholarly journals Effects of Sport-Based Interventions on Children’s Executive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 755
Author(s):  
Falonn Contreras-Osorio ◽  
Christian Campos-Jara ◽  
Cristian Martínez-Salazar ◽  
Luis Chirosa-Ríos ◽  
Darío Martínez-García
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Healthy Children ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Impact

One of the most studied aspects of children’s cognitive development is that of the development of the executive function, and research has shown that physical activity has been demonstrated as a key factor in its enhancement. This meta-analysis aims to assess the impact of specific sports interventions on the executive function of children and teenagers. A systematic review was carried out on 1 November 2020 to search for published scientific evidence that analysed different sports programs that possibly affected executive function in students. Longitudinal studies, which assessed the effects of sports interventions on subjects between 6 and 18 years old, were identified through a systematic search of the four principal electronic databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO. A total of eight studies, with 424 subjects overall, met the inclusion criteria and were classified based on one or more of the following categories: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. The random-effects model for meta-analyses was performed with RevMan version 5.3 to facilitate the analysis of the studies. Large effect sizes were found in all categories: working memory (ES −1.25; 95% CI −1.70; −0.79; p < 0.0001); inhibitory control (ES −1.30; 95% CI −1.98; −0.63; p < 0.00001); and cognitive flexibility (ES −1.52; 95% CI −2.20; −0.83; p < 0.00001). Our analysis concluded that healthy children and teenagers should be encouraged to practice sports in order to improve their executive function at every stage of their development.

scholarly journals Attentional Fluctuations, Cognitive Flexibility, and Bilingualism in Kindergarteners

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie L. Haft ◽  
Olga Kepinska ◽  
Jocelyn N. Caballero ◽  
Manuel Carreiras ◽  
Fumiko Hoeft
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Attentional Control ◽  
Kindergarten Children ◽  
Prior Work ◽  
Bilingual Advantage ◽  
Memory And Attention ◽  
Confounding Variables ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
The Relationship

The idea of a bilingual advantage in aspects of cognitive control—including cognitive flexibility, inhibition, working memory, and attention—is disputed. Using a sample of kindergarten children, the present study investigated associations between bilingualism and cognitive flexibility—a relationship that has shown mixed findings in prior literature. We also extend prior work by exploring relationships between bilingualism and attentional fluctuations, which represent consistency in attentional control and contribute to cognitive performance. To our knowledge, no previous study has explored this association. Theoretically, attentional fluctuations might mediate or moderate the relationship between bilingualism and cognitive flexibility. However, given evidence of null findings from extant literature when confounding variables are adequately controlled and tasks are standardized, we did not expect to find a bilingual advantage in either cognitive flexibility or attentional fluctuations. Our results supported this hypothesis when considering bilingualism both continuously and categorically. The importance of expanding upon mechanistic accounts connecting bilingualism to cognitive improvements is discussed.

Radio in Music Education: The Indiana School of the Sky Music Episodes, 1947–1948

2020 ◽  
pp. 153660062097345
Author(s):  
Morganne Aaberg
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Teaching Strategies ◽  
Contemporary Music ◽  
The United States ◽  
Indiana University ◽  
The Public ◽  
School Year ◽  
Music Program

In this study I examined archival material relating to music lessons that aired on the Indiana School of the Sky during its inaugural season in the 1947–1948 school year. The Indiana School of the Sky was an educational radio program intended for use in the public schools and produced by Indiana University students and professors, in partnership with the State Department of Education. The purpose of this study was to illuminate details of the Indiana School of the Sky music program during its inaugural season in 1947–1948, such as the staff, repertoire, teaching strategies, and program structure. Of particular interest was Dorothy G. Kelley, who served as supervisor of the Indiana School of the Sky music episodes during its inaugural season, and was the first female to join the faculty of the Music Education Department at Indiana University. A secondary purpose was to examine the intersection of education and technology in the late 1940s through the lens of the Indiana School of the Sky and to afford contemporary music educators the opportunity to reflect on how they use current technologies in their classrooms. This study found that the program employed three main teaching strategies: singalong, call and response, and listening. Indiana University music and music education students performed in many music episodes alongside Kelley, and 34% of compositions that aired during the 1948–1949 school year comprised of music by composers from the United States, or folk music originating in the United States. Other countries represented by either composer or folk tradition included Australia, Austria, Czechoslovakia, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Mexico, Russia, and Spain.

Exploring the Central Executive in Situation Awareness

2010 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdrabo Moghazy Soliman
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Situation Awareness ◽  
Executive Control ◽  
Global Assessment ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Central Executive ◽  
Driving Simulation ◽  
Assessment Technique

Despite its significance, the central executive is the least explored component of working memory, particularly in complicated contexts. Exp. 1 investigated the role of executive control of working memory in situation awareness in a real-life driving simulation. Exp. 2 examined the extent to which taxing the central executive might affect situation awareness. High, Medium, and Low Situation Awareness groups were formed as assessed using the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique. Executive function was measured using several tests. Results from Exp. 1 demonstrated that the Low Situation Awareness group performed significantly worse on all executive function tasks compared to High and Medium Situation Awareness groups. Findings from Exp. 2 suggested that concurrent load on the central executive dramatically affected the Low Situation Awareness group but not the High Situation Awareness group: the former had significantly more driving violations under central executive load.

scholarly journals Word learning from context : relations with language ability, socioeconomic status, and executive function

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Margaret Hill
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Word Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Language Ability ◽  
Word Knowledge ◽  
Word Meanings

During the school-age years, children learn most new word meanings from context rather than through deliberate vocabulary instruction. However, the actual process of word learning from context among schoolage children remains poorly understood. Prior research suggests that language ability and higher-order executive function skills such as working memory and inhibitory control of attention may aid children in acquiring new word meanings from context, but studies have not examined the effect of cognitive flexibility on word learning. In addition, although research has shown that children from families of low socioeconomic status (SES) often lag behind their peers from higher-SES backgrounds in vocabulary, there is no evidence to suggest that SES directly influences the word learning process itself. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of language ability, SES, and executive function on word learning from context among typically developing children. Fifty children of ages nine to 11 years completed a standardized measure of language ability and tasks of working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility along with a pretest to assess their understanding of 12 rare target words. Approximately one week later, the children read along with two short stories containing the target words while listening as the stories were narrated aloud by a computer. Posttest results showed that as a group, children made small but significant gains in knowledge of target word meanings from the stories. Analyses showed that both language ability and cognitive flexibility were related to gains in word knowledge, and that children tended to rely more on the stronger of these two skills if either language or cognitive flexibility was relatively weak. Children's SES backgrounds were not directly related to word knowledge gains, but results suggested that SES may influence the word learning process indirectly through an effect on children's cognitive flexibility.

scholarly journals Class Size, Funding and Academic Performance

2021 ◽  
pp. 66-78
Author(s):  
James D. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Class Size ◽  
The United States ◽  
Department Of Education ◽  
Improve Performance ◽  
Large Class Size ◽  
The Us

Available data indicate that academic performance among students in the United States has in many cases remained unchanged or has been declining over several decades despite concerted efforts at the state and federal levels in improve performance. With regard to public schools, the decline is commonly attributed to large class size and insufficient funding. Although numerous studies have examined funding and class size and their influence on student performance, many of these investigations did not consider the available longitudinal data. Consequently, they fail to provide a clear examination of both funding and class size effects. Close examination of these data from the US Department of Education, however, shows no significant funding or class-size effect. The present study involved data mining the vast store of education research produced at the US Department of Education to examine the role of class size and funding on public education.

scholarly journals The Role of Critical Thinking and Executive Function in Misconceptions in Psychology

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-21
Author(s):  
Heru Astikasari Setya Murti ◽  
Thomas Dicky Hastjarjo ◽  
Bhina Patria
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Card Sorting

Misconception in psychology is a belief that is broadly contradicting to scientific evidence and is particularlycommon in the field of psychology. It is important to study misconceptions in psychology considering thecontribution of the effort to provide education or to demonstrate rejection of fallacies of popular ideas/themes.Misconceptions in psychology relates to critical thinking as well as the executive function (EF) that controls andregulates cognitive processes. This research aims to determine the role of critical thinking and EF (cognitiveflexibility, working memory, and inhibitory control) with misconceptions in psychology. This study used non-experimental methods, using test (paper and pencil) and PEBL/ Psychology Experiment Building Language(computerized). The sampling technique used was convenience sampling. The subjects in this study were 153psychology students, consisting of 105 students from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) and 48 students fromUniversitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY). Instruments that were used for data collection were the misconception inpsychology test, critical thinking test, Wisconsin/Berg Card Sorting Test (WCST/BCST), Backward Digit Span,and Stroop Test. There is no correlation between cognitive flexibility and misconceptions in psychology, socognitive flexibility is not included in the calculation of hierarchical regression analysis. Based on the results ofhierarchical regression analysis, it can be concluded that the role of inhibitory control on psychologicalmisconceptions is 11.4%, ΔR2 = .114; b* = .33; t(149) = 4.52, p < .001; the role of working memory is 3%, ΔR2 =.030; b* = -.16; t(149) = -2.19, p = .03; and the role of critical thinking is 2.6%, ΔR2 = .026; b* = -.19; t(149) = -2.53, p = .01.

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