scholarly journals Investigating the Relationship of Working Memory and Inhibitory Control: Bilingual Education and Pedagogical Implications in Elementary School

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 163-183
Author(s):  
Maria Sofologi ◽  
Makrina Zafiri ◽  
Vassiliki Pliogou
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Elementary School ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Bilingual Students ◽  
Learning Abilities ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Present study aims to shed light on the relationship of working memory and executive functioning in bilingual elementary school children when compared with monolingual population of the same age. The investigation of the relationship between working memory and language learning abilities of children, who are bilingual, is particularly important as it plays a key role in understanding the literacy and language competence of bilingual populations. The purpose of this study was to examine Verbal Working Memory and Executive Functions in 20 bilingual elementary school students who were compared to 20 monolingual school-age students in different cognitive tasks. The research results showed that bilingual students did not appear to perform better in Working Memory compared to the performance of monolingual students of the same age. Correspondingly, bilingual students performed better in the task of inhibitory control and cognitive change. The findings of the present study reinforce the hypothesis that when learning a language, be it the mother tongue or the foreign /second language, the working memory does not correlate to all executive functions but forms a separate cognitive function. The implications of bilingual learning strategies in multicultural class settings are discussed as a pedagogical memory frame that can empower academic achievement while acknowledging the importance of acquiring standardized language skills by promoting a variety of memory strategies.

scholarly journals Linking inhibitory control to math achievement via comparison of conflicting decimal numbers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linsah Coulanges ◽  
Roberto A. Abreu-Mendoza ◽  
Sashank Varma ◽  
Melina Uncapher ◽  
Adam Gazzaley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Math Achievement ◽  
Academic Learning ◽  
Whole Number ◽  
Calculation Skills ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Number Knowledge

The relationship between executive functions (EF) and academic achievement is well-established, but leveraging this insight to improve educational outcomes remains elusive. Here, we propose a framework for relating the role of specific EF on specific precursor skills that support later academic learning. Specifically, we hypothesize that executive functions contribute to general math skills both directly – supporting the online execution of problem solving strategies – and indirectly – supporting the acquisition of precursor mathematical content. We test this hypothesis by examining the contribution of inhibitory control on processing rational numbers pairs which conflict with individual’s prior whole number knowledge and on general math knowledge. In 97 college students (79 female, age = 20.63 years), we collected three measures of EF: working memory (backwards spatial span), inhibition (color-word Stroop) and cognitive flexibility (task switching), and timed and untimed standardized measures of math achievement. Our target precursor skill was a decimals comparison task where correct responses were inconsistent with prior whole number knowledge (e.g. 0.27 vs. 0.9). Participants performed worse on these trials relative to the consistent decimals pairs (e.g. 0.2 vs. 0.87). Individual differences on incongruent Stroop trials predicted performance on inconsistent decimal comparisons, which in turn predicted performance on both timed and untimed measures of math achievement. With respect to relating inhibitory control to math achievement, incongruent Stroop performance was an independent predictor of untimed calculation skills after accounting for age, working memory and cognitive flexibility. Finally, we found that inconsistent decimals performance partially mediated the relationship between inhibition and untimed math achievement, consistent with the hypothesis that mathematical precursor skills can explain the relationships between executive functions and academic outcomes, making them promising targets for intervention.

Working Memory and Cognitive Flexibility Mediates Visuoconstructional Abilities in Older Adults with Heterogeneous Cognitive Ability

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 392-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafaela T. Ávila ◽  
Jonas J. de Paula ◽  
Maria A. Bicalho ◽  
Edgar N. Moraes ◽  
Rodrigo Nicolato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Mediation Effect ◽  
Multiple Mediation ◽  
Planning Ability ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractPrevious studies suggest that executive functions influence the performance on visuoconstructional tasks. This study aims to investigate whether the relationship between planning ability and the copy of complex figures is mediated by distinct components of executive functions (i.e., working memory, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility). We included a 129 older adults with Alzheimer’s disease (n=36, AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n=67), and with no evidence of cognitive impairment (controls, n=26). We evaluated the mediation effect of planning abilities, working memory, cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control on visuoconstructional tasks using a multiple mediation models. We found a significant direct effect of planning on visuoconstructional abilities and a partial mediation effect of working memory and cognitive flexibility on visuoconstructional abilities. The present results indicate that the performance on visuoconstructional task is mediated by multiple interrelated executive functions components, in particular working memory and cognitive flexibility. (JINS, 2015, 21, 392–398)

scholarly journals Relationship between Intelligence and Executive Functions in Preschoolers

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Nikolaeva ◽  
Anastasiya Isaiko ◽  
Nina Soboleva
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Control Level ◽  
Preschool Age ◽  
Nonverbal Intelligence ◽  
Normative Development ◽  
Preschool Period ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Relationship

The paper raises the problem of the relationship between executive functions and intelligence in preschool period of the development. Based on the discussion about the components of executive functions proposed by different authors, two components (inhibitory control and working memory) were selected for analysis. Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices were chosen for the assessment of the intelligence. We chose this method due to the fact that there are a lot of preschoolers who have speech problems that prevent an adequate assessment of verbal intelligence. The go/go and go/no-go paradigms to evaluate inhibitory control (Vergunov & Nikolaeva, 2009) and a test aimed at evaluating working memory (Razumnikova & Savinykh, 2016) were used. The specificity of the test aimed at the level of inhibitory control assessment was a fractal structure of the sensory flow. Both go/go and go/no-go series included two identical parts, but children did not know about this. Some children, however, showed better results in the second part of the series rather than the first one. This could indicate that children intuitively discovered the structure of the sensory flow and learned to respond more effectively. In go/go series, children were asked to respond to each presented stimulus (circles of different colours). In the go/no-go series, they were forbidden to respond to a target stimulus (red circles). Calculating the mistakes (reactions to the red circles), we could assess the inhibitory control level. To assess a working memory, the subjects were offered three series including the same set of visual stimuli, and the order of the stimuli was changed in each series. The number of recalling stimuli in each series and interference inhibition resulting from the presentation of the same set of stimuli were calculated. The study involved 90 preschoolers (average age 6.5±0.4 years) of normative development, parents of all children signed informed consents, and all children were told about the goals of the study. It was shown that nonverbal intelligence has no correlation with any parameters of the inhibitory control or parameters of working memory in preschool age. Immaturity of the prefrontal cortex at this age was suggested to be the main reason for the lack of such a link. The low levels of both inhibitory control and interference inhibition could not provide a high level of correlation with intelligence. It was proved that nonverbal intelligence is associated with greater performance in the second part of the go/go series. This suggests that the higher the child's intelligence is, the better they are able to navigate the sensory flow.

scholarly journals Task Monitoring and Working Memory as Executive Components Predictive of General and Specific Academic Achievements in 6–9-Year-Old Children

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 6681
Author(s):  
Alberto Quílez-Robres ◽  
Nieves Moyano ◽  
Alejandra Cortés-Pascual
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Language Arts ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Academic Achievements ◽  
Predictive Role ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
The Relationship

Academic achievement has been linked to executive functions. However, it is necessary to clarify the different predictive role that executive functions have on general and specific academic achievement and to determine the most predictive executive factor of this academic achievement. The relationship and predictive role between executive functions and their components (initiative, working memory, task monitoring, organization of materials, flexibility, emotional control, inhibition, self-monitoring) with academic achievement are analyzed in this study, both globally and specifically in the areas of Language Arts and Mathematics, in 133 students from 6 to 9 years of age. The relationship obtained in Pearson’s correlation analysis does not differ substantially between overall achievement (r = 0.392) and specific achievement (r = 0.361, r = 0.361), but task monitoring (r = 0.531, r = 0.455, r = 0.446) and working memory (r = 0.512, r = 0.475, r = 0.505) had a greater relationship with general and specific achievement. Finally, regression analyses based on correlation results indicate that executive functions predict general academic performance (14.7%) and specific performance (12.3%, 12.2%) for Language Arts and Mathematics, respectively. Furthermore, working memory and task supervision represent 32.5% of general academic performance, 25.5% of performance in Language Arts, and 27.1% of performance in Mathematics. In conclusion, this study yielded exploratory data on the possible executive functions (task supervision and working memory) responsible for good general academic achievements and specific academic achievements in Mathematics and Language Arts.

scholarly journals Abordagens geocientíficas em estudos do meio no Ensino Fundamental I: construindo pontes para o ensino interdisciplinar

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-38
Author(s):  
Livia A. Salvador ◽  
Denise de La Corte Bacci
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Curriculum Integration ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
Traditional Education ◽  
Geoscience Education ◽  
Integrated Education ◽  
Education Model ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Educational Methodology

The present research investigated the contribution of Geoscience Education in environment studies developed at Escola de Aplicação EA/FEUSP, São Paulo. The research focused on teacher training to overcome the traditional education model based on a fragmentation of knowledge, thus contributing to curriculum integration. Environment studies, field notebooks and the relationship of educational methodology and geosciences knowledge in the school’s curriculum were analyzed. The approaches carried out in the 3rd, 4th and 5th grades of elementary school contributed to reorganizing the Science curriculum, including a geoscientific approach. The results showed the importance of geoscience education and the possibility of changes in the curriculum in promoting a more contextualized and integrated education, starting from the basic levels, to meet the school’s pedagogical policy plan.

scholarly journals Spontaneous Eye Blink Rate during the Working Memory Delay Period Predicts Task Performance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jefferson Ortega ◽  
Chelsea Reichert Plaska ◽  
Bernard A Gomes ◽  
Timothy M Ellmore
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Delay Period ◽  
Blink Rate ◽  
Indirect Measure ◽  
Eye Blink ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR) has been found to be a non-invasive indirect measure of striatal dopamine activity. Dopamine (DA) neurons project to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) through the mesocortical dopamine pathway and their activity is implicated in a range of cognitive functions, including attention and working memory (WM). The goal of the present study was to understand how fluctuations in sEBR during different phases of a working memory task relate to task performance. Across two experiments, with recordings of sEBR inside and outside of a magnetic resonance imaging bore, we observed sEBR to be positively correlated with WM performance during the WM delay period. Additionally we investigated the non-linear relationship between sEBR and WM performance, and modeled a proposed Inverted-U-shape relationship between DA and WM performance. We also investigated blink duration, which is proposed to be related to sustained attention, and found blink duration to be significantly shorter during the encoding and probe periods of the task. Taken together, these results provide support towards sEBR as an important correlate of working memory task performance. The relationship of sEBR to DA activity and the influence of DA on the PFC during WM maintenance is discussed.

scholarly journals The Effect of Compensation and Motivation to Spirit at Work of Elementary School Teachers in Hulu Sungai Sub-District of Ketapang Regency

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 288
Author(s):  
Igor Suryantoro ◽  
Maswardi M. Amin ◽  
M. Chiar
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Elementary School Teachers ◽  
Work Motivation ◽  
Early Observation ◽  
Quantitative Approach ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Analytical Technique ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

<p>This research is based on the results of early observation in elementary school in Hulu Sungai sub-district of Ketapang regency. Based on data obtained by the condition of elementary school teachers in Hulu Sungai sub-district indicated there is a decrease in teachers’ spirit at work. The Purpose of this research was to find: the effect of compensation and work motivation of elementary school teachers’ spirit at work in Hulu Sungai sub-district of Ketapang regency. This research uses a quantitative approach, where the pattern of relationship between variables to be studied using dual paradigm with two independent variables, that is to find the relationship of compensation (X1) with the spirit at work (Y), work motivation (X2) with spirit at work (Y), compensation (X1) and work motivation (X2) jointly on the spirit at work (Y). This research uses quantitative approach, where the pattern of relationship between variables and calculation using simple linear analytical technique and technique of doubled linear analysis. Result of the research based on 71 respondents showed that (1) There is significant effect of compensation to teachers’ spirit at work, 2) There is significant effect between work motivation to teacher’s spirit at work, (3) There is significant effect of compensation and work motivation against elementary school teachers’ spirit at work in Hulu Sungai sub-district of Ketapang regency.</p>

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