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The Relationship Between Executive Functions and Academic Performance in Primary Education: Review and Meta-Analysis

The purpose of this study was to research the relationship between executive functions and academic performance in primary education (6–12 years). Based on 21 samples (n = 7,947), a meta-analysis of random effects demonstrated a moderately significant weighted effect size (r = 0.365) and was found t...

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Autores principales: Cortés Pascual, Alejandra, Moyano Muñoz, Nieves, Quílez Robres, Alberto
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Media S.A. 2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6638196/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31354585
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01582
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author Cortés Pascual, Alejandra
Moyano Muñoz, Nieves
Quílez Robres, Alberto
author_facet Cortés Pascual, Alejandra
Moyano Muñoz, Nieves
Quílez Robres, Alberto
author_sort Cortés Pascual, Alejandra
collection PubMed
description The purpose of this study was to research the relationship between executive functions and academic performance in primary education (6–12 years). Based on 21 samples (n = 7,947), a meta-analysis of random effects demonstrated a moderately significant weighted effect size (r = 0.365) and was found to be a good predictor of academic performance. For the subjects of language and mathematics, the results of the random effects model were similar and slightly higher for mathematics (r = 0.350; r = 0.365). Thus, the theory that executive functions have greater influence on mathematical performance is supported, especially in aspects such as coding, organization, and the immediate retrieval of information. Regarding the different executive function components (working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and planning), working memory had the highest presence (k = 14, n = 3,740) and predictive weight for performance, with an effect size of r = 0.370 for random effects, with a moderate level of significance. The moderating effect of variables such as gender and age were also analyzed. After performing a meta-regression, gender resulted in a value of R(2) = 0.49; the age variable was not significant. This result is especially important since age has traditionally been considered to be the moderating variable of executive functions. The review reveals a good predictive power of executive functions in the primary education stage, and it is even higher at the early ages, indicating its great significance in describing future performance. The study also revealed the competencies and specific aspects of the executive functions that affect the way in which its components intervene in the academic area, demonstrating the mediating effect of variables such as physical fitness, motor skills, and memory processes.
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spelling pubmed-66381962019-07-26 The Relationship Between Executive Functions and Academic Performance in Primary Education: Review and Meta-Analysis Cortés Pascual, Alejandra Moyano Muñoz, Nieves Quílez Robres, Alberto Front Psychol Psychology The purpose of this study was to research the relationship between executive functions and academic performance in primary education (6–12 years). Based on 21 samples (n = 7,947), a meta-analysis of random effects demonstrated a moderately significant weighted effect size (r = 0.365) and was found to be a good predictor of academic performance. For the subjects of language and mathematics, the results of the random effects model were similar and slightly higher for mathematics (r = 0.350; r = 0.365). Thus, the theory that executive functions have greater influence on mathematical performance is supported, especially in aspects such as coding, organization, and the immediate retrieval of information. Regarding the different executive function components (working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and planning), working memory had the highest presence (k = 14, n = 3,740) and predictive weight for performance, with an effect size of r = 0.370 for random effects, with a moderate level of significance. The moderating effect of variables such as gender and age were also analyzed. After performing a meta-regression, gender resulted in a value of R(2) = 0.49; the age variable was not significant. This result is especially important since age has traditionally been considered to be the moderating variable of executive functions. The review reveals a good predictive power of executive functions in the primary education stage, and it is even higher at the early ages, indicating its great significance in describing future performance. The study also revealed the competencies and specific aspects of the executive functions that affect the way in which its components intervene in the academic area, demonstrating the mediating effect of variables such as physical fitness, motor skills, and memory processes. Frontiers Media S.A. 2019-07-11 /pmc/articles/PMC6638196/ /pubmed/31354585 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01582 Text en Copyright © 2019 Cortés Pascual, Moyano Muñoz and Quílez Robres. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
spellingShingle Psychology
Cortés Pascual, Alejandra
Moyano Muñoz, Nieves
Quílez Robres, Alberto
The Relationship Between Executive Functions and Academic Performance in Primary Education: Review and Meta-Analysis
title The Relationship Between Executive Functions and Academic Performance in Primary Education: Review and Meta-Analysis
title_full The Relationship Between Executive Functions and Academic Performance in Primary Education: Review and Meta-Analysis
title_fullStr The Relationship Between Executive Functions and Academic Performance in Primary Education: Review and Meta-Analysis
title_full_unstemmed The Relationship Between Executive Functions and Academic Performance in Primary Education: Review and Meta-Analysis
title_short The Relationship Between Executive Functions and Academic Performance in Primary Education: Review and Meta-Analysis
title_sort relationship between executive functions and academic performance in primary education: review and meta-analysis
topic Psychology
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6638196/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31354585
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01582
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