Program for Executive Function Training: Development and Preliminary Evaluation of Effectiveness in Students

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate in Educational Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Science, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.

3 Professor, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience (Brain and Cognition), Shahid Beheshti University.

Abstract

Aim: Executive function training is one of the main goals of different educational and therapeutic approaches. This study aimed to design and evaluate the effectiveness of an executive functions training program.
Method: The study employed a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. The sample consisted of 32 female middle school students in Tehran, selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. The experimental group participated in the "Enhancing Executive Strategies" program, developed using the intervention mapping method, over ten one-hour sessions. The control group received no intervention. All participants were assessed at two-time points, pre-test and post-test, using the Sustained Attention Test, Trail Making Test, Span Tests and the Missionaries and Cannibals problem-solving test. Data analysis compared pre- to post-test score changes between groups using an independent t-test.
Results: The program significantly improved sustained attention and problem-solving skills in typically developing students (p < 0.05). However, this significance was not seen in the digit span and trail-making tasks (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: These findings suggest that the "Enhancing Executive Strategies" program is an effective school-based intervention for improving students'
 cognitive functions, leading to enhanced academic and everyday performance.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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