Executive function, approaches to learning and early achievement in Chinese children

Abstract

Executive Function (EF), which includes cognitive flexibility, working memory and inhibitory control, lays the foundation for school readiness and early academic outcomes. Approaches to Learning (ATL) are a set of characteristics that children display when engaging in learning activities. Abundant research has revealed the importance of EF and ATL for children’s learning outcomes separately, but few studies have examined the combined influences of EF and ATL on early achievement. Against this background, this study investigated the relations among EF, ATL, mathematics achievement and language and literacy. A total of 270 children (including 131 girls) aged between 41 and 76 months (Mage = 58.13 months) were recruited from 6 kindergartens in Shanghai. There are four types of kindergartens in Shanghai as reflected by government ratings of their quality. They are: Model Kindergartens, Level 1, Level 2, and unrated kindergartens. Government ratings of kindergarten quality were used to select two District Model (Highest quality Level 1 kindergartens), Level 1 and Level 2 kindergartens in the same district. Children’s EF, ATL and early achievement were assessed in individual sessions. EF was evaluated using the play-based Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task (HTKS) (Ponitz et al., 2009) ( = .89). Early mathematics achievement ( = .91) and language and literacy ( = .82) were evaluated using selected items from the subtests of Cognitive Development and Language and Emergent Literacy of the Chinese version East Asia-Pacific Early Child Development Scales (EAP-ECDS) (Rao et al., 2014). The assessors rated children’s ATL during the assessment using six observation items in the subtest of the ATL sub-domain of the EAP-ECDS ( = .83). Parents provided standard demographic information. Data were analyzed using correlation, regression and mediational analyses. First, correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relations among control variables (kindergarten quality, child age, and maternal education), EF, ATL and early achievement. Kindergarten quality and child age were significantly related to EF, ATL, mathematics achievement and language and literacy. Maternal education was significantly associated with language and literacy achievement. Second, regression analyses examined how well EF and ATL predicted early achievement. After controlling for kindergarten quality, child age and maternal education, EF significantly predicted ATL, mathematics achievement, and language and literacy. Further, after considering control variables and EF, ATL significantly predicted mathematics achievement, and language and literacy mathematics. Finally, mediational analyses controlling for kindergarten quality, child age and maternal education showed that ATL mediated the relation between EF and both mathematics achievement, and language and literacy. Findings suggest that kindergarten quality should be enhanced given its relation to EF. Further, children’s EF and ATL should be fostered during preschool years in order to promote academic readiness for school.