Executive Functions and Quality of Classroom Interactions in Kindergarten Among 5–6-Year-Old Children

Veraksa, Aleksander; Bukhalenkova, Daria; Almazova, Olga · 2020 · Crossref

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.603776

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Summary

This study investigates the relationship between the quality of classroom interactions in kindergarten and the development of executive functions (EF) in 5–6-year-old children. Motivated by the critical role of preschool education in psychological development and the established link between teacher-child interactions and cognitive outcomes, the authors aimed to determine how specific aspects of classroom organization influence EF components, including cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory. The research is grounded in the cultural-historical approach, which posits that social interaction with adults is the primary mechanism for child development. The study involved 551 children from 26 public kindergarten groups in Moscow. Classroom interaction quality was assessed using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), which evaluates emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support through direct observation. Executive functions were measured using standardized tasks: the Dimensional Change Card Sort for cognitive flexibility, and NEPSY-II subtests for inhibitory control, verbal working memory, and visuo-spatial working memory. To isolate the effect of interaction quality, the researchers identified extreme groups based on CLASS scores, selecting three groups with low-quality interactions (65 children) and three with high-quality interactions (68 children). These groups were matched to control for physical environment and socioeconomic factors. The results revealed significant differences in EF performance between the two groups. Children in high-quality classroom environments demonstrated significantly higher performance in visuo-spatial working memory and inhibitory control tasks compared to their peers in low-quality groups. Specifically, they made fewer errors in inhibition tasks and achieved higher scores on memory-for-designs tests. Conversely, children from low-quality groups performed significantly better on cognitive flexibility tasks. No significant differences were found between the groups in verbal working memory, age, gender distribution, or non-verbal intelligence. The authors suggest that highly organized classrooms may provide less need for spontaneous rule-switching, potentially slowing cognitive flexibility development, while the structured support enhances inhibitory control and memory. These findings underscore the importance of classroom interaction quality for specific executive function components in preschoolers. The study highlights that while high-quality interactions support inhibitory control and working memory, they may not necessarily foster cognitive flexibility to the same extent as less structured environments. This contributes to the understanding of how educational environments shape cognitive development, suggesting that different aspects of classroom quality may differentially impact various executive functions. The results support the view that teacher-child interactions are a crucial factor in early childhood cognitive development, with implications for designing educational practices that balance structure with opportunities for adaptive problem-solving.

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• executive function