Teacher perceptions of working memory and executive function improvements following school-day cognitive training

Abstract

Considerable research has documented the impact of teacher perceptions on students’ academic-related outcomes (e.g., classroom performance). This body of literature clearly shows that teacher perceptions (resulting from direct interactions with students) can have both positive and negative effects with respect to student behaviors and experiences in the classroom. What remains unclear is whether teachers perceive changes that result from interventions administered outside of their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in teacher perceptions of working memory and executive function concerns (two important predictors of academic success) among students who participated in a computerized cognitive training program designed to enhance working memory skills. The current results indicate that teachers perceived fewer concerns following students’ participation in the training; this outcome was supplemented with significant improvements in the students’ working memory capabilities following the training program. These findings have important implications given the literature highlighting the relation between teacher perceptions and student outcomes as a function of a school-based computerized cognitive training intervention.

Supporting Learning Differences: Effects of Cognitive Training on Cognitive Abilities in a School-Based Sample

“…Increased academic responsibilities and more difficult school tasks can be associated with greater demands on WM as children progress through each grade [8,50]; therefore, students that have less-developed WM struggle more over time, as they experience increasingly independent learning expectations [8,50]. Additionally, students who struggle with WM and EF abilities are often identified by teachers as having poor behavior in the academic setting [24,25], leading to the potential formation of negative student perceptions from teachers [17,25]-another strike against academic success.…”

“…A byproduct of the consideration given to variability in the student body is the greater amount of attention paid to aspects of neurodiversity [6,7]. More specifically, greater recognition has been given to the idea that some children experience learning differences (e.g., cognitive, behavioral, or emotional challenges that impact academic performance) [5,8,9], and research has highlighted where those differences might originate [10][11][12][13] as well as how to mitigate differences that might not align well with typical academic expectations [14][15][16][17][18].…”

Teacher knowledge of and beliefs about executive functioning, strategies they use to support students with EF deficits, and how these variables relate to their teaching experience

“…The following is a summary of this most recent research. Looney et al (2023) examined changes in teacher perceptions of working memory and executive function deficits among students who participated in a computer-based cognitive training program designed to improve working memory skills. They found that teachers perceived fewer concerns following students' participation in the training.…”

“…They found that teachers perceived fewer concerns following students' participation in the training. This outcome was coupled with significant improvements in the students' working memory abilities following the participation in the program (Looney et al, 2023). In a study exploring the ability of school-based yoga instruction to support student EF development, Wolff and Stapp (2019) reported that teachers perceive the benefits of yoga include increased physical development, self -regulation, and socioemotional skills, and also behavioral and cognitive benefits in the classroom.…”