Price, Zoe; (2023) Exploring teachers’, teaching assistants’ and Educational Psychologists’ understanding of Executive Functions and reasonable adjustments that work to support children, in the classroom, with executive function difficulties. Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

Executive functions (EFs) are a complex set of effortful cognitive constructs such as working memory, task-switching and inhibitory control that individuals need to consciously employ in order to achieve a known goal. They are critical for learning and subsequent academic achievement. Research evidence indicates that a comprehensive understanding of executive function, and its significant link to academic achievement, is required in schools to effectively support children with EF difficulties with the classroom. Despite this, there is a lack of research exploring education professionals’ understanding of EFs. This study makes an important contribution to the literature by exploring Educational Psychologists’ (EPs), teachers’ and Teaching Assistants’ (TAs) knowledge and understanding of EFs, their role in academic achievement, how EF difficulties manifest within the classroom, how they might be supported, and whether this aligns with the research evidence regarding effective support. The research adopted a mixed-methods design and reports on quantitative data arising from an online questionnaire from EPs (n = 29), and teachers and TAs who work directly to support children’s learning (n = 14). In addition, qualitative data was collected from semi-structured interviews with EPs (n = 3) and teachers (n = 3). Results demonstrate that whilst there is a foundational knowledge and understanding of EFs and how to effectively support children with EF difficulties across professions, for teachers and TAs, this has broadly arisen from their experience and trialling strategies with individual children. There is a distinct lack of formal training for teachers on the importance of EFs in learning, both during their training and during their continuing professional development. This can affect teachers’ confidence in supporting children with EF difficulties and ability to direct their limited school resources and time to prioritising children with EF impairments. Furthermore, a lack of understanding of EP reports assessing EF difficulties can contribute to this. A main finding was that teachers and TAs are aware of the critical importance of EFs within learning and perceive it as important to support children experiencing EF deficits by using effective strategies. These findings have important implications for policy and practice for EPs. This could lead to EPs using their professional knowledge to develop training and best practice regarding supporting children with EF difficulties to disseminate to schools and educate teachers. In addition, this could lead to improved inclusion of content on EF within teacher training. Findings also suggest, a need for increased use of collaborative consultation between EPs and teachers and TAs when developing shared understandings of individual children’s EF difficulties, how it affects their learning within the classroom and what evidence-based strategies will be most appropriate to implement to support them within the classroom. The recommendations arising from the current study provide guidance to the EP profession and schools on how to support children with EF difficulties in an evidence-based manner.

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