The Influence of Peer and Teacher Interactions in the Preschool Classroom on the Relationship Between Executive Functions and School Readiness (2016)

Undergraduate: Laura Deem

Faculty Advisor: Cathi Propper
Department: Psychology & Neuroscience

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Previous studies show classrooms' instructional content, teacher, and peer relations indicate academic and social success. Executive functions (EF) such as attention, memory, and cognitive flexibility help children succeed academically but have not been examined in relation to children???s behaviors with peers and teachers. This study researches if EF can predict social relationships and hypothesizes higher EF will predict improved academic success via social relationships. Data from the Learning, Emotion and Play in School project (N=102 preschoolers from 9 schools and 5 ethnicities) was used in this study. Peer and teacher interactions were measured using the Individualized Classroom Assessment Scoring System and the Classroom Assessment Scoring System. Participants also completed 4 tasks to measure their EF. Next, children???s school readiness was measured using the Bracken School Readiness Assessment and the Woodcock-Johnson III. Results revealed EF tasks predict academic achievement, but not children???s interactions (measured by the inCLASS). Peer interactions did not predict academic success. However, teachers play an important role in a child???s success in that teachers??? support and organization (measured by the CLASS) moderated the relation between EF and the Bracken and WJ-3. This study indicates the importance of teaching EF skills as early as preschool. Future studies could research children???s EF at earlier ages or examine the relationship of parental influences on EF.