The role of executive function in children's competent adjustment to middle school

TLDR

Executive function skills are crucial for children’s cognitive and social functioning and develop throughout childhood, yet their influence on adjustment during the transition from elementary to middle school remains poorly understood. This study examined how children’s executive function skills measured before and during elementary school predict sixth‑grade academic and social competence, and how the type of sixth‑grade school setting moderates these outcomes. Executive function was assessed through performance‑based measures taken before and during elementary school, and sixth‑grade competence was evaluated by teacher and parent ratings while controlling for background variables and testing interactions with school setting. Higher executive function scores before and during elementary school predicted better sixth‑grade academic and social competence, with weaker EF linked to greater behavioral problems in middle schools according to parents and to greater academic and behavioral difficulties in elementary settings according to teachers.

Abstract

Executive function (EF) skills play an important role in children's cognitive and social functioning. These skills develop throughout childhood, concurrently with a number of developmental transitions and challenges. One of these challenges is the transition from elementary into middle-level schools, which has the potential to significantly disrupt children's academic and social trajectories. However, little is known about the role of EF in children's adjustment during this transition. This study investigated the relation between children's EF skills, assessed both before and during elementary school, and sixth grade academic and social competence. In addition, the influences of the type of school setting attended in sixth grade on children's academic and behavioral outcomes were examined. EF assessed prior to and during elementary school significantly predicted sixth grade competence, as rated by teachers and parents, in both academic and social domains, after controlling for background characteristics. The interactions between type of school setting and EF skills were significant: Parents tended to report more behavioral problems and less regulatory control in children with weaker EF skills who were attending middle school. In contrast, teachers reported greater academic and behavioral difficulty in students with poorer EF attending elementary school settings. In conclusion, children's performance-based EF skills significantly affect adjustment to the academic and behavioral demands of sixth grade, with parent report suggesting greater difficulty for children with poorer EF in settings where children are provided with less external supports (e.g., middle school).