Recent developments in neurology and neuropsychology increasingly emphasise the importance of executive functions (hereafter EF), which is why this topic is now more frequently researched in the education of children with special needs. EF encompass a wide range of skills that significantly affect the educational success of all pupils, particularly those with specific learning difficulties (hereafter SLD). Pupils with SLD often experience marked difficulties with EF, which considerably reduces their learning success and also affects the development of basic skills. For effective support and further discussion regarding pupils with SLD, it is therefore essential to be familiar with and understand EF, as appropriate use enables pupils with SLD to compensate for primary deficits to a greater extent.
The aim of the master's thesis was to design and implement a programme for EF development incorporating elements of coaching. Two pupils with SLD from the third educational cycle of primary school participated in the programme, both of whom were assessed by the special and rehabilitation pedagogue as having distinct deficits in EF. The research involved the special and rehabilitation pedagogue, the two pupils’ teachers, and their parents, who provided information on the pupils and their functioning in learning and other situations before and after the EF development programme with coaching elements, using questionnaires. The pupils in the experimental group completed a questionnaire on EF before and after the EF development programme with coaching elements. To observe the pupils’ behaviour and use of learning strategies in the classroom before and after the programme, we used anecdotal records. To identify difficulties in specific cognitive and academic skills, we used individual subtests from the SNAP (Special Needs Assessment Profile) test. During the EF programme, the special and rehabilitation pedagogue recorded the activities she implemented during individual sessions with the pupils. After the programme, we assessed the pupils’ progress in EF using questionnaires completed by the special and rehabilitation pedagogue, teachers, pupils, and their parents.
The EF programme included approximately 30 meetings with individual pupils at the school, held three times a week for 20–45 minutes. The EF development programme, incorporating elements of coaching, focused on developing EF, where initial testing of pupils indicated more significant deficits. The control group consisted of two pupils with SLD and additional EF deficits who did not participate in the programme. Pupils in the control group completed the EF questionnaire for pupils before and after the programme, as did the special and rehabilitation pedagogue, teachers, and parents.
After the EF development programme with coaching elements, the pupils in the experimental group had slightly higher scores in most dimensions of weak IF than at the first measurement. The progress after the EF programme, which can be interpreted qualitatively, was also confirmed by the pupils in the experimental group.
The results of the case study confirm the complexity and intricacy of executive functions. Pupils with SLD, in addition to primary deficits, frequently experience difficulties with executive functioning, which is particularly evident in the third educational cycle of primary education, when school requirements become more complex and pupils are expected to be more independent. The case study shows differences in EF assessments from different assessors, suggesting that EF development may vary across environments. Implementing the EF development programme with elements of coaching helped the pupils in the experimental group to achieve set goals, but we did not test its long-term effects.
|
