融于教学的游戏训练对农村大班幼儿执行功能的促进

Promoting Effect of Play Training Integrated with Teaching on Executive Function among Rural Older Preschoolers

本研究采用实验组对照组前测后测设计,对实验组(即干预组)幼儿进行为期3个月的融于教学的多种形式游戏训练(自控力养成、专注力练习、记忆棋游戏)。结果发现:(1)两组幼儿在执行功能的三个维度(工作记忆、抑制控制和认知灵活性)上的前测成绩均无显著差异,但训练后干预组幼儿在认知灵活性上的增量显著高于对照组,工作记忆上的增量略高于对照组;(2)将干预组幼儿依据执行功能水平进行高、低分组划分,发现低执行功能组在三个维度都得到了显著提升,而高执行功能组在工作记忆和抑制控制两个维度上有所提升。研究证明,短期游戏训练一定程度上可以促进农村幼儿执行功能的进步,尤其对执行功能偏低的幼儿效果更佳,显示出补偿发展的特征。

The current study examined the promotion effect of play training integrated with teaching on executive function among rural older preschoolers using a pretest-training-posttest design.The training purposefully targeted working memory(WM),inhibition control(IC),and cognitive flexibility(CF)for 3 months.Children were randomly assigned to either an intervention(n=50,Mage=6.12 years old,SD=.44 years old)or a business-as-usual contrast group(n=50,Mage=6.22,SD=.34).With the guidance and assistance of economical,simple,and suitable teaching methods,we attempted to design a training program which is less complicated to master,regarding teachers as the leading role and children as major participants,integrating intervention training into daily teaching and gaming activities among rural preschoolers throughout the establishment and improvement of classroom.Three kinds of game training were used.‘The self-control storybook’task was applied as the first game,in which children were required to remember the content of story and take the excellent qualities of the characters in the story,hoping to suppress impulsive behaviors and improve self-control in campus activities through imitation or rejection to some typical characters;The second game was‘the focus book’training,in which children were required to stay focused and resist distraction.It also required them to switch their attention between different tasks and goals.The third game was‘the memory chess’,in which children were asked to memorize the pattern of each piece and accomplish the tasks by collaborating with their peers.Routine teaching activities were administrated to the contrast group during this time.The three classical tasks of working memory,inhibition control and cognitive flexibility were applied to measure executive function for the two groups before and after training.Several conclusions were obtained accordingly:(1)no significant difference could be found in the pre-test scores of the 3 dimensions of executive function,but the increment of cognitive flexibility in the intervention group scored significantly higher than that in the control group after training,the increment of working memory got slightly higher than that in the control group(marginal significant);(2)The children in the intervention group got divided into high and low groups according to the level of executive function.It was found that the low executive function group got significantly improved among 3 dimensions(tWM=5.36,p<.001,Cohen’s d=1.23;tIC=3.00,p=.006,Cohen’s d=.63;tCF=4.49,p<.001,Cohen’s d=1.12),but the high executive function group only improved on working memory(t=2.62,p=.015,Cohen’s d=.59)and inhibition control(t=2.14,p=.043,Cohen’s d=.54),not with standing that the high executive function group just got improved in two dimensions:working memory and inhibitory control.Theoretical and practical implications were proposed afterwards:Firstly,the higher availability and economicality of materials,the simpleness of the related operation,the efficiency of time and quality for teachers,plus its convenience to implement and popularize in specific economically backward regions.Secondly,Interesting stories and activities virtually enhanced children’s enthusiasm to participate,the game form itself has been transformed into a new formation,which has added new challenges to higher requirements of executive function as well.Notably,early childhood educators should realize the fact that these training methods have stimulated teachers’mindsets of teaching to interact more efficiently.Thus,better training results might be able to achieve prospectively as long as these trainings’rationality and legitimacy could be kept,alongside with the assistance of appropriate tools.These findings above could undoubtedly perform as an encouraging enlightenment for ability promotion and teaching progress optimization of disadvantaged children.