This informal CPD article ‘Executive Functioning’ was provided by UES Education, specialists in international university and school admissions, working with top schools across the UK and Europe to provide a bespoke service for those who want the best possible application support in the UK.
As schools and teachers know, being an educator is not just about helping students learn the curriculum; there are many other factors that are keys to success. One such factor that has gained awareness recently is executive function.
What is Executive Function?
Executive function refers to the thought processes that control thoughts and/or behaviours that help people achieve goals. These processes involve emotional and impulse regulation, problem solving, cognitive flexibility, memory, concentration, empathy, and planning. A lack of these skills can cause students to have behavioural issues, lack concentration, and receive poor grades (even if they have good understanding of the material being taught). So awareness of executive function can help teachers give the right support to students who are struggling.
When supporting students in this way, it can be helpful to assess whether a student’s issue is with learning and comprehending the material itself, or with executive functioning. We often think that some people are naturally organised, or have great memory skills, but educators can support students in doing these things, and help their school build a culture of raising awareness of and scaffolding executive functioning skills.
The importance of Executive Functioning in schools
Schools will want to be aware of the nuances of executive functioning and how it can fit into and overlap with its pastoral programme, in order to best serve students. Many different factors can impact executive functioning; these skills can also overlap with other emotional and mental health considerations, including trauma and neurodivergence.
For example, students with ADHD can struggle with timekeeping and concentration, and students who have PTSD or C-PTSD (or experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences without developing PTSD) may struggle with emotional regulation, problem solving, and memory. For schools and educators, it is important to be aware of these underlying causes, as they will need to be addressed separately, through therapy or learning support, for a student to thrive.
How schools can support Executive Functioning
To support students with executive functioning, schools can create programmes that can help them create organisational and planning processes that work for them, and teachers can integrate this into the day-to-day of their classrooms. Many students have never thought directly about the organisational processes that scaffold their everyday routines, and that is a great starting point. Open a conversation about ways you and they have tried to get organised and remember important tasks and information: what worked, and what didn’t? Why did some things work, and others didn’t?
Things like to-do lists, calendar reminders (whether online or in a paper journal), and focusing on one or two important tasks per day can be really helpful for students to stay on top of their assignments and daily activities. There is no one size fits all process that will work for all students: different brains work in different ways, and so teachers and students will have to be open to a bit of trial and error. But that’s part of the fun–finding out the specific processes that you find helpful, and that make your life easier, giving you the mental breathing space to focus on your interests and passions.
Schools should be aware of executive functioning as a component of academic success (keeping in mind its overlap with other mental health and learning considerations). By doing so, they can support students in accomplishing goals not only academically, but also in general, as these skills carry over into everyday life and careers, and can have a strong positive impact on students’ well-being.
We hope this article was helpful. For more information from UES Education, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively, you can go to the CPD Industry Hubs for more articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.
