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The Development of Academic Achievement and Cognitive Abilities: A Bidirectional Perspective
1The University of Texas at Austin.
Child Development Perspectives
|August 1, 2022
Summary
Academic achievement and cognitive abilities mutually influence each other in children. Quality education enhances cognitive skills and academic success, though this effect is less pronounced in disadvantaged children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Cognitive abilities and academic skills are crucial for child development.
- Understanding the interplay between cognitive skills and academic achievement is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent research on the bidirectional relationship between academic achievement and cognitive abilities in children.
- To examine how academic instruction influences cognitive development.
- To investigate potential differences in these relationships for children facing disadvantages.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of recent empirical studies.
- Analysis of research examining the predictive relationships between academic skills (reading, mathematics) and cognitive abilities (working memory, reasoning, executive function).
- Examination of studies focusing on the impact of direct academic instruction.
Main Results:
- Reading/mathematics achievement and cognitive abilities (working memory, reasoning, executive function) demonstrate a reciprocal developmental relationship.
- Direct academic instruction shows a positive impact on the development of reasoning skills.
- The bidirectional links between cognitive abilities and academic achievement appear weaker in children with disadvantages, including those with special needs or from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
Conclusions:
- Findings support mutualism and transactional models, indicating that schooling and education foster cognitive and academic development.
- High-quality education can directly enhance cognitive and academic skills.
- Education may also indirectly boost development by strengthening the cognitive-academic bidirectional influence, particularly for typically developing children.
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