Child Education Psychology Essay Research Coursework

Child Education
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Child Education
The study titled “The effects of fantastical pretend-play on the development of executive functions: An intervention study” was the first of its kind and is aimed at determining the level at which fantasy orientation influenced higher-order cognitive skills. Preschool children were the primary subjects of the study, and it had to take a multidimensional approach to ensure the objective was met. In the study, teachers and research assistants were actively involved in the process to ensure that the children did not digress from the activities. In the introduction, researchers acknowledge that lack of information in the connection between fantasy orientation and executive function was their motivation to conduct the experiment, and in the discussion part, they outlined that more researchers should take a similar approach for them to refine their results. However, it is important to note that the results aligned to the objective of determining the best activities preschool children can engage in for them to achieve higher academic results.
The results were that the children should be prodded and motivated to engage in imaginative or fantasy-oriented play because it increases EF development. In the introduction of the study, the authors outlined that EF functions are responsible for inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. All these are critical components in determining if children excel in academics and how they cope with real-life situations as they grow older. It ended with a motivation to parents and teachers to engage their children in the activities and a message to education policymakers to ensure that fantasy-oriented play is included in early childhood education syllabuses.
Method and Findings
A total of 121 students participated in the process, but 11 were excluded when they failed the pre-study test. The total number of students lowered to 110, and it was influential enough to validate the results of the study. The researchers outlined a meticulo...