A Meta‐Analysis on Executive Function Interventions: An Examination of Effects on Executive Functioning and Academic Skills Across Age and Intervention Types

Background: Executive functions (EFs) are robust predictors of academic skills and are better predictors of future academic achievement than IQ. Many interventions aimed at improving academic skills by targeting EFs are therefore applied in educational settings, yet experimental findings are mixed, and it is unclear if improvements in EFs transfer to academic skills. Heterogeneity between age groups and intervention approaches may explain the inconsistent previous findings. Objectives: To synthesize experimental evidence on EF interventions through (1) estimating overall effects on EF development and academic skills, (2) testing if effects vary across age, and (3) assessing differences between three intervention approaches (direct, biopsychological, integrative). Methods: A quantitative meta‐analysis using the random‐effects model was performed to determine overall effects. Age was assessed as a moderator in a meta‐regression analysis, and intervention types were compared in a...Show moreBackground: Executive functions (EFs) are robust predictors of academic skills and are better predictors of future academic achievement than IQ. Many interventions aimed at improving academic skills by targeting EFs are therefore applied in educational settings, yet experimental findings are mixed, and it is unclear if improvements in EFs transfer to academic skills. Heterogeneity between age groups and intervention approaches may explain the inconsistent previous findings. Objectives: To synthesize experimental evidence on EF interventions through (1) estimating overall effects on EF development and academic skills, (2) testing if effects vary across age, and (3) assessing differences between three intervention approaches (direct, biopsychological, integrative). Methods: A quantitative meta‐analysis using the random‐effects model was performed to determine overall effects. Age was assessed as a moderator in a meta‐regression analysis, and intervention types were compared in a subgroup analysis. Outcomes in all analyses included EF development and academic skills. Results: 30 studies with data of 6,459 children met eligibility criteria. Overall, EF interventions did not improve EF development. In the subset of studies reporting on both EF development (g+ = 0.36) and academic skills (g+ = 0.21), combined effects were small in each outcome. Age did not account for a significant portion of the variation in either outcome. Intervention type significantly moderated the effect on EF development: only direct interventions were effective (g+ = 0.25). With limited contrasts for biopsychological and integrative interventions, subgroup analysis could not be performed for academic skills outcomes; direct interventions had a small effect (g+ = 0.13). Conclusion: Current evidence suggests that EF interventions yield small improvements in EF development and academic skills at most, which may not justify intervention costs. Future research should distinguish clinical and at‐risk groups from typical populations and compare specific intervention subtypes to further clarify conditions for improving EF development and academic skills.Show less

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A Meta‐Analysis on Executive Function Interventions: An Examination of Effects on Executive Functioning and Academic Skills Across Age and Intervention Types