Effects of Executive Function-Specif ic Activity Program on Parenting Practices and Executive Functions among Preschool Children: A Quasi-Experimental Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60099/prijnr.2026.275709Keywords:
Activity program, executive function, Function-specif ic, Home environment, Parenting, Preschool childrenAbstract
Executive function is an essential foundation for learning, academic achievement, and social relationships. The preschool years are the optimal period for executive function development through parenting practices at home. However, few programs are available to enhance parenting practices in organizing activities tailored to executive function development. This quasi-experimental study sought to investigate the effect of the executive function-specific activity program on parenting practices and executive function among preschool children. The participants were 48 parents of children aged 3-5 years attending kindergartens in a municipality in the northern province of Thailand, purposively selected following the inclusion criteria. The 10-week program, guided by the scaffolding concept and executive function-specific activities, comprised two weeks of education followed by eight weeks of executive function activities. The experimental group (n = 24) received the program while the control group (n = 24) received regular care. Data were collected between December 2023 and July 2024 using the Home Executive Function Environment scale and the EF Development Behavioral Checklist. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and repeated measures analysis of variance with a post-hoc test.
The results revealed that the experimental group had better mean scores of parenting practices in organizing home environments and children’s executive function than the control group and than before the program. Nurses and teachers can use this program in helping parents create home learning environments to promote executive function in preschool children, but further testing is needed in other sociocultural contexts to enhance applicability.
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