The Effects of Creative Movement Activities on Executive Functions in Preschool: A Case Study of One Child Development Center in Sisaket Province

Abstract

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study using the one-group pretest-posttest design was to compare the results of creative movement activities on executive function skills in preschool children in a child development center in Sisaket province. The samples were 33 children aged 2-6 years old who were attending preschool classes at Ban Born child development center, Yang Chum Noi district, Sisaket province during the second semester of 2021 academic year. The samples were selected through purposive sampling technique. Data were analyzed using percentages, means, standard deviations, and paired-sample t-test. The results showed that the development of executive function skills in shift/cognitive flexibility, working memory, and planning/organizing scores significantly increased from before attending these activities. Therefore, teachers and other child caregivers should promote activities that develop executive function skills, such as being able to do assignments on their own without admonition, putting toys back when finished playing, finding cloths to wipe it up when spilling water, throwing colored hoops as instructed to see if the children could remember commands or rules of play on the first attempt. It was suggested that further research studies should focus on factors affecting executive function skills and use the results from the study as guidelines to systematically solve these issues.