Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, P.R. China.
Lab for Educational Big Data and Policymaking, Ministry of Education, Beijing, P.R. China.
Cereb Cortex. 2024 Aug 1;34(8). doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhae311.
Design-based STEM learning is believed to be an effective cross-disciplinary strategy for promoting children's cognitive development. Yet, its impact on executive functions, particularly for disadvantaged children, still need to be explored. This study investigated the effects of short-term intensive design-based STEM learning on executive function among left-behind children. Sixty-one Grade 4 students from a school dedicated to the left-behind children in China were sampled and randomly assigned to an experimental group (10.70 ± 0.47 years old, n = 30) or a control group (10.77 ± 0.43 years old, n = 31). The experimental group underwent a two-week design-based STEM training program, while the control group participated in a 2-week STEM-related reading program. Both groups were assessed with the brain activation from 4 brain regions of interest using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and behavioral measures during a Stroop task before and after the training. Analysis disclosed: (i) a significant within-group time effect in the experimental group, with posttest brain activation in Brodmann Area 10 and 46 being notably lower during neutral and word conditions; (ii) a significant between-group difference at posttest, with the experimental group showing considerably lower brain activation in Brodmann Area 10 and Brodmann Area 46 than the control group; and (iii) a significant task effect in brain activity among the three conditions of the Stroop task. These findings indicated that this STEM learning effectively enhanced executive function in left-behind children. The discrepancy between the non-significant differences in behavioral performance and the significant ones in brain activation implies a compensatory mechanism in brain activation. This study enriches current theories about the impact of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning on children's executive function development, providing biological evidence and valuable insights for educational curriculum design and assessment.
设计型 STEM 学习被认为是促进儿童认知发展的一种有效的跨学科策略。然而，其对执行功能的影响，特别是对处境不利的儿童的影响，仍需要进一步探索。本研究调查了短期强化设计型 STEM 学习对留守儿童执行功能的影响。从中国一所留守儿童学校抽取了 61 名四年级学生，随机分为实验组（10.70±0.47 岁，n=30）和对照组（10.77±0.43 岁，n=31）。实验组接受了为期两周的设计型 STEM 培训计划，而对照组则参加了为期两周的 STEM 相关阅读计划。在培训前后，两组都使用功能近红外光谱（fNIRS）从 4 个感兴趣的脑区评估大脑激活情况，并在 Stroop 任务中进行行为测量。分析显示：（i）实验组存在显著的组内时间效应，后测时 Brodmann 区域 10 和 46 的大脑激活在中性和单词条件下明显降低；（ii）实验组和对照组之间存在显著的组间差异，实验组在 Brodmann 区域 10 和 Brodmann 区域 46 的大脑激活明显低于对照组；（iii）Stroop 任务的三个条件下大脑活动存在显著的任务效应。这些发现表明，这种 STEM 学习有效地增强了留守儿童的执行功能。行为表现上无显著差异与大脑激活上有显著差异之间的差异表明大脑激活存在补偿机制。本研究丰富了当前关于科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）学习对儿童执行功能发展影响的理论，为教育课程设计和评估提供了生物学证据和有价值的见解。
