THE RELATIONSHIP OF EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING BEHAVIOR AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Abstract

The present study is an attempt to investigate the role of executive functioning in achievement of students, with special relation to intelligence. For this purpose several hypotheses have been formulated to investigate the relationship between level of executive functions, academic achievement and intellectual functioning of students.1.a) Global executive functions will be positively correlated with the level of academic achievement of high school students .b) Meta-cognition Index on BRIEF will be positively correlated with the academic achievement scores of high school students. c) Behavioral Regulation Index on BRIEF will be positively correlated with the academic achievement scores of high school students. 2) There will be more positive correlation between executive functioning and level of academic achievement of adolescents in high average I.Q as compared to the correlation between executive functioning and level of academic achievement of adolescent with below average I.Q. A sample of 50 male and 50 female students were selected randomly from various schools of Karachi. The age range of the sample was from 12 years to 14 years (mean age: 12.50; SD = .92).WRAT-3(Wilkinson, 1993), Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (Gioia, Isquith, Guy & Kenworthy, 2000) and DAP.IQ (Reynolds & Hickman, 2004) were administered on the participant. Descriptive statistics and Pearson product moment coefficient of correlation were computed through SPSS version 12.0. Result indicated the non-significant relationship between global executive functions and academic achievement in all three areas such as reading, spelling and arithmetic (P>.05). Further it was found that Arithmetic skills positively correlated with Behavior regulation (P<.05). Additional findings indicated that there is a significant difference between the score on BRIEF among male and female high school students. Recommendations for further researches are also suggested.