Work

Executive functions as mediators of early educational disparities by SES, gender and birth month

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Educational inequalities emerge early, yet the combined influence of socioeconomic status (SES), gender, and birth month remains understudied in preschool. While SES-related disparities have been linked to executive functions (EFs)-cognitive processes supporting goal-directed behavior-their role in gender- and birth-month-related inequalities is unknown. In a sample of 2,618 preschoolers (mean age = 42.61 months, SD = 3.41; girls/boys = 1254/1364), SES, gender, and birth month each independently predicted pre-academic abilities. EFs significantly mediated these associations, explaining 23% of SES-related disparities, 39% of gender-related disparities, and 51% of birth-month-related disparities. These findings provide novel evidence that early educational inequalities may partly originate from EF differences, underscoring their central role in shaping school readiness.

Source: npj Science of Learning

DOI: 10.1038/s41539-026-00422-w

Authors: Margot Rémeau, Philippe Schmitt, Grégoire Borst

Institutions: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Cité, Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de L’Education de l’enfant, Ministere de l'Education Nationale, Institut Universitaire de France

Language: English

Topic: Early Childhood Education and Development

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,690