La condición física como variable predictora del funcionamiento ejecutivo en el alumnado de Educación InfantilExamen de una experienciaeducativa

Resumen

[The period encompassing the years of early childhood education is critical for the development ofexecutive functions and emotional and behavioral self-regulation in boys and girls, processes that contribute tointerpersonal and academic success during infancy, childhood and adolescence. Physical fitness has also beendefined as a physiological state of well-being that underpins participation in sporting activities, the physicaland psychological health of individuals and the performance of everyday tasks. On this basis, the aim of thepresent study was to examine the extent to which health-related physical fitness (lower limb muscle strength,movement speed and cardio-respiratory capacity) predicts executive functioning (working memory, inhibitorycontrol and cognitive flexibility) in a sample of pre-school boys and girls. Ninety-five pupils from six classesparticipated in the study. The results showed that girls were rated higher by their parents on working memoryand cognitive flexibility than their male peers. However, none of the physical fitness parameters contributed tothe prediction of the scores obtained in the different dimensions of executive functioning.