Working memory in schoolchildren: the effect of age and school year

The article presents the results of a study on the features of spatial working memory in students from grades 2 to 11. The aim of the study is to identify the relationship between the age of school entry and spatial working memory performance. A total of 773 students participated in the research. The Corsi Block-Tapping Test was used to assess individual differences in spatial working memory. The results showed that the capacity of spatial working memory increases with age. A negative correlation was found between the starting age of schooling and the level of spatial working memory. It was discovered that the development of spatial working memory in students depends more on educational experience and the learning environment (class) than on the age at which schooling begins. The classroom, as a unique educational environment, significantly influences the level of cognitive abilities development. The findings of the study can be used to develop teaching methods and pedagogical strategies to better adapt the learning process to the individual cognitive characteristics of students

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