Comparison of the Effect of Executive Functions Training and Barkley’s Model on Reading Performance and Academic Self-Concept in Students with Dyslexia

Dyslexia is one of the most common and important reading disorders among children, characterized by problems with word decoding, poor ability in phonological processing skills, and various problems with the written language. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effect of executive functions training and Barclay’s model on reading performance and academic self-concept in students with dyslexia.

This research is a quasi-experimental research. Accordingly, 45 students with dyslexia were selected from among the students of third grade primary school in Bandar Abbas in the academic year of 2016-2017 and randomly assigned into 3 groups of 15 students (two experimental groups and one control group). The Reading Performance Questionnaire (Abedi, 2016) and the Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire (ASCQ) (Yi- Hsin Chen, 2004) were used to collect data in two pre-test and post-test stages. The Barclays Model Practices and executive functions education was given to the participants in the first and second experimental groups respectively in 7 sessions, but the control group did not receive any intervention.

Results of univariate analysis of covariance showed that executive functions intervention and Barclay's intervention had significant effect on reading performance and self-concept of students with dyslexia in general. Also, the results of multivariate analysis of covariance showed that both interventions had significant effect on the dimensions of reading performance and academic self-concept, but training of executive actions had more effect on both dependent variables (p <0.05).

Given the effectiveness of executive-based intervention in comparison with Barclay's model in students with reading disorder, it can be explained that the components of executive functions such as working memory, planning , and mental organization are very closely related to reading skills and thus increase their level of self-concept.