The Effectiveness of "Executive Function Training" on Emotional Self-Regulation and Test Anxiety of Female Students with Writing Disorders

It is necessary to help students with writing disorders to recognize the factors that affect the creation of problems and improve them using different methods. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of "Executive Function Training" on emotional self-regulation and test anxiety of female students with writing disorders

The research method is quasi-experimental and pre-test, post-test with control group. The statistical population included all female students with writing disorders who referred to the Rehabilitation Training Center for Special Learning Disabilities in Islamabad West Education Department in 2019, who according to the psychological counseling file, had writing disorders. There were about 129 of them. Samples were selected from 30 people by convenience sampling method and were randomly replaced by random assignment method using lottery in 2 intervention and control groups. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, “Written Expression Test”, “Emotional Self-Regulation Questionnaire” and “Test Anxiety Inventory”. Content validity was measured by qualitative method and reliability by internal consistency method by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The intervention group received "Executive Function Training" for 10 weeks. In the pre-test and post-test stages, questionnaires were completed for both intervention and control groups. During this period, the control group did not receive any intervention and after the intervention, the relevant training course was held for them in the same center. Data were analyzed in SPSS. 24. 

Significant differences were shown between the intervention and control groups in the post-test stage (P<0.01). The level of emotional self-regulation in the intervention group increased significantly compared to the control group in the post-test stage (P<0.01). In addition, the test anxiety of the intervention group was significantly reduced compared to the control group in the post-test stage (P<0.01). 

"Executive Function Training" has a positive and significant effect on the level of emotional self-regulation and test anxiety of female students with writing disorders. It is suggested that teachers use the above method to increase the level of emotional self-regulation and reduce the test anxiety of female students with writing disorders.