Factors of increasing mental efficiency and reducing social anxiety in primary schoolchildren

Abstract

Introduction. The article presents a theoretical review and an experimental study of children’s cognitive and emotional development in the current information and communication situation. Moreover, the study focuses on the possibilities of using a neuro-educational approach for improving mental efficiency and reducing social anxiety in primary schoolchildren. The purpose of the article is to identify and substantiate the effectiveness of a set of neuro-educational techniques as factors for improving mental performance and reducing social anxiety in primary schoolchildren. Materials and Methods. The study adopts a neuro-educational approach and its basic principles. The data were collected via the following methods: (1) E.F. Zambatsevichene’s test for studying verbal and logical thinking, (2) L.A. Yasyukova’s inventory for evaluating the development of short-term verbal and visual memory, (3) the Toulouse-Pieron test for the assessment of selective/sustained attention, (4) Phillips' School Anxiety Test. 63 primary school students took part in the study. To detect the randomness of the results and track the dynamics, the experimental data were subjected to mathematical processing (Wilcoxon's T-test, which ensures the validity and reliability of the research findings). Results. The authors propose and theoretically substantiate the neuro-educational approach as a strategy for cognitive and emotional development. Relying on psycho-educational experimentation based on the psychophysiological developmental characteristics of primary schoolchildren, the authors implemented neuro-educational techniques for increasing mental performance and reducing social anxiety in primary schoolchildren. The research findings show that the use of respiratory gymnastics, psychogymnastics, games for the development of hemispheric interaction, for the development of phonemic perception, for the development of afferent and efferent praxis, neuroarticulatory gymnastics, bioenergy calisthenics, and kinesiological exercises, have a significant impact on the indicators of students’ cognitive and emotional development. The study confirms the assumption that achieving a high level of development of cognitive functions and social emotions is possible if the set of neuro-educational techniques and technologies is utilized in primary education. Conclusions. The article concludes about the effectiveness of the set of neuro-educational techniques as a factor for increasing mental performance and reducing social anxiety in primary schoolchildren. The authors emphasize that the application of the set of psycho-educational techniques increases children’s emotional well-being, which improves quality of children’s cognitive and emotional development and helps to avoid the risks of school maladaptation.