Impact of cognitive load and working memory on preschoolers’ learning effectiveness

This study investigates the impact of cognitive load and working memory on preschoolers’ learning effectiveness. A total of 184 5-year-old children in Korea participated in this study. Six types of instructional materials with different intrinsic and extraneous cognitive loads were developed. Preschoolers were randomly assigned to one of the six groups and participated in learning activities specific to their groups. Preschoolers’ learning effectiveness was assessed using a learning effectiveness scale, and their working memory capacity was measured using digit span and Corsi memory tasks. The results revealed that learning effectiveness for preschoolers was high when intrinsic cognitive load in instructional materials was low, and it was low when extraneous cognitive load was added to instructional materials. Groups with high working memory capacity showed higher learning effectiveness than those with low capacity. Furthermore, in various teaching plan conditions, learning effectiveness varied depending on children’s working memory capacity. These results guide suggestions for practical and customized teaching plans suitable for cognitive development in early childhood.