Childhood Executive Functions in Zambia: A Literature Review

Development of executive function has received a considerable amount of attention in the literature and is known to predict a range of social, cognitive, and emotional outcomes in both children and adults. However, little is known about factors that contribute to its development in the Zambian context due to the fragmented literature available in Zambia. A literature review was conducted using five electronic databases (University of Zambia Institutional repository, Google Scholar, PubMed, BioMed Central, and EBSCO Host) to identify factors that affect executive functions in preschool and primary school children in Zambia. This review established that early childhood education, socio-economic status, physical health, and culture as factors that fall under three categories, namely research, environmental, and biological, affect the development of executive functions among children in Zambia. This review suggests that teachers, caregivers, and early childhood stakeholders in Zambia need to pay attention to both environmental and biological factors when designing executive function interventions for preschool children. A focus on improving early childhood education, nutrition, access to good quality health care, and intensifying appropriate cognitive-stimulating parenting and teaching practices that boost EF in public preschools and primary schools is required.