The effects of remote education on executive functions and early mathematical skills

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Although the impact of remote education during the pandemic on executive functions and mathematical skills has been extensively studied, few studies have examined its effect on pre-school education. Our study aimed to compare the executive and mathematical performance of preschoolers during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 122 preschoolers took part in this study, all attended the same school in different years. 61 received face-to-face instruction and 61 received remote instruction. They were evaluated with executive tasks and a mathematics test. Descriptive analyses, ANOVA, and regression models were performed. Additionally, a causal inference approach and the Full Matching method were applied to validate the comparisons. The results evidenced significant differences in executive and mathematical performance in favor of the cohort that had face-to-face classes. This study contributes relevant elements to the debate on the influence of contextual factors on the development of executive and mathematical skills in childhood.