Current Educational Landscape Demands More Executive Functions to Create Quality Learning Environments

 

The educational landscape changes often and conversations surrounding teaching methods, particularly post-pandemic, have never been more crucial. The metaphor of the “educator’s plate” represents a broad spectrum of challenges educators face daily. It ranges from managing students’ behavior to nurturing their cognitive abilities, all amid a backdrop of increased responsibility. 

The balance of these demands calls for new thinking in how executive functions. This includes cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory. And all can be woven into the everyday curriculum. As this conversation deepens and there are several takes that explore new dimensions of this educational landscape. For a special segment of the “Change Starts Here,” podcast by FranklinCovey, host Dustin Odham honored “Research Week” by speaking with a few of the company’s team members.

FranklinCovey’s Eve Miller, PhD, Director of Research; Jennifer Chevalier, Ed.D, Director of Funding; and Kim Yaris, M.Ed, Researcher, shared their insights and real-world experiences. They also discussed various aspects, such as points listed in the executive functioning handout PDF, and why this approach is needed. 

Recent Episodes

Many of us know the feeling: you rack up accomplishments, hit the milestones you once dreamed of, and still there’s a quiet voice asking, “Am I really good enough?” Imposter syndrome has a way of showing up even in our strongest moments, often right when we’re stepping into new opportunities or chapters of growth. And…

More and more, the creative journey looks less like a straight line and more like a series of pivots, setbacks, and surprising new opportunities. As layoffs, industry shifts, and unpredictable career turns reshape what a “typical” creative path looks like, many professionals are being pushed to turn uncertainty into momentum. Many are asking how to…

Small private colleges are facing unprecedented pressures: rising instructional costs, shrinking budgets, and mounting skepticism about the return on investment of a four-year degree. At the same time, employer demand for job-ready talent is accelerating, creating urgency for institutions to modernize curriculum and increase access to experiential learning. According to Rize Education CEO Kevin…