What we know about executive function research in Africa: A Scoping review

Abstract

The developmental literature has seen an increase in studies on children's executive function (EF) across diverse populations, given its importance for early childhood development and later-life outcomes. However, a small but increasing number of studies have focused on children's EF in low-income countries. This scoping review systematically synthesizes EF studies conducted in Africa to present current realities and outline future directions. Eligible studies were identified across databases using EF keywords combined with the names of the 54 African countries and 8 territories. After synthesizing 182 studies that met the inclusion criteria, the results show broad consensus on EF definitions, but little consistency in how dimensions of EF have been investigated, and mixed findings on how EF might be associated with contextual and developmental variables. We propose areas of reflection that can help to improve the representation of African perspectives on EF and guide future research.