Executive Function and Perceived School Well-Being Across Child- and Adult-Centered Educational Contexts: An Exploratory Study

Children’s socioemotional and cognitive development is shaped by the contexts in which they grow, with school playing a key role in well-being and executive function (EF). This study examined whether the association between EF and perceived school well-being differed across school contexts aligned with Child–Environment Interplay (CEI) and Teacher–Text–Centered (TTC) models. 105 preschool and primary school children participated (NCEI = 70; NTTC = 35). EF was assessed through inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility tasks. Perceived school well-being was explored through a structured interview addressing engagement, environment and support, and aggression-related experiences. No overall differences emerged in EF or interview-based well-being. However, higher well-being was associated with lower EF in TTC, but not CEI, schools, while higher perceived aggression was associated with lower EF across both approaches. A qualitative subsample provided insight into how young children interpreted school experiences. These findings suggest that the association between cognitive skills and perceived school well-being may vary across educational contexts and highlight the value of young children’s perspectives into research on school life.