Pathways to Adolescent Executive Function in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children: The Role of Early Skills and Learning Environments

Kate E Williams; Donna C Berthelsen; Jessa Rogers; Kristin R Laurens; Stuart Ekberg; Tirritpa Ritchie; Emma Carpendale; Lauren Piltz

doi:10.1037/dev0002156

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Pathways to Adolescent Executive Function in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children: The Role of Early Skills and Learning Environments

Journal article

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Pathways to Adolescent Executive Function in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children: The Role of Early Skills and Learning Environments

Kate E Williams, Donna C Berthelsen, Jessa Rogers, Kristin R Laurens, Stuart Ekberg, Tirritpa Ritchie, Emma Carpendale and Lauren Piltz

Developmental Psychology, Vol.Advanced access

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0002156

PMID: 41712349

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Abstract

self-regulation

executive function

Indigenous

Aboriginal

early childhood

Understanding and strengthening the developmental pathways of Australian Aboriginal and Torres strait islander young people is of critical importance to efforts seeking to redress more than 200 years of disadvantage due to colonization. Although systemic factors play a key role in addressing disparities, individual-level capacities such as self-regulation and executive function are also essential for positive developmental outcomes and may act as protective factors. This study advances the first longitudinal model of adolescent executive functioning in Australian Indigenous children, examining the role of early home and learning environments and key developmental skills. Using longitudinal data for 473 young people from Footprints in Time: The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children, we found preschool visual motor and literacy skills (β = .15) and early school classroom self-regulation (β = .18) predicted adolescent executive function. Contextual factors, including socioeconomic status, preschool attendance, home learning engagement, and parent social support, were linked to early skill development but did not directly predict executive function outcomes. Children living in more remote areas had lower early skill capability, underscoring the important role of environmental constraints. Findings support strengths-based approaches, in which policy and programs reinforce families as children’s first teachers in the home and build social capital for parents. Family and early learning services should be made equitably available, particularly in remote areas, and should focus on core skill development for children, as well as home learning and family social support, to ultimately enhance executive function development among Indigenous children.

Details

Title: Pathways to Adolescent Executive Function in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children: The Role of Early Skills and Learning Environments
Authors: Kate E Williams (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Education and Tertiary Access
Donna C Berthelsen - Queensland University of Technology
Jessa Rogers - The University of Melbourne
Kristin R Laurens - Queensland University of Technology
Stuart Ekberg - Queensland University of Technology
Tirritpa Ritchie - Flinders University
Emma Carpendale - Queensland University of Technology
Lauren Piltz - Queensland University of Technology
Publication details: Developmental Psychology, Vol.Advanced access
Publisher: American Psychological Association
DOI: 10.1037/dev0002156
ISSN: 1939-0599
PMID: 41712349
Copyright note: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). This license permits copying and redistributing the work in any medium or format, as well as adapting the material for any purpose, even commercially.
Grant note: This work was supported by Department of Social Services, Australian Government awarded to Kristin R. Laurens.
Organisation Unit: School of Education and Tertiary Access
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991208981402621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Psychology, Developmental