Academic difficulties in reading and mathematics are influenced by a combination of domain-specific and domain-general cognitive factors. However, the heterogeneity of cognitive profiles among struggling learners remains poorly understood. In this talk, I will present a study that employed Latent Profile Analysis (LPA), to (1) determine whether distinct cognitive profiles exist among poor readers and poor math achievers and (2) examine the potential influence of external factors, such as socioeconomic status (SES), on these profiles. Poor academic achievers were identified from a larger sample of 472 French third graders from socioeconomically diverse backgrounds. Reading and math performance were assessed alongside domain-general cognitive abilities (e.g., executive functions), reading-related cognitive skills (e.g., phonological awareness, visual-attention span), and math-related cognitive abilities (e.g., symbolic and non-symbolic processing). Preliminary findings reveal distinct cognitive profiles within both groups, reflecting diverse patterns of cognitive strengths and weaknesses. These results underline the heterogeneity in the cognitive underpinnings of poor academic achievement and highlight the need for individualized, targeted educational interventions.
This talk is part of a webinar series from the Centre for Educational Neuroscience at UCL, Birkbeck University and the UCL IoE. You can register here to receive weekly updates about the seminar series.