Leveraging divergent thinking to enhance the academic performance of engineering students with executive functioning difficulties

Executive functioning (EF) is a set of high-level cognitive skills, including planning, organizing, prioritizing, logical and contextual thinking, understanding, working memory, and self-monitoring. Though these skills are critical for academic success across fields, engineering education may be especially demanding for those with poor EF. One potential resource that may help to buffer against the negative effects of poor EF on academic achievement is divergent thinking. This study examined the role of divergent thinking as a moderating variable in the relationship between EF and academic achievement in engineering education. Undergraduate engineering students completed a self-report scale of EF and tests assessing figural and verbal divergent thinking, across multiple study sessions. Participants’ GPA was obtained from the university registrar's office. Participant data ( N  = 199) were analyzed using correlational analysis and a multiple moderation model. Results showed that EF scores and engineering GPA were significantly negatively correlated, and that figural (yet not verbal) divergent thinking moderated the association. A greater frequency of behaviors reflecting problems with overall daily EF was associated with lower GPA for those with relatively lower figural divergent thinking ability. Thus, figural divergent thinking may be one personal resource that can be leveraged to enhance academic achievement in engineering students with poor EF.