Development and Validation of the Executive Dysfunction Inventory for Elementary School Children

There has been a pressing need for a reliable tool to assess executive functioning for elementary school children within the context of Asian education. This study developed and validated the Executive Dysfunction Inventory (EDI), a teacher-rated assessment tool that contributes to understanding and addressing executive functioning challenges in young learners. The study utilized a sample of 795 participants in the exploratory factor analysis phase and 753 participants in the confirmatory factor analysis phase. The EDI demonstrated a robust six-factor structure: Attentiveness, Regulation of Emotions, Inhibition, Task Initiation, Working Memory, and Ability to Plan or Organize. Factor correlations reflect theoretically expected relationships between executive function components. Internal consistency was strong across all factors. Group differences revealed nonsignificant age differences in EDI scores among 8–13-year-olds, while boys reported higher executive dysfunction than girls aligning with established developmental patterns in executive functioning. EDI empowers educators to unlock each student's cognitive potential through precise executive function assessment and personalized developmental interventions.