Background: School, as the main institution of education, provides a context for the interaction between executive functions and academic outcomes. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between executive functions and academic achievement, with the mediating role of emotional and behavioral problems in students.
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Methods: This study employed a correlational design using a structural equation modeling approach. The statistical population consisted of all 7- to 15-year-old students in elementary and lower secondary schools in Delfan County, Lorestan Province, during the 2023-2024 academic year. From this population, 280 students were selected using stratified random sampling. The research instruments included the Academic Achievement Questionnaire, the BRIEF2 scale, and the Emotional-Behavioral Problems Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple regression, and structural equation modeling in AMOS-24.
Results: The findings showed that executive functions had a significant relationship with academic achievement as well as with students’ emotional and behavioral problems. In addition, emotional and behavioral problems were significantly associated with academic achievement and their mediating role in the relationship between executive functions and academic achievement was confirmed (P < 0.001).
Conclusion: The findings indicate that executive functions and emotional-behavioral regulation play an important role in students’ academic achievement. Therefore, educational and psychological interventions focusing on strengthening executive functions and reducing emotional-behavioral problems may lead to improved academic performance in students.