Developing Executive Functions through
Project-Based Learning
AITSL Standards Addressed:
1.2 Understand how students learn
1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students
3.2 Plan, structure and sequence learning programs
3.5 Use effective classroom communication
4.1 Support student participation
5.2 Provide feedback to students on their learning
6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice
6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning
7.3 Engage with parents/carers
Situation
In my role as a Photography and Design teacher at Perth Modern School, I work with high-achieving students who often excel in academic knowledge but may lack key executive functioning skills such as planning, time management, impulse control, and metacognitive awareness. These skills are especially important in creative disciplines like design, where open-ended, long-term projects require independent decision-making, collaboration, and sustained focus.
My goal was to embed the explicit development of executive functions within project-based learning (PBL), shifting away from isolated instruction and toward authentic contexts. I also drew upon my Montessori training to support a more student-centred, flexible classroom model.
Action
1. Course-Level Structure – Year 7 Photography & Design
The Year 7 Photography & Design course is intentionally sequenced to support executive function growth across multiple domains. Each phase of the design process aligns with an executive skill, as illustrated below:
Course ComponentExecutive Functions DevelopedAligned Habit of MindMood Board CreationPlanning, Organization, Cognitive FlexibilityCreating, Imagining, InnovatingPrototype SketchingTask Initiation, Working Memory, Self-MonitoringManaging ImpulsivityFinal Design (Illustrator)Time Management, Attention Control, PersistencePersistingPortfolio DevelopmentGoal-Directed Persistence, MetacognitionThinking about ThinkingStudio PhotographyPlanning, Emotional RegulationManaging Impulsivity + Striving for AccuracyPhotoshop EditingAttention to Detail, Inhibitory ControlStriving for AccuracyReflective WritingMetacognition, Perspective-TakingThinking about Thinking
These links are made explicit through student modelling, classroom posters, and shared vocabulary.
2. Strategy: Small Group Teaching (Montessori-Informed)
Adapting a Montessori approach, I invited students to form their own working groups based on natural collaboration preferences. This decentralised model fostered peer accountability and mutual support. Within these groups, I delivered feedback collectively, using group dynamics to reinforce learning while still preserving moments for individual feedback.
This strategy helped normalize collaborative planning, encouraged distributed responsibility, and gave students a sense of autonomy over their workflow—critical for ownership and self-regulation.
3. Strategy: Scaffolded Task Submissions
To help students with project planning and self-monitoring, I prototyped breaking larger assessments into smaller submission points (e.g., Part 1: Mood board, Part 2: Prototype, Part 3: Final). While this initially supported executive load and sequencing, I noticed a reduction in ownership from some students and task fatigue due to overlapping deadlines.
This reflection has led me to refine how and when scaffolds are offered—prioritising flexible pacing and student input over rigid checkpoints.
4. Strategy: Whiteboard Collaboration (Nottingham-Inspired)
I regularly use individual mini whiteboards for non-pressured formative assessment. Students answer prompts silently, share responses in small groups, and then we transition to whole-class discussions.
As James Nottingham highlights, slowing the response cycle down encourages deeper thinking. This practice reduces performance anxiety and allows students to develop metacognition in a collaborative and playful format.
5. Case History: “SATRSGFD” – Building Support Structures
One of my core beliefs is that teachers must be willing to spend 80% of their energy on 20% of their students. “SATRSGFD” (de-identified name) presented with challenges in sustained attention and planning. Regular classroom support was paired with lunch-time mini sessions, where we worked on breaking down tasks and managing distractions. I maintained close communication with the student’s parent, offering insights into school routines and strategies for home.
Over time, this student gained confidence in initiating tasks, using visual planners, and completing portfolio checkpoints with fewer prompts. Our ongoing dialogue with their parent helped reinforce executive strategies across environments.
Outcome
Across multiple cohorts and over several years, I’ve observed clear improvements in students’ ability to manage multi-step projects independently. In particular:
Increased self-initiation of project milestones
Improved time management, visible through timely submissions
Stronger reflection and feedback engagement, seen in portfolio entries and classroom discussions
Peer support cultures emerging organically, especially in small-group feedback and studio setups
Students have explicitly used terms like "planning my time better," "getting started early," and "knowing how I think" in their reflections—language that signals internalisation of executive function awareness.
This developmental arc echoes research from Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child (2011), which stresses the role of structured, meaningful tasks in developing executive capacity. It also aligns with Habits of Mind (Costa & Kallick, 2000), particularly the cultivation of dispositions like “Persisting,” “Managing Impulsivity,” and “Thinking about Thinking,” all of which underpin strong executive function.
Ultimately, my practice demonstrates that when project-based learning is paired with intentional strategy and relational teaching, it becomes a powerful engine not only for academic achievement but also for cognitive empowerment.
References
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2011). Building the Brain’s “Air Traffic Control” System: How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function. https://developingchild.harvard.edu
Costa, A. L., & Kallick, B. (2000). Habits of Mind: A Developmental Series. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Dawson, P., & Guare, R. (2009). Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary “Executive Skills” Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential. New York: The Guilford Press.
Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). (2021). Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning. Retrieved from https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. London: Routledge.
Nottingham, J. (2017). The Learning Challenge: How to Guide Your Students Through the Learning Pit to Achieve Deeper Understanding. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Robinson, K. (2009). The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. New York: Viking.