Play and creativity as pedagogical strategies to enhance neurocognitive development

Authors

Keywords:

neurocognitive development, executive functions, creativity

Abstract

In the province of El Oro, Ecuador, the impact of pedagogical strategies based on creativity and play on the neurocognitive development. A quantitative methodology for explanatory purposes was used, employing a quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent groups and pre-test, post-test, and follow-up measurements. The sample were divided into an experimental group and a control group. The consisted of a total of N = XX students, divided into two groups: the control group (n = XX) and the experimental group (n = XX). The intervention, which took place over 12 weeks, included playful and creative activities organized to promote executive functions. The differences between the groups were statistically significant (p < .001), with large effects found in working memory (?²p = .32) and inhibitory control (?²p = .29), as well as moderately large effects in cognitive flexibility (?²p = .27). These effects persisted throughout the follow-up period, suggesting that the learning has been consolidated. It is concluded that playful-creative strategies are an effective pedagogical method for promoting executive functions in early childhood. The intervention, which took place over 12 weeks, included organized playful and creative activities aimed at strengthening executive functions.

 

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Author Biographies

Judith Aylin Arias Chávez, Universidad Técnica de Machala

Judith Aylin Arias Chávez holds a degree in Accounting and Auditing and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). She has six years of professional experience in the accounting and administrative area within the business sector. She currently complements her professional background with an interest in academic research, particularly in topics related to education and innovation in teaching and learning processes.

Hishochy Delgado Mendoz, Universidad Nacional de Educación- UNAE

Hishochy Delgado Mendoza was born in Santa Clara, Cuba, on December 2, 1985, and became a naturalized Ecuadorian citizen in 2018.

He holds a Ph.D. in Arts and Education from the University of Barcelona, Spain (2015–2019); a Specialist Degree in Interculturality for Teachers and Educators from Nebrija University, Spain (2018); a Master's Degree in Educational Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (2012–2015); and a Bachelor's Degree in Art History from the University of Havana, Cuba (2004–2009). He is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology at the Technical Private University of Loja (UTPL), Ecuador, since 2019.

He serves as a Research Professor at the National University of Education (UNAE), Ecuador, where he has also directed the Cultural and Creative Economies area within the Educational Innovation and Entrepreneurship Coordination. In addition, he is a professor in the Master's Program in Cultural and Artistic Education at the University of Cuenca, Ecuador.

Dr. Delgado Mendoza supervises doctoral dissertations in the Education Program at the International Iberoamerican University (UNINI), serving students from Mexico and Puerto Rico. He is a founding member of the Latin American and Caribbean Scientific Researchers Network (ICALC) and of the Education, Art, and Society Research Group at UNAE.

His research interests include Arts-Based Research (ABR) for the development of discursive and critical capacities related to visual and audiovisual arts, as well as Neuroaesthetics and Art Therapy within the field of Arts and Humanities Education.

Currently, he serves as VP1 of the community engagement project entitled Art Therapy Intervention for Children and Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy.

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Published

2026-10-06

How to Cite

Vera Gaskell, C., Arias Chávez, J. A. ., & Delgado Mendoz, H. (2026). Play and creativity as pedagogical strategies to enhance neurocognitive development. UNESUM - Ciencias. Revista Científica Multidisciplinaria, 10(3). Retrieved from https://revistas.unesum.edu.ec/index.php/unesumciencias/article/view/1129

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 3 (2026): Septiembre-Diciembre

Section

Artículo Originales

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Copyright (c) 2026 Cristina Vera Gaskell, Judith Aylin Arias Chávez, Hishochy Delgado Mendoz

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.