Poor Working Memory in Primary School Classrooms and the Interventions (Essay Sample)

Poor Working Memory in Primary School Classrooms
Course
Tutor
University
Location of University
Date
Poor Working Memory in Primary School Classrooms
Different scholars have different approaches to describing the concept of working memory (WM). Rowe, Titterington, Holmes, Henry & Taggart (2019) describe WM as the type of memory that enables an individual to hold content for a short period in case of a distraction. Gathercole, Alloway, Kirkwood, Elliot. Holmes & Hilton (2008) acknowledged a similar definition to Rowe et al. However, they highlighted that the WM is limited, implying that it does not hold content for a long time. In their review, Wright, Dorsett, Anders, Buzzeo, Runge & Sanders (2019) highlighted that the WM can only handle a specific number of cognitive tasks at the same time. Cowan (2010) explained the limitations of WM, claiming that the brain can only complete cognitive tasks if it is able to hold these cognitive tasks while they undergo processing. This description concurs with Clair-Thompson’s (2011) explanation that the WM holds cognitive tasks in a line where they are processed simultaneously. According to her, overloading the tasks in line for processing also affects the efficiency of the WM in achieving its objective. Alloway (2006) found out that a strong relationship exists between the efficiency of WM and the performance of pupils in the classroom. Maehler & Schuchardt’s (2016) findings also agree that WM has a unique role in the performance of primary school pupils. They found out that the WM helps to explain why some intelligent pupils would record sub-standard performances, while less intelligent students would record average performances in the classroom. However, Maehler & Schuchardt (2006) highlight that fully understanding the WM and how it functions is the best way to ascertain its impact on the classroom performance of pupils.
Theoretical Background of Working Memory
According to Baddeley (2003), the theoretical approach towards the concept of WM takes the limited capacity model. This article explains that the WM memory operates as a form of temporal storage coordinating other memory processes such as perception, the long-term memory, and the ultimate action. Klesczewski, Brandenburg, Fischbuch, Grube, Hasselhorn & Buttner (2015) also acknowledged the fact that the multicomponent model is the best approach to understand the working of the WM. They explained that the WM comprises multiple systems made up of the central executive and other two subsystems called the phonological loop and the visuospatial sketchpad. Clair-Thompson (2011) explained the phonological loop as a subsystem of the WM, which helps to hold auditory information temporarily while it waits for processing. On the other hand, the article also describes the visuospatial sketchpad as a subsystem of the WM, which temporarily holds spatial and visual information as it waits for processing. Linnegar, Condy & McKinney (2014) cited that the model addressed by Baddeley (2003) is the most effective in describing the operations of the WM. According to them, this model is effective because the subsystems that support the WM use the same principles as the WM. Rowe, Titterington,