EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS AND COMPLEX THINKING IN SECONDARY BASIC EDUCATION: NEUROEDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS FOR A CONTEXTUALIZED PEDAGOGICAL PRAXIS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56219/se.v26iExtraordinaria%20N°%201.5097Keywords:
executive functions, complex thinking, academic self-regulation, neuroeducation, secondary basic education, pedagogical praxisAbstract
This article analyzes the articulation between executive functions and complex thinking as neuroeducational foundations to guide a contextualized pedagogical praxis in secondary basic education. Drawing on Diamond (2020) regarding cognitive regulation, Zelazo (2020) on executive development in adolescence, and Morin (2020) from the perspective of complexity, the study was conducted as qualitative documentary research with a hermeneutic approach. A systematic review (2020–2025) and categorical analysis revealed that working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility structure academic self-regulation, shaped not only by neurobiological maturation but also by intentional learning experiences within specific sociocultural contexts. Emotional regulation and territorial conditions significantly influence these processes. The integration of executive functions and complex thinking enriches the understanding of school learning and provides conceptual criteria to strengthen contextualized pedagogical practices in secondary education.
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