ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Educ.
Sec. Psychology in Education
Cultivating Mind and Emotion: A 'Unity of Knowing and Acting' Intervention Improves Executive Functions and Academic Emotions in Chinese Adolescents
Provisionally accepted
- 1Lishui University, Lishui, China
- 2Centre for Big Data Analytics and Intelligent Systems, Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
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Background: Educational interventions often target cognitive and affective domains in isolation, and few are grounded in non-Western cultural philosophies. This study developed and evaluated a novel intervention based on the ancient Chinese principle of Zhī Xíng Hé Yī (UKA), which emphasizes the integration of knowledge, affect, and action. Methods: In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), 118 Chinese middle school students (mean age = 13.5 years) were assigned to an 8-week Zhī Xíng Hé Yī-integrated program or an active control group. We assessed behavioral executive functions (EFs: inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility), self-reported academic emotions (AEs), and prefrontal cortex hemodynamic activity via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) at pre-test, post-test, and 3-month follow-up. Results: Linear mixed models revealed significant Group × Time interactions. The intervention group showed improved inhibitory control (Flanker effect: p < .001, ηp² = .101), working memory (2-back accuracy: p < .001, ηp² = .066), and cognitive flexibility (switching cost: p = .008, ηp² = .053) at post-test, with gains maintained at follow-up. They also reported higher positive AE (p < .001, ηp² = .073) and lower negative AE (p = .001, ηp² = .049). Neurophysiologically, the intervention group exhibited a more focused and attenuated hemodynamic response in the prefrontal cortex during cognitive tasks, indicating enhanced neural efficiency (ΔHbO amplitude: p < .001, ηp² = .046). Conclusion: This RCT provides convergent behavioral, emotional, and neuroscientific evidence that a Zhī Xíng Hé Yī-based intervention can enhance EFs and AEs in adolescents. The findings underscore the value of integrating cultural wisdom into educational practices within a cultural neuroscience framework, offering a culturally-grounded approach to holistic student development.
Keywords: Unity of Knowing and Acting, executive functions, academic emotions, adolescents, cultural neuroscience, Educational intervention, randomized controlled trial, fNIRS
Received: 14 Sep 2025; Accepted: 16 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Qu and Qu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yilong Qu
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