The role of virtual companies in the improvement of executive functions of high school pupils

Sa？etak In this paper, the participation of the pupils in the activities of virtual companies is considered as training for the executive functions improvement. Executive functions are cognitive processes that act in a coordinated way to direct perception, emotion, thought and action and which are responsible for a person’s ability to engage in purposeful, organized, strategic, self-regulated, goal-directed behavior. Executive functions are key components of cognition and overall behavior. During childhood and adolescent development, executive functions are developed as well. Some children develop slower or have difficulties in that area. Because of that different intervention programs are developed in order to improve the development. Regarding the fact that virtual companies are motivating, dynamic activities that include competition and collaboration, and regarding the characteristics of the intervention programs for the improvement of executive functions, it could be we concluded that virtual companies are not only tools for acquiring the entrepreneurial knowledge and skills but are also valuable in improvement of the key components of executive functions: paying attention and focus, inhibitory control, working memory and cognitive flexibility