Research Information System
8th International Biennial Conference of EARLI SIG 16 Metacognition, Zürih, Switzerland, 27 - 30 August 2018, pp.69
This study aims to investigate the link between self-regulation, school readiness, and school relationships. It is suggested that children’s self-regulation influences their school relationships (e.g., child-teacher and peer), which in turn affects their school readiness. Participants of the study are 195 preschool children. School readiness is assessed by the teachers’ rating and direct assessment. While the temperamental aspect of self-regulation (i.e., effortful control) is obtained from teachers, executive functions are assessed with three behavioral measures. In addition, teachers fill out child-teacher relationships and peer relationships scales for children as potential mediators. Findings show that certain aspects of self-regulation account for variance in the school readiness independent of measured intelligence. Although working memory and attentional shifting aspects of executive functions predict the direct assessment of school readiness, school relationships do not mediate between executive functions and school readiness. Furthermore, the attentional focusing aspect of effortful control not only predicts the teacher-rated school readiness directly but also predicts it through the partial mediation of children’s prosocial and anxious behaviors towards peers. Findings will be discussed within the scope of school readiness with possible implications.