Self-Regulation in Child Development: Investigation of Preschool Education Duration and Teachers' Self-Regulation Levels

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the self-regulation of teachers working in preschool education institutions, their practices to support self-regulated learning, and the relationship between preschool education status and children's self-regulation skills. The sample of this study, in which the relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used, consisted of 316 teachers and 213 children working in primary school preschool classes and independent kindergartens affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in Mersin province. The demographic information of the participants was collected through the Demographic Information Form prepared by the researcher. Teachers' self-regulation was assessed with the "Self-Regulation Scale", while the practices they used to support self-regulated learning were assessed with the "Scale for Evaluating Preschool Teachers' Practices to Support Self-Regulated Learning" (SC-SRLS). Children's self-regulation skills were assessed with the "Preschool Self-Regulation Scale" (PSRS), which requires face-to-face practice with each child. As a result of the study, it was found that children's self-regulation skills differed significantly in favor of children older than 68 months. In addition, it was determined that children's self-regulation and emotion regulation differed in favor of girls according to gender. In the study, the self-regulation skills of children with more than one year of preschool education were significantly higher than those of children with less preschool education. As a result of the study, it was determined that there was a positive and significant relationship between teachers' self-regulation and classroom practices to support self-regulated learning. In addition, there was a positive and significant relationship between teachers' self-regulation and the practices they used to support self-regulated learning and children's self-regulation skills.