Development Of Self-regulation Research Articles

Индивидуально-типологические траектории школьной вовлеченности у подростков: лонгитюдное исследование

<p>In recent years, the research on school engagement has has increasingly focused on studying this phenomenon at the individual typological level. The purpose of the present study was to identify individual typological trajectories of school engagement and to analyze the predictive and resource roles of conscious self-regulation in determining these trajectories among adolescents in grades 6 to 8. The sample for this longitudinal study consisted of 80 students from secondary schools. The research methods employed included M.-T. Wang et al.'s adapted into Russian by T.G. Fomina and V.I. Morosanova; V.I. Morosanova's Profile of Learning Activities Questionnaire Five – Children's Version, adapted into Russian by S.B. Malykh et al.; the of Academic Motivation of Schoolchildren by T.O. Gordeyeva et al.; and the methodology A.D. Andreeva and A.M. Prikhozan, modified by I.N. Bondarenko et al. The results revealed two typological groups of students characterized by different profiles of school engagement: one group exhibited low engagement, while the other demonstrated high engagement across all components. Notably, 60% of the students displayed a stable engagement trajectory. Among those with a variable trajectory, half showed high engagement in the 6th grade, which subsequently declined in the 7th and 8th grades. Additionally, these students exhibited lower levels of regulatory-personal traits such as responsibility and reliability, as well as a personal disposition toward conscientiousness, alongside a decrease in cognitive activity during their transition from 6th to 7th grade. For the first time, this study demonstrates that the development of self-regulation is associated with the formation of a harmonious engagement profile characterized by high levels of all components during the transition from 7th to 8th grade. During the transition from 6th to 7th grade, the establishment of such a profile is facilitated by openness to new experiences. The findings of this study can be applied in psychological and pedagogical practice to develop programs that support school engagement through the enhancement of conscious self-regulation among secondary school students.</p>

Longitudinal study of metacognition’s role in self-efficacy and hope development

Self-regulation is a critical component of adaptive functioning, and individual differences in traits like metacognitive self-awareness (MCS), general self-efficacy (GSE), and hope play significant roles in influencing this ability. Self-awareness of cognitive biases is particularly relevant as it may enhance one’s capacity to manage challenges and pursue goals effectively. Prior research suggests that higher levels of MCS are associated with improved self-regulation, greater self-efficacy, and stronger hope for success. This longitudinal study sought to explore the development of self-regulation across 3 years of college education, with a specific focus on the role of MCS in shaping the trajectories of GSE and hope. Over 400 undergraduates were assessed five times throughout this period. Growth curve and causal mediation analyses were employed to examine the extent to which MCS contributed to changes in GSE and hope. Our findings indicate that self-awareness of cognitive biases (MCS) significantly influences the development of self-efficacy. Participants with higher levels of MCS exhibited a slightly faster increase in coping skills than those with lower levels. Additionally, MCS moderated the development of hope: individuals with above-median MCS scores showed a faster increase in hope, whereas those with below-median scores experienced an irregular decrease. In conclusion, MCS serves as a valuable resource for developing self-efficacy and hope. However, the influence of real-life challenges on hope appears to depend on an individual’s metacognitive skills, with better outcomes observed among those with higher MCS.

Нові виклики перед сучасною освітою: невідворотні трансформації та необхідні навички

Abstract. In the article the author analyzes the changes associated with the computerization and digitalization of modern society, which necessitate improving the quality of IT education. The author focuses on the necessity of educational transformations related to the development of a new widely available and multifunctional tool, such as generative artificial intelligence, and the importance of ensuring the harmonious development of higher mental functions, analytical abilities, critical thinking, imagination, creativity, self-regulation, and self-efficacy in the younger generation. The need to improve the process of organizing educational sessions, diversifying the methods of their conduct and ways of organizing educational interaction between students to ensure their qualified training in the dynamically changing conditions dictated by the modern labor market is substantiated. The article outlines the groups of skills, in addition to professional technical skills (hard skills), that need to be formed and developed in students of the branch of knowledge “Information Technology” for their qualified training. In particular, we are talking about soft skills, such as communication skills, problem solving, adaptability and stress resistance, ability to cooperate (teamwork), curiosity and readiness for continuous learning, customer focus, emotional intelligence, time management, leadership, etc. As part of an integrated approach to education, it is also important to develop environmentally responsible skills and skills for sustainable development for future IT professionals. It is important that tech workers understand global ecological challenges, realize the impact of technology on the environment, integrate ecological principles into their work, and be able to work in a changing world.

The Effect of INSIGHTS on Developmental Trajectories of Children’s Self- Regulation

AbstractThe development of self-regulation is critical for children’s positive interactions with others and successful adjustment to school. Using their self-regulation skills, children can adapt their temperamental, emotional, and behavioral reactions to environmental stimuli. Greater self-regulation is advantageous in the classroom, as more regulated children have an easier time with basic behavioral expectations, and are more likely to persist with difficult tasks, work efficiently, and pay attention to instructions. INSIGHTS into Children’s Temperament (INSIGHTS) is a temperament-based intervention that improves kindergarten and first-grade children’s social-emotional development and academic learning. In the current study, we examined the effects of INSIGHTS on rural Midwestern children’s self-regulation development (i.e., attention, inhibitory control), compared to control classrooms. In addition, we explored the effects of children’s baseline self-regulation and the effects of the intervention on children’s developmental trajectories. Students (N = 147) from 61 classrooms were randomly assigned to INSIGHTS or control conditions by school. Children’s self-regulation skills whereas examined at four different times. Multiple regression models were fit, and results suggest that INSIGHTS participants exhibited greater self-regulation at Time 4 as compared to the control group. Additionally, latent growth curve models were used to model linear growth. Results suggest that INSIGHTS participants experienced increased growth rates for attention, inhibitory control, and sustained attention compared to the control group. Our study provides evidence for the positive effects of a social-emotional classroom intervention on the developmental trajectory of children’s self-regulation.

Continuity and change in early material hardship domains on the development of children’s behavioral self-regulation in middle childhood

Child poverty adversely impacts children’s behavioral self-regulation; however, the extent to which this association varies across different forms of material hardship (i.e., food, housing, bill-paying, utility, and medical) from infancy to early childhood is not well understood. The current study aims to identify the longitudinal patterns of early material hardship in five domains, examine demographic factors to distinguish class membership, and assess how hardship class membership predicts children’s behavioral self-regulation in middle childhood. We used data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 4,677) across ages 1 to 9. The Multidimensional Growth Mixture Model identified four trajectory classes: Low Stable (n = 2,215, 47.4%), Increasing Bill and Utility Hardship (n = 1,180, 25.2%), High Infancy Bill Hardship (n = 799, 17.1%), and Persistent and Pervasive (n = 483, 10.3%). White, married mothers, mothers who were employed, families with income above 200% of the federal poverty threshold, and those who did not receive SNAP had higher odds of being in the Low Stable class than the three other classes. Children in the Persistent and Pervasive class exhibited the lowest levels of behavioral self-regulation in middle childhood compared to the other three classes. Children in the Increasing Bill and Utility Hardship and High Infancy Bill Hardship classes had lower behavioral self-regulation than those in the Low Stable class. These findings underscore the need for tailored interventions to alleviate the prolonged effects of financial adversity and exposure to early material deprivation experienced by children. Findings also highlight the importance of implementing intervention programs designed specifically to support the development of behavioral self-regulation among economically disadvantaged children.

Social Media Use in Adolescents: Bans, Benefits, and Emotion Regulation Behaviors.

Social media is an integral part of adolescents' daily lives, but the significant time they invest in social media has raised concerns about the effect on their mental health. Bans and severe restrictions on social media use are quickly emerging as an attempt to regulate social media use; however, evidence supporting their effectiveness is limited. Adolescents experience several benefits from social media, including increased social connection, reduced loneliness, and a safe space for marginalized groups (eg, LGBTQ+) to interact. Rather than enforcing bans and severe restrictions, emotion regulation should be leveraged to help adolescents navigate the digital social environment. This viewpoint paper proposes a nuanced approach toward regulating adolescent social media use by (1) discontinuing the use of ineffective bans, (2) recognizing the benefits social media use can have, and (3) fostering emotion regulation skills in adolescents to encourage the development of self-regulation.

Supporting Young Children's Self-Regulation Through Nature-Based Practices in Preschool.

Self-regulation is a crucial skill in early childhood, due to its influence on school readiness and success, as well as its foundational role in promoting wellbeing across the lifespan. Additionally, self-regulation is malleable, particularly during early childhood. This study investigated the impact of nature-based practices on preschoolers' self-regulation. The Preschool Self-Regulation Assessment (PSRA) and PSRA Assessor Report were administered to 115 children from nine preschool programs at the beginning and end of the school year. While further research is needed, results suggest the potential for nature-based practices to support SR, in particular hot executive function, and particularly in children from lower socio-economic backgrounds in public preschool. This study contributes to the literature regarding effective practices for supporting self-regulation development in young children and adds to the growing body of research surrounding the impact of nature play on child development and school readiness.

Center-based childcare during infancy: The relations with functional brain networks and self-regulation in young children

Given the substantial increase in children attending center-based childcare over the past decades, the consequences of center-based childcare for children’s development have gained more attention in developmental research. However, the relation between center-based childcare and children’s neurocognitive development remains relatively underexplored. The aim of this study was therefore to examine the relations between quantity of center-based childcare during infancy and the neurocognitive development (both functional brain networks and self-regulation) of 584 Dutch children. Small-world brain networks and children’s self-regulation were assessed during infancy (around 10 months of age) and the preschool period (2–6 years of age). The findings revealed that the quantity of center-based childcare during infancy was unrelated to individual differences in children’s functional brain networks. However, spending more hours per week in center-based childcare was positively related to the development of self-regulation in preschool age children, regardless of children’s sex or the levels of exposure to risk and maternal support in the home environment. More insight into the positive effects of center-based childcare on children’s development from infancy to toddlerhood can help to increase our insight into a better work–life balance and labor force participation of parents with young children. Moreover, this study highlights that Dutch center-based childcare offers opportunities to invest in positive child outcomes in children, including self-regulation.

The parental perspective of residential environments associated with children's self-regulation

BackgroundThe lack of early development of self-regulation (SR) skills in children can significantly impact their future success. Multiple theories emphasize the role of the environment on child development including SR skills, with income level influencing this relationship. The research used a framework that ties together theories on environmental design and establishes a relationship between the physical environment and a child's ability to self-regulate and manage stress. Limited research exists on addressing physical environmental factors in low-income households and how these factors affect children's self-regulation. PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify physical environmental factors that can help children deal with stress. The study uses Shanker's self-regulation model and the ecological model to guide the study's data collection and analysis concerning the home environment in relation to child self-regulation from the perspective of caregivers. MethodThis research qualitatively explores affordances factors in the home physical environment in relation to child self-regulation. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and included participants from different income levels and diverse ethnicities. FindingsFifteen affordances factors in the home environment were derived from caregivers' perspectives. The key findings of the study include: (1) The more affordance aspects applied to the home physical design, the better the design is for the child's stress management; (2) Supportive environmental factors can be used to solve hindering effects generated by the environment.

Electrophysiological signature of interoceptive attention: a spectral and source localization analysis.

The ability to attend to and consciously process interoceptive signals is deemed critical for the development of minimal self, adaptive self-regulation and affective experience, and optimal expression of both instrumental and executive cognitive functions. Yet, notwithstanding the richness of theoretical proposals concerning inferential accounts of interoception, empirical evidence is still scarce. Building on such premises, this study was designed to investigate the electrophysiological signature of cognitive processes leading to aware coding of interoceptive signals via EEG source localization. Thirty-six healthy participants completed an interoceptive accuracy task, i.e., the Heartbeat Counting Task (HCT), while we collected task-related and resting state electrophysiological activity. eLORETA modelling and statistical nonparametric mapping were used to estimate intracortical current density and link such estimates to participants' performance at the task. Source analysis highlighted higher current density estimates for alpha frequencies during HCT with respect to rest, with the primary cortical generator in the right parahippocampal gyrus. Also, a set of medial cortical structures-primarily represented by the cingulate gyrus-showed significant relation between task-related changes in current density estimates for beta oscillations and HCT scores. Findings suggest the informativity of EEG task-related measures of neural activation when used to assess interoceptive skills, as well as of the potential of metrics and analysis based on source localization in the quest to improve our understanding of interoceptive accuracy and neurofunctional correlates of related active inferences.

Artificial intelligence and adolescents’ socialization: risks of influence

Importance. To date, there is an active introduction of artificial intelligence into all spheres of human activity, leading to significant changes in the factors that influence the socialization of the younger generation. Along with this, smart devices have also begun to act as agents of socialization for modern teenagers, with whom they interact both in educational and extracurricular settings. In this regard, the scientific and pedagogical community is interested in identifying both the positive and negative aspects of AI’s influence on the formation of the social experience of minors. The aim of the study is to examine the features and analyse the risks associated with the artificial intelligence impact on the adolescents’ socialisation.Research Methods. The work is based on a comprehensive review of psychological, pedagogical, legal, sociological, scientific, and technical literature on artificial intelligence the introduction in various fields of human activity, particularly in the education sector. The study is grounded in personal-activity, multi-subject, and environmental perspectives, which allowed for the synthesis and analysis of relevant information, as well as an assessment of the potential risks associated with the artificial intelligence influence on the positive socialization process of school students. Within these frameworks, several research methodologies are employed, including analysis, comparison, generalization, systematization, and structured information organization.Results and Discussion. The main areas of artificial intelligence application in education are: adaptive learning, automated assessment, examination management, personalized learning, customized educational materials creation, consultation and recommendation systems, gaming and virtual reality, extending the range of opportunities for students with special needs, and monitoring student engagement in learning. However, along with the potential benefits of introducing AI technologies into the adolescents’ cognitive development, there are several risks associated with the intelligent devices’ use: a potential decrease in the education quality, challenges with social skills and self-regulation development, value orientation, adaptation, and self-regulatory resources. Additionally, there is a risk of subjectivity loss, the formation of an unrealistic self-image, aggressive behavior, and the development of digital autism and information pseudoliteracy.Conclusion. Based on the analysis, it is revealed that the artificial intelligence influence on modern adolescents can be traced not only in changing the educational process of the school, which is a factor and institution of socialization, but also in the direct interaction between a minor and a smart device. At the same time, this process has both positive and negative aspects, the consideration and correction of which is necessary when introducing artificial intelligence into education and other spheres of human activity and society.

Анализ взаимосвязей предикторов академической успеваемости школьников методом сетевого моделирования

<p>The problem of studying the factors influencing students’ academic achievement does not lose its relevance in modern psychological and pedagogical science. Such interest arises due to current development of ideas about education as a way of developing human capital, increasing well-being and quality of life of people in modern society. The academic achievement of schoolchildren is largely determined by non-cognitive factors, including personality characteristics, motivational indicators and the development of self-regulation. The present work aims to analyze the relationships between non-cognitive predictors of academic achievement of middle and high school students using the network modeling method. Primary data was obtained using the following methods: V.I. Morosanova’s “The Self-Regulation Profile of Learning Activity Questionnaire (SRPLAQ)”, “Academic Motivation Scale - School (AMS-S)”, “Attitude towards learning in middle and high school”, “Big Five Questionnaire — Children version, BFQ-C”. The average score in Russian language and mathematics was used as an indicator of academic achievement. The sample consisted of 307 secondary school students (37.1% boys, age: 10-18 years). The statistical analysis included calculation of descriptive statistics for 28 indicators, and analyses of partial correlation networks, describing the relationships between regulatory and personality variables, as well as the academic achievement of students in grades 5-6, 7-9 and 10-11. The results revealed significant relationships between variables regardless of the period of education, and differences in the structure of partial correlation networks in grades 5-6, 7-8 and 9-11. It was found that the nature of the relationships between non-cognitive predictors and academic achievement varies depending on the period of study. The result showed that the achievement of students in grades 5-6 is significantly and directly correlated to the indicator of openness to new experience, while in grades 7-9 a direct correlation is also found with the general level of attitude towards learning, and in grades 10-11 - with cognitive motivation, neuroticism and conscious self-regulation. The results confirm the known relationships, and also reveal new ones that were not previously discovered in existing research: for example, a negative relationship between academic performance and cognitive motivation. The article concludes with directions for further research of moderator-mediator interactions between non-cognitive variables in their impact on students’ academic achievement.</p>

Do peers matter? The influence of peers' self-regulation on individual self-regulation: a longitudinal multilevel analysis

Introduction:Self-regulation is important for social as well as academic success, and research shows that it is also shaped by social interactions. At the same time, peers shape children's development in many domains. Linking these two concepts, it can be predicted that children who are surrounded by peers with a high level of self-regulation later show higher self-regulation themselves compared to those who are surrounded by peers with a low level of self-regulation.MethodsTo test this assumption, a longitudinal sample with N = 1,658 participants in 181 classrooms (μage = 8.37) was analyzed. The self-regulation facets of working memory updating, inhibition, and flexibility were measured using an age-appropriate version of the Stroop test, the repeat-digits-backward test, and the Wisconsin card-sorting task. Based on this data, a score for both the individual and class level was calculated.ResultsThe results show that the classmates‘ level of self-regulation predicted later individual self-regulation above the individual self-regulation score. While neither age nor gender moderated this relationship, there was a significant cross-level interaction: Especially individuals with a low level of cognitive flexibility gained from being surrounded by peers with a high level of cognitive flexibility.DiscussionWhile the results show that peers constitute an important social context for the development of self-regulation, this fact is often only a minor point in modern self-regulation theories.

Behavioral self-regulation development in at-risk families: the role of family resources

ABSTRACT Children from disadvantaged families are at greater risk of developing regulation difficulties. Research suggests that family-level resources such as parental education or income are related to self-regulation development. However, most studies looking at the role of family resources have used single estimators of socioeconomic status or applied a composite score, neglecting that an interplay of resources may affect self-regulation outcomes. In N = 248 at-risk children (M age: 65.7 months, 51% female), we examined the effect of economic, cultural, and social family resources on behavioral self-regulation in kindergarten. Results showed that family income, maternal education, and available help in child-rearing predicted the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task performance. The results indicate that behavioral self-regulation is associated with different family resources beyond socioeconomic status.

Promoting Physical Activity Among Health Professional Students, Faculty, and Staff Members: A Competition-Based Intervention.

This program review presents data for the Deans' Fit Family Challenge (DFFC) and proposes future directions for improvement, informed by the Social Cognitive Theory. The DFFC is a multi-week physical activity competition held annually between three health professional programs, focusing on the development of self-efficacy, self-regulation, and social support of health-related fitness. Participants competed in teams of two and tracked their activity minutes weekly using the ChallengeRunner app or through manual entry. Weekly winners were announced, and the winning college was determined from a composite score of active minutes and weight loss. Since 2019, 1164 participants reported an average of 217.1 weekly minutes of physical activity during the DFFC. An average of 94.0% of participants reported minutes in week 1, compared to 56.3% in week 8. The DFFC is an important initiative to potentially promote physical activity levels among participating programs. While motivational strategies are being incorporated and executed in the DFFC, there is a need for ongoing exploration and improvement to enhance future competition-based interventions among health professional students, faculty, and staff.

Language and communication development and school readiness of children raised by grandparents or in multi-generational homes.

One in ten U.S. children lives with a grandparent, and more foster children are being placed in kinship care. Our objective was to compare early language and communication development and school readiness among children raised by grandparents (alone or in multigenerational households) to children raised by parents. We included in this cross-sectional study children ages 1-5 years from the 2016-2020 National Survey of Children's Health to examine healthy and ready to learn school readiness outcomes and binary language and communication development (2018-2020 data only) by caregiver type (parent, multigenerational, and grandparent-only) with survey-weighted log-binomial regression adjusted for confounders. We stratified by survey years pre-COVID-19 pandemic versus during. Among 33,342 children, 86.0% (SE = 0.51) of children were 'On-Track' for language and communication development; only 37.2% (SE = 0.68) were 'On-Track' overall for school readiness. Children raised by grandparents or in multigenerational households were more often 'On-Track' for school readiness than children raised by parents, but only upon adjustment for covariates (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) for grandparent-only 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11, 1.15; aPR for multigenerational 1.13, CI 1.12, 1.15). Smaller and less consistent differences in prevalence were observed for the other outcomes (language and communication development, school readiness domains of early learning skills, social-emotional development, self-regulation development and physical well-being and motor development). A disparity in school readiness may have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic; children in grandparent-only households had a lower prevalence of being 'On-Track' for school readiness (aPR 0.71, 95% CI 0.69, 0.73) compared to children in parent households, whereas children in multigenerational households continued to be more often school-ready than children in parent households. Large proportions of children across caregiver types were not fully prepared for school. Consideration of key covariates is important because socio-economic disadvantage may mask other advantages grandparent-led and multigenerational households offer children's early development.

Emotional expressivity and self-regulation as indicators of social emotions in older preschool children: Evaluating the effectiveness of development

Introduction. The article presents a theoretical analysis of the main ideas on the problem of social emotions and social competence in the context of the development of self-regulation and interaction skills, as well as the role of parents in this process. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the effectiveness of the development of certain indicators of social emotions in older preschool children, such as emotional expressivity and self–regulation, using an innovative method of reflective conversation. Materials and Methods. A narrative approach was used as a methodological basis of the study. The main research methods comprise the analysis of scholarly literature devoted to the problem of the development of social emotions in older preschool children; as well as evaluation methods, including observation (V. M. Kholmogorova and E. O. Smirnova’s ‘Primary orientation in children s’ relationships’), testing (R. M. Chumicheva’s inventory for determining the ability of a 3-7-year-old child to assess mental states of another person), situation analysis, the method of reflexive conversation, as well as methods of statistical data processing (criterion φ – Fisher angular transformation). 68 preschoolers participated in the study. Results. The authors substantiate that the study of emotional expression and regulation of emotions of older preschool children is significant for understanding and choosing techniques for developing appropriate interactive skills. The relationship between the socio-emotional competence of older preschool children and reflective conversation has been determined. It has been proven that children’s ability to regulate their own emotions contributes to increasing their overall social competence. As a result of comparing the data of primary and secondary assessment of the experimental and control groups according to the indicators established: assessment of the mental states of another person, initiative, sensitivity to peer influences and the prevailing emotional background, significant differences were revealed. Conclusions. The experimental study of the influence of reflexive conversation on the development of social emotions and skills of emotional self-regulation allowed us to establish a causal relationship between indicators of socio-emotional competence and the constructive algorithm for conducting reflexive conversation. The study concludes that reflective conversations contribute to the development of emotional expressivity and self-regulation as indicators of social emotions in older preschool children.

Enhancing self-regulation and learner engagement in L2 speaking: exploring the potential of intelligent personal assistants within a learning-oriented feedback framework

IntroductionDeveloping L2 speaking proficiency can be challenging for learners, particularly when it comes to fostering self-regulation and maintaining engagement. Intelligent Personal Assistants (IPAs) offer a potential solution by providing accessible, interactive language learning opportunities.MethodsThis mixed-methods study investigated the effectiveness of using Google Assistant within a learning-oriented feedback (LOA) framework to enhance L2 speaking proficiency, self-regulation, and learner engagement among 54 university-level EFL learners in China. Convenience sampling assigned participants to either an experimental group (n = 27) using Google Assistant with tailored activities or a control group (n = 27) using traditional methods. The Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) assessed speaking performance. Self-reported questionnaires measured L2 motivation and the Scale of Strategic Self-Regulation for Speaking English as a Foreign Language (S2RS-EFL) evaluated speaking self-regulation. Additionally, semi-structured interviews with a subsample of the experimental group provided qualitative insights.ResultsThe Google Assistant group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in speaking performance compared to the control group. While no significant difference in motivation was found, thematic analysis of interviews revealed perceived benefits of Google Assistant, including increased accessibility, interactivity, and immediate pronunciation feedback. These features likely contributed to a more engaging learning experience, potentially fostering self-regulation development in line with the core principles of LOA.ConclusionThis study suggests Google Assistant as a promising supplementary tool for enhancing L2 speaking proficiency, learner autonomy, and potentially self-regulation within an LOA framework. Further research is needed to explore its impact on motivation and optimize engagement strategies.

Psychosocial and biobehavioral processes underlying the association between prenatal risk factors and child self-regulation.

Over the past few decades, there has been accumulating evidence that prenatal exposure to risk is negatively related to child self-regulation. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship are unclear. The present study used a multimethod approach to simultaneously examine the mediating role of the developmental trajectories of observed parenting quality (support, stimulation, and structure) and children's functional brain networks (small-worldness) from infancy into the preschool period in a sample of 233 children and their biological mothers. The results revealed a potential sleeper effect: Prenatal exposure to risk was negatively related to child self-regulation during the preschool period, but not during infancy. Parenting quality remained relatively stable over time, whereas small-worldness showed an increase during infancy, followed by a decrease into the preschool age period. These developmental changes did not mediate the relation between prenatal risk and child self-regulation. Prenatal exposure to risk was related to lower levels of maternal support during infancy, but did not affect the development of parenting quality over time. Prenatal risk was also not related to the growth rate of small-worldness in young children. However, the developmental changes in small-worldness predicted individual differences in child self-regulation. These findings suggest that children generally have the potential to benefit from positive postnatal parenting environments, regardless of the levels of prenatal risk. A potential target for intervention efforts based on the current findings might be related to postnatal experiences that impact the development of functional brain networks, which in turn could affect the development of child self-regulation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Roles of Student-Teacher Relationship Quality and Classroom Self-Regulatory Supports for Children’s Self-Regulatory Skills in Kindergarten and First Grade

ABSTRACT Research Findings: The current study aimed to explore the independent and interactive roles of individual student-teacher relationship quality and classroom-level self-regulatory supports in kindergarten for children’s self-regulatory skills in kindergarten and first grade. We did so using multiple measures of children’s self-regulation, drawn from multiple sources, and a relatively new measure of classroom-level supports for self-regulation. Our sample included 726 low-income kindergartners in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Controlling for children’s fall of kindergarten self-regulatory skills, student-teacher relationship quality in kindergarten was associated with children’s self-regulation at the spring of kindergarten and again at the fall of first grade, but classroom-level self-regulatory supports in kindergarten were never significantly associated with children’s self-regulation. Overall, associations between student-teacher relationships and children’s self-regulation were stronger and more consistently significant for student-teacher conflict than closeness, and for teacher-reported than directly assessed or assessor-rated self-regulation. They did not, however, vary by classroom self-regulatory supports. Practices and Policy: Results affirm the primacy of student-teacher relationships for children’s self-regulatory development across the transition into formal schooling, regardless of the quality of classroom-level supports for self-regulation. Teacher training and professional development programs should equip teachers with strategies and resources that support their ability to develop warm, responsive relationships with individual students.