Wyatt Todd M, Denham Susanne A, Bassett Hideko H
George Mason University.
Learn Individ Differ. 2025 Jul;121. doi: 10.1016/j.lindif.2025.102701. Epub 2025 May 8.
We examined associations between aspects of preschoolers' executive control (both hot and cool), on-task involvement, and subsequent learning behaviors (attention/persistence, attitude toward learning, competence motivation) in kindergarten, taking into account potentially indirect effects of on-task involvement on relations between executive control and later learning behaviors. Moderating effects of gender and socioeconomic risk also were examined. Three hundred eighteen children were directly assessed regarding executive control (T1) and teachers rated their on-task involvement (T2); 108 kindergartners' teachers evaluated children's learning behaviors (T3). We modeled the hypothesized longitudinal relations, as well as separate models for moderators using partial least squares analyses (PLS). Findings often identified end-of-preschool on-task involvement as a mediator between earlier hot executive control and kindergarten learning behaviors, and sometimes indicated direct prediction of kindergarten learning behaviors by preschool cool executive control. Discussion centers upon interpreting the overall model and moderating influences, as well as potential applications.
When young children progressing through preschool and transitioning into kindergarten can manage their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, become able to participate positively in a classroom, and ultimately feel competent and interested in learning, they are more likely to succeed in school. Our results show a progression across time in these abilities from early preschool to kindergarten. Specifically, preschoolers' ability to delay gratification and inhibit behavior often supports their engagement in preschool classroom tasks, which in turn contributes to kindergarten learning behaviors. In contrast, their ability to focus, remember, plan, and solve problems plays a key role in kindergartners' persistence and their ability to feel positive about learning and their own competence as they transition to elementary school. Understanding these distinct yet interconnected aspects of self-regulation can help inform strategies to prepare preschoolers for kindergarten and address the diverse needs of children from different backgrounds.
我们考察了学龄前儿童执行控制（包括热执行控制和冷执行控制）、任务参与度与随后在幼儿园的学习行为（注意力/坚持性、学习态度、能力动机）之间的关联，并考虑了任务参与度对执行控制与后期学习行为关系的潜在间接影响。我们还考察了性别和社会经济风险的调节作用。对318名儿童进行了执行控制方面的直接评估（T1），教师对他们的任务参与度进行了评分（T2）；108名幼儿园儿童的教师对儿童的学习行为进行了评估（T3）。我们使用偏最小二乘法分析（PLS）对假设的纵向关系以及调节变量的单独模型进行了建模。研究结果常常将学前期末的任务参与度确定为早期热执行控制与幼儿园学习行为之间的中介，有时还表明学前冷执行控制对幼儿园学习行为有直接预测作用。讨论集中在对整体模型和调节影响的解释以及潜在应用方面。
当幼儿从学前班升入并过渡到幼儿园时，如果他们能够管理自己的思想、情绪和行为，积极参与课堂，并最终对学习感到有能力且感兴趣，那么他们在学校取得成功的可能性就更大。我们的研究结果显示了这些能力从学前早期到幼儿园随时间的发展。具体而言，学龄前儿童延迟满足和抑制行为的能力通常有助于他们参与学前班课堂任务，这反过来又有助于幼儿园的学习行为。相比之下，他们集中注意力、记忆、计划和解决问题的能力在幼儿园儿童的坚持性以及他们在过渡到小学时对学习和自身能力感到积极方面起着关键作用。理解自我调节的这些不同但相互关联的方面有助于为学前班儿童进入幼儿园做准备的策略提供信息，并满足来自不同背景儿童的多样化需求。
