Maternal scaffolding strategies and early development of self-regulation in Chinese preschoolers

ABSTRACT

This study examined the relationship between aspects of maternal scaffolding and Chinese preschoolers’ self-regulation. Thirty-three children aged 3–5 (12 boys and 21 girls) and their mothers from one kindergarten in Nanning, China, participated in 2 dyadic problem-solving tasks. The children’s self-regulation was assessed using the tapping task either before or after a dyadic problem-solving session on the same day. All mother–child joint problem-solving sessions were videotaped and transcribed. Maternal scaffolding was coded in terms of cognitive assistance (elaborative/directive), emotional feedback (positive/negative), and transfer of responsibility (adult’s/child’s responsibility) in interaction turns. The results of a hierarchical regression analysis indicated that maternal elaborative cognitive assistance and positive feedback positively predicted children’s self-regulation, while neither the adult’s nor the child’s bearing of responsibility in interaction turns significantly predicted children’s self-regulation. Reasons for these results and implications for further studies and practitioners are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Maternal scaffolding
• self-regulation
• problem solving
• Chinese preschoolers

Acknowledgements

We thank Ms Huang Qi, Ms Yiu Hau Ming, and Ms Wu Dandan for their assistance in transcription and coding of the video-clips. Great appreciation is also expressed to the parents and children who participated in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dr Jin Sun is Assistant Professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong. Her research focuses on early child development and education and she is particularly interested in how family and school contexts influence children’s early experiences.

Ms Yixuan Tang is Associate Professor, Associate Director of the Preschool Teacher Training Center, Guangxi College for Preschool Education. Her research interests include early social-emotional development and facilitation as well as professional development of preschool teachers.

ORCID

Jin Sun http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6707-3763

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded by Internal Research Grant by The Education University of Hong Kong (RG76/2015-2016).