The relation between parental involvement and school readiness: the mediating role of preschoolers’ self-regulation skills

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the relations between school readiness and self-regulation skills of preschool children and parental involvement towards education of their preschool children. More specifically, we focused on the mediation role of preschoolers’ self-regulation skills on the relation between parental involvement and school readiness. The sample of the study includes 277 children, their parents (both mothers and fathers) and preschool teachers. Structural equation model was used to test the model. It is shown that the parental involvement and self-regulation skills are significantly related to children’s school readiness. We also examined if self-regulation mediated the relation between parental involvement and school readiness and observed that the indirect effect of self-regulation skills from parental involvement to school readiness was not significant.

KEYWORDS:

• Parental involvement
• self-regulation skills
• school readiness
• preschool

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Özgül Polat

Özgül Polat received B.S. and M.A. degrees in Preschool Education from Marmara University. She completed her Ph.D. studies in the Preschool Education Program of Marmara University in 2003. Her thesis was about school readiness and she developed the “Marmara Primary School Readiness Scale”. She participated in preschool curriculum development studies of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of National Education in 2002. Currently, she is working as an associate professor at Marmara University, where she serves since 1996. Her major research interests are in capacity building, school readiness, early childhood education programs, parent education, and multiple intelligences. She has authored or co-authored a lot of scientific publications, books, and, she has conducted many national and international projects.

Dilan Bayındır

Dilan Bayındır received B.S. degrees in Preschool Education and Guidance & Psychological Counseling as a double major from the Boğaziçi University in 2006 with high honors. Then, she received an M.A. degree in Adult Education from the same university in 2010. She completed her Ph.D. studies in the Preschool Education Program of Marmara University in 2016. Currently, she is working as an associate professor at Balıkesir University, where she serves since 2016, and as an adjunct professor at Boğaziçi University since 2019. Her research interests are in self-regulation, museum learning, and nature education. She has authored or co-authored more than 20 scientific publications.