Supporting Self-Regulation in Preschool Settings

• In Event: Advancing Research and Practice on Self-Regulated Learning Through Productive Partnerships

Abstract

A review of interventions designed to support self-regulation in Primary schools reported the surprising finding that interventions generally worked more effectively when carried out by researchers, not teachers. This concurs with the general finding from studies of teacher professional development that effective change in classroom practice depends upon the depth of teachers’ understanding of the principles guiding the intervention. In turn, this suggests opportunities teachers are given to develop their understanding over time, and their involvement in a participatory or action research approach, where they work as co-researchers within the research team, can be beneficial.

This poster reports a 9 month pilot (or ‘proof of concept’) intervention in which the lead researcher worked with five pre-school teachers in London nurseries. The aim of the project was to investigate if pedagogical approaches shown to work in primary school contexts could be adapted to provide significant support for 3-4 year old’s self-regulation development.

The first part of the intervention involved 7 meetings spread over 12 weeks and addressing 1) young children’s self-regulation development, and 2) early childhood education practices known to support it. To support the teacher’s developing understanding, this included classroom activities undertaken between meetings. Meetings 2-7 began with reflections and discussion of these activities. The course was centred around two evidence-based frameworks developed in previous projects. Part 1) introduced the teachers to the uses of the Children’s Independent Learning Development (CHILD) scale. developed in a previous study investigating the development of self-regulation in 3-5 year olds. Part 2) was built around a Pedagogy for Self-regulation in the Nursery and five categories of support: ‘Providing Emotional Warmth and Security’, ‘Creating a Community of Learners’, ‘Giving children a sense of autonomy and feelings of control’, ‘Providing Challenge’ and ‘Supporting children to talk about their learning’.

In the second part of the intervention, the teachers planned, carried out and documented 3 projects aimed at developing identified pedagogical approaches to support particular aspects of their children’s self-regulation. These projects lasted over the second school term, and were supported by research meetings, between projects. These meetings included presentations by the teachers of their projects and group discussions of successful elements and lessons learnt. Following an action research model, subsequent projects were designed to build on ideas and issues raised in these sessions of reflection.

An independent research team pre and post tested 10 children from each class and found evidence of significant improvement in direct tests of executive functioning and observations of self-regulation. The documentary evidence collected by the teachers of the children’s responses to the projects, and their evaluations of their own learning and professional development through the intervention, all pointed to a range of positive outcomes. The general conclusion was that this approach merited further piloting with a larger, more diverse sample, and potentially up-scaling to a full RCT.

Authors

• David Whitebread, University of Cambridge

• Nancy E. Perry, The University of British Columbia