Executive Function as a Mediator for the Relationship Between Conscious Discipline Fidelity and Kindergarten Readiness

• In Event: Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Topic - Education, Schooling

Abstract

Strong emotion regulation skills are associated with better executive function skills (EF) and greater academic learning (e.g. Duncan et al., 2017, 2018; Fuhs et al., 2014). Many preschool/elementary programs exist seeking to promote such skills, but with varying degrees of success. Conscious Discipline (CD) targets relationship building and socioemotional learning (SEL) with the intention of improving students’ academic performance, as well as EF and social skills (Bailey, 2000, 2014). Past studies evaluating CD are limited and have yielded mixed results in relation to its implementation fidelity and children’s school-related outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between preschool teachers’ CD fidelity and students’ academic and social skill development in kindergarten. We hypothesized that preschool teachers’ fidelity to CD would be significantly associated with students’ performance on measures of academic and social outcomes in kindergarten. Given previous research suggesting that (a) CD fidelity is associated with EF skill development (Anderson et al., 2020); and (b) EF skills are critical for children’s development of academic and social skills, we hypothesized that the association between CD fidelity and kindergarten academic and social skills would be fully mediated by students’ preschool EF skill development.

Data for this study were drawn from a large-scale longitudinal evaluation of preschool programs and included 873 preschool-aged students from 140 classrooms. Preschool teachers’ fidelity to CD was measured using a rubric developed by the publishers of Conscious Discipline (Loving Guidance Inc., 2018). General preschool classroom quality was assessed using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS; Pianta et al., 2007) and served as a covariate. The Minnesota Executive Function Scale (MEFS; Carlson & Zelazo, 2014) was used to assess students’ development of EF in preschool at fall and spring. Children’s kindergarten readiness skills were assessed in fall of kindergarten using the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment, including both the overall scores as well as domain scores in language and literacy skills, math skills, social foundations, and physical development (KRA; Ohio Department of Education Office of Early Learning and School Readiness, 2019).

CD fidelity was marginally positively associated with children’s KRA social foundations outcomes (B = .10, p = .055) after controlling for covariates, including demographic (age, gender, race/ethnicity), child (preschool attendance rate), family (family income and parent education), and classroom (classroom star rating, teacher education, CLASS scores, and program type) covariates. CD fidelity and children’s KRA outcomes in academic skills were not significantly associated. Teacher CD fidelity in preschool was significantly associated with children’s EF skills gains, which in turn predicted their KRA outcomes (see Figure 1 for Social Foundations). EF skills significantly mediated the association between CD fidelity and KRA outcomes in all domains (see Table 1). Once EF skills were added into the model, the association between CD fidelity and KRA Social Foundations was no longer marginally significant (see Figure 1). Results suggest that teacher fidelity to CD was indirectly associated with kindergarten academic and social skills through its relationship to children’s preschool EF skills gains.

Authors

• Alison Vrabec, University of Dayton
  Presenting Author

• Kirsten Lee Anderson, Purdue University, West Lafayette
  Non-Presenting Author

• Natalie A Sheeks
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kelly Boris, University of Dayton
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kimberly Turner Nesbitt, University of New Hampshire
  Non-Presenting Author

• Mary Catherine Wagner Fuhs, University of Dayton
  Non-Presenting Author