Linking Behavioral Self-Regulation to Early Math and Science Abilities: The Moderating Role of Teacher-Child Relationships
Early Education and Development, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1080/10409289.2026.2680043
- Dergi Adı: Early Education and Development
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, EBSCO Education Source, Education Abstracts, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Psycinfo, Social Science Premium Collection (ProQuest), Education Collection (ProQuest), Education Source Ultimate (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest), Sociology Source Ultimate (EBSCO)
- İstanbul Medipol Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Research Findings: Understanding how relational classroom contexts shape links between children’s self-regulatory skills and early academic development is critical. This study examined the role of teacher-child relationship quality in associations between behavioral self-regulation and early mathematics and science abilities, investigating whether closeness and conflict moderated relations between self-regulation and academic outcomes. The sample included 212 preschool-aged children (50% girls; M age = 60.80 months, SD = 7.39) from 53 classrooms in Istanbul, Türkiye. Relationship quality was assessed through teacher reports, self-regulation was measured using a structured performance-based task, mathematics and science abilities were assessed through direct measures. Analyses indicated that the association between self-regulation and mathematics performance varied by conflict, such that children with higher self-regulation demonstrated stronger mathematics performance even in classrooms with elevated conflict. For science outcomes, closeness emerged as a significant correlate alongside self-regulation. These findings underscore that the academic relevance of self-regulation depends on the relational context. Practice or Policy: Results underscore the importance of teacher-child relationships as a classroom context shaping how children’s self-regulatory skills are expressed and translated into academic learning. Efforts to support positive relationships may be critical for fostering mathematics and science development, particularly in classrooms placing greater regulatory demands on children.