Developing an instrument for measuring self-regulation skills of 4-6 - year -old children (mother form)

Abstract

This study aimed to develop an instrument for measuring self-regulation skills of 4 to 6 –year- old children based on mothers’ views. This study was conducted with 509 children who were enrolled in preschool and kindergarten programs in a southwest city of Turkey. Criterion validity, explanatory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used for ensuring construct validity. EFA results showed that the scale consisted of 20 items and had four factors, which explains %61 of the variance. The factors were titled as attention, working memory, inhibitory control-emotion and inhibitory control-behavior. As a results of CFA, it was determined that the compliance indices of the obtained structure were sufficient (?2/sd=1.91, RMSEA=.07, SRMR=.07). The total item correlations of the scale changed from .36 to .70. The internal consistency coefficient of the scale was .90, validity was .84, and test-retest reliability was .77. Moving from these results, the instrument can be used as a valid and reliable scale to determine 4-6 year olds’ self-regulation skills based on mothers’ views.