Accounting for the SES-Math Achievement Gap at School Entry: Unique Mediation Paths via Executive Functioning and Behavioral Self-Regulation
Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is strongly predictive of math achievement in early childhood and beyond. In this study, we aimed to further our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the SES-achievement gap by examining whether two aspects of self-regulation—executive functions (EF) and...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Education |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2021.703112/full |
| _version_ | 1818362210679783424 |
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| author | Ee Lynn Ng Rebecca Bull Rebecca Bull Kiat Hui Khng |
| author_facet | Ee Lynn Ng Rebecca Bull Rebecca Bull Kiat Hui Khng |
| author_sort | Ee Lynn Ng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is strongly predictive of math achievement in early childhood and beyond. In this study, we aimed to further our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the SES-achievement gap by examining whether two aspects of self-regulation—executive functions (EF) and behavioral self-regulation (BSR)—mediate between SES and math achievement. Using data from a longitudinal study in Singapore (n = 1,257, 49% males), we examined the predictive link from SES to math achievement at entry to formal education (age 7), and the role of EF (child-assessed) and BSR (child-assessed and teacher-rated) as mediators of the SES-math achievement relationship. After accounting for children’s non-verbal reasoning and prior math achievement, EF and BSR (both child-assessed) emerged as significant partial mediators between SES and math. A key contribution of our study is in demonstrating that both components of self-regulation play a small role in explaining SES disparities in math achievement. Our findings further suggest that a balanced focus on enhancing EF and BSR skills of children from low-SES families may help to attenuate the SES-math achievement gap. More generally, our research contributes new insights to the ongoing debate about the theoretical distinctions between EF and BSR. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T21:28:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5252db4f7cf4405da2dc4b86b309aef8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2504-284X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T21:28:58Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-5252db4f7cf4405da2dc4b86b309aef82022-12-21T23:30:52ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2021-09-01610.3389/feduc.2021.703112703112Accounting for the SES-Math Achievement Gap at School Entry: Unique Mediation Paths via Executive Functioning and Behavioral Self-RegulationEe Lynn Ng0Rebecca Bull1Rebecca Bull2Kiat Hui Khng3Centre for Research in Child Development, Office of Education Research, National Institute of Education, Singapore, SingaporeCentre for Research in Child Development, Office of Education Research, National Institute of Education, Singapore, SingaporeMacquarie School of Education, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaCentre for Research in Child Development, Office of Education Research, National Institute of Education, Singapore, SingaporeChildhood socioeconomic status (SES) is strongly predictive of math achievement in early childhood and beyond. In this study, we aimed to further our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the SES-achievement gap by examining whether two aspects of self-regulation—executive functions (EF) and behavioral self-regulation (BSR)—mediate between SES and math achievement. Using data from a longitudinal study in Singapore (n = 1,257, 49% males), we examined the predictive link from SES to math achievement at entry to formal education (age 7), and the role of EF (child-assessed) and BSR (child-assessed and teacher-rated) as mediators of the SES-math achievement relationship. After accounting for children’s non-verbal reasoning and prior math achievement, EF and BSR (both child-assessed) emerged as significant partial mediators between SES and math. A key contribution of our study is in demonstrating that both components of self-regulation play a small role in explaining SES disparities in math achievement. Our findings further suggest that a balanced focus on enhancing EF and BSR skills of children from low-SES families may help to attenuate the SES-math achievement gap. More generally, our research contributes new insights to the ongoing debate about the theoretical distinctions between EF and BSR.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2021.703112/fulllearning-related behaviorsmathematics achievementexecutive function skillsself-regulationearly childhoodsocioeconomic disadvantage |
| spellingShingle | Ee Lynn Ng Rebecca Bull Rebecca Bull Kiat Hui Khng Accounting for the SES-Math Achievement Gap at School Entry: Unique Mediation Paths via Executive Functioning and Behavioral Self-Regulation Frontiers in Education learning-related behaviors mathematics achievement executive function skills self-regulation early childhood socioeconomic disadvantage |
| title | Accounting for the SES-Math Achievement Gap at School Entry: Unique Mediation Paths via Executive Functioning and Behavioral Self-Regulation |
| title_full | Accounting for the SES-Math Achievement Gap at School Entry: Unique Mediation Paths via Executive Functioning and Behavioral Self-Regulation |
| title_fullStr | Accounting for the SES-Math Achievement Gap at School Entry: Unique Mediation Paths via Executive Functioning and Behavioral Self-Regulation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Accounting for the SES-Math Achievement Gap at School Entry: Unique Mediation Paths via Executive Functioning and Behavioral Self-Regulation |
| title_short | Accounting for the SES-Math Achievement Gap at School Entry: Unique Mediation Paths via Executive Functioning and Behavioral Self-Regulation |
| title_sort | accounting for the ses math achievement gap at school entry unique mediation paths via executive functioning and behavioral self regulation |
| topic | learning-related behaviors mathematics achievement executive function skills self-regulation early childhood socioeconomic disadvantage |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2021.703112/full |
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