ABSTRACT
The conducted research was devoted to comparison of kindergartens' educational environment quality evaluation via ECERS-R and CLASS methods. Both methods were applied in the same kindergarten groups. Therefore, in this study we attempted to find out if the educational environment quality assessments acquired via the two methods mentioned above would coincide. We analyzed the results from the cultural-historical psychology perspective. The educational environment quality assessment has been conducted in 83 Moscow kindergarten groups where study 5 to7 years old preschoolers. The correlation analysis results show that the ECERS-R method subscales are not related to the "Emotional support" CLASS domain, however, a significant correlation with the total ECERS-R score has been revealed. The "Classroom Organization" CLASS domain has the highest number of correlations to the ECERS-R subscales (4) as well as to the total ECERS-R score. The "Instructional Support" domain is connected only to the Parents and Staff subscale within the ECERS-R method. As a result of comparing groups with relatively low and high quality of the educational environment, that were identified based on the evaluation via the ECERS-R and CLASS methods, a good agreement between the results has been revealed. However, a fairly large number of groups with high CLASS scores have made it to the pool of average-low ECERS-R scores, which demonstrates a non-linear connection between the educational environment quality evaluations according to these two methods. Research allows to conclude that the ECERS-R and CLASS approaches complement each other well.
ABSTRACT
This research focused on the connection between such factors of the active screen time of preschoolers as the time spent playing computer games and parental participation in children's computer games on imagination in 5-6 years old children. The mothers of 772 children were asked to fill out questionnaires where they described how their children interact with gadgets. 371 of these children also participated in the test that assessed productive imagination using complete the drawing task (such parameters as flexibility, originality, elaboration were assessed). As a result of the study, no relationship was found between imagination and the time spent by preschoolers playing computer games. At the same time, this study revealed significant relationships between imagination and the characteristics of parental participation in the gadgets' usage by preschoolers. The research showed that imagination flexibility scores are significantly higher in children who use gadgets with siblings or peers than in those who often play alone or with an adult.
ABSTRACT
Background: Executive functions are actively developing in children of preschool age. Executive functions' development is also influenced by the way children are using digital devices. Joint media engagement is one of the parameters of digital device usage that has been poorly studied so far, although this is of great importance from the point of view of cultural-historical psychology. Objective: Our research aimed to explore the association between young children's development of executive functions over a year, and their joint media engagement with parents and siblings in preschool children. Design: Four hundred ninety (490) typically developing children (52% of them were boys) participated in the study. It was a longitudinal study: during the first stage, the children were 5-6 years old; the second stage followed one year later. The NEPSY-II subtests (Inhibition, Statue, Memory for Designs, Sentences Repetition) and the Dimensional Change Card Sort were used to assess executive functions. A questionnaire for mothers was used to get information about the children's joint media engagement and screen time. Results: Children who watched video content and played video games together with their siblings developed more inhibitory control over the year than those children who did it alone. Co-viewing of video content with parents was associated with a decrease in cognitive flexibility over the year, as opposed to watching it alone. Conclusion: The obtained data allows us to conclude that joint media engagement is important for executive functions development, and that there are optimal formats of joint media engagement. Based on the limitations of this study, recommendations for future research were suggested.
ABSTRACT
Background: Young children's play is theorized to develop executive functions, skills strongly predictive of many later advantages. The current study sought to validate a practicably short play behavior survey for kindergarten teachers (N = 18) and compare the reported behaviors to the executive functions (EFs) of their 443 Russian kindergarteners (M age = 78.6 months; SD = 4.04). Research Findings: The factor model with satisfactory construct validity and internal consistency included three factors: leadership, play preferences and rule conformity. Analyses provide partial support for Vygotsky's theory that play supports EF development, but particular behaviors were related to different EF components. However, kindergarteners exhibiting more leadership, preferences and conformity overall rated higher on most EF components. Practice and Policy: These findings do not support the theory that play skills improve unidirectionally with age and EFs, suggesting particular profiles of types of players and complex changes with age. The play behavior survey may be a practicable way to trace different profiles across the early years.
ABSTRACT
Amid the spread of COVID-19, a study of mental health in university students from different regions of Russia (n = 3057) was undertaken during the period from April 9 to April 20, 2020. The results were compared to studies conducted earlier within a large-scale research project examining student mental health. Mental health indicators were analyzed during three different periods: long before the onset of the pandemic (period 1); in the early days of the spread of COVID-19 in Russia, though prior to the implementation of containment measures (period 2); during tough measures to contain the first wave of the pandemic (period 3). The comparison of indicators showed no differences in the levels of psychological well-being (F = 0.918; p = .4), significantly lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress during the period 1 compared to the periods 2 and 3 (p < .001), and the highest levels of anxiety and stress during the period 2. We also established a higher increase in the levels of depression (F = 6.883; p = .001), anxiety (F = 11.868; p < .001) and stress (F = 10.384; p < .001) in young men compared to the changes in the same indicators in young women during the pandemic. However, both before and during the pandemic, these indicators showed better mental health in young men than in young women. Thus, when studying the impact of the pandemic on students' mental health, it is crucial to take into account the possible dynamics of their mental state within relatively short periods of time and to pay particular attention to gender differences.
ABSTRACT
According to international longitudinal studies, the quality of preschool education is of great importance for children's further development. The modern research's greatest interest in the field of studying the quality of preschool education is precisely the assessment of the relationship between the teacher and children as well as the teaching quality in kindergarten groups. In this regard, the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) seems to be the one of the most relevant for the educational environment quality evaluation. The CLASS methodology (which includes emotional support, classroom organization, and instrumental support) is based on the cultural-historical approach, which shows the interaction between students and adults as the main mechanism for child's development. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between different aspects of the classroom organization quality in kindergarten groups and executive functions components (such as cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory) in 5-6-year-old children. The quality of classroom interaction was measured by the CLASS. The study used the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) method to assess cognitive flexibility and the NEPSY-II subtests "Inhibition" to assess inhibitory control and "Memory for Designs" and "Sentences Repetition" to assess visuo-spatial and verbal working memory, respectively. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Psychology at Lomonosov Moscow State University. The study involved 26 kindergarten groups in Moscow. While conducting the research, extreme groups were identified (5 with low quality and 10 with high-quality levels of classroom interaction). Then, three kindergarten groups with low level (65 children) and three groups with high level (68 children) of interaction within classroom were selected and compared. The results revealed that children from groups with low level of classroom interaction have higher results in cognitive flexibility tasks when compared with children from groups with high level of interaction. Also, children from groups with high-quality classroom interaction demonstrated higher results in visuo-spatial working memory tasks and inhibitory control tasks as contrasted with children from low-quality groups. These findings attest to the importance of classroom interaction quality for the executive functions development in the preschool age.
ABSTRACT
This study analyzed connections between different components of executive functions (EF; inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility) among 1,075 preschool children in Moscow. The results suggested greater heterochronicity in different EF component levels for girls compared with boys. Factor analysis showed the best fit for a three-factor model.
