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Everyday Practices and Activities to Improve Pre-school Self-Regulation: Cluster RCT Evaluation of the PRSIST Program
Steven J Howard1,2,3, Elena Vasseleu2,3, Marijka Batterham4
1School of Education, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
Frontiers in Psychology
|March 3, 2020
Summary
The Preschool Situational Self-Regulation Toolkit (PRSIST) Program showed small, significant improvements in executive functioning for preschoolers. While other outcomes favored the program, they did not reach statistical significance, indicating promise for self-regulation development.
Area of Science:
- Early Childhood Education
- Developmental Psychology
- Educational Interventions
Background:
- Self-regulation and executive functions are crucial for school readiness.
- Existing interventions may not be easily integrated into preschool settings.
- The Preschool Situational Self-Regulation Toolkit (PRSIST) Program offers a low-cost, embedded approach.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the PRSIST Program in improving preschool children's self-regulation, executive function, and school readiness.
- To compare the PRSIST Program against current routine practices in Australian preschools.
Main Methods:
- A cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 50 Australian preschool services and 473 children aged 3-5 years.
- Random assignment of centers to intervention or control groups post-baseline data collection.
- Blinded data collection throughout the study.
Main Results:
- Small but statistically significant improvements in executive functioning were observed in the PRSIST intervention group.
- Other outcomes, including self-regulation and school readiness, showed positive trends but did not reach statistical significance.
- High program utilization by educators suggests good acceptability and sustainability.
Conclusions:
- The PRSIST Program demonstrates potential for enhancing executive functioning in preschoolers.
- Further research is needed to optimize the program for broader impact on self-regulation and school readiness.
- The embedded and low-cost nature of PRSIST suggests feasibility for widespread adoption in early childhood education.
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