The child-rearing environment and children's mastery motivation as contributors to school readiness

Maternal involvement in education mediates longitudinal associations between maternal depressive symptoms and child adjustment.

“…High depressive symptoms in mothers may disrupt their parenting behaviors, cognitions, and affect (Lovejoy et al, 2000), which may decrease their tendency to facilitate a cognitively stimulating environment at home, the latter in turn has been shown to promote children’s school performance (Harris et al, 2014; Niklas & Schneider, 2017). Similarly, depressive symptoms in mothers tend to disrupt dyadic responsiveness in mother–child interactions (Wang & Dix, 2015) and to undermine children’s mastery motivation, sustained attention, and executive function (Wang & Dix, 2017a; Yan & Dix, 2016), all are closely related to children’s academic performance (MacPhee et al, 2018; Nayfeld et al, 2013; NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, 2003).…”

The Mediating Effects of Child Mastery Motivation on the Relationship Between Parenting and Children’s Readiness to Learn: A Structural Equation Analysis

“…Then in the 1990s, some researchers sought to identify motivational dynamics as possible factors influencing preschool and kindergarten age children's achievement (Eccles, 1993;Carlton, 1999;Carlton & Winsler, 1999). In more recent times, researchers are showing interest in exploring motivation as a factor influencing young children's readiness to learn (Fantuzzo et al, 2004;Henrich et al, 2005;Howse et al, 2003;MacPhee et al, 2018;Özbey & Gürler, 2019).…”

“…This internal desire within mastery motivation in young children refers to their desire to learn and engage in "self-directed" behaviors without relying on rewards provided from outside forces, to have persistence to achieve challenging tasks or skills for intrinsic pleasures (Jennings & Dietz, 2003;Morgan et al, 1995;Messer, 1993). Moreover, children with higher levels of mastery motivation would prefer challenge, they would show persistence in their explorations when faced with challenging tasks that are appropriate for their development and would show interest and engage with people and materials that are provided for them to play and explore in their environment (Busch-Rossnagel &Morgan, 2013;MacPhee et al, 2018;Morgan et al, 1995;Turner & Johnson, 2003). Considering that starting first grade is a challenging new experience that requires exploration and persistence, mastery motivation becomes one of the key processes for their adjustment to school and succeed (Fantuzzo et al, 2004;MacPhee et al, 2018).…”

“…Moreover, children with higher levels of mastery motivation would prefer challenge, they would show persistence in their explorations when faced with challenging tasks that are appropriate for their development and would show interest and engage with people and materials that are provided for them to play and explore in their environment (Busch-Rossnagel &Morgan, 2013;MacPhee et al, 2018;Morgan et al, 1995;Turner & Johnson, 2003). Considering that starting first grade is a challenging new experience that requires exploration and persistence, mastery motivation becomes one of the key processes for their adjustment to school and succeed (Fantuzzo et al, 2004;MacPhee et al, 2018). Furthermore, mastery motivation is not set by nature and there is great room for parents to interfere and to influence unique mastery motivation profiles their children will have, especially with their child rearing styles (MacPhee et al, 2018).…”

“…Considering that starting first grade is a challenging new experience that requires exploration and persistence, mastery motivation becomes one of the key processes for their adjustment to school and succeed (Fantuzzo et al, 2004;MacPhee et al, 2018). Furthermore, mastery motivation is not set by nature and there is great room for parents to interfere and to influence unique mastery motivation profiles their children will have, especially with their child rearing styles (MacPhee et al, 2018). Baumrind (1967) studied the relationship between preschool children's competence and parenting attitudes and formulated parenting styles that are based on parenting practices that either hinder or support children's competence.…”