SELF-REGULATION, EMOTION EXPRESSION & CLASSROOM ...

children’s demonstration of learning behaviors, as well as success with math and
reading (Ladd, Birch, & Buhs, 1999; Valiente et al., 2007). As a result of these relations
between regulation and classroom involvement and learning behaviors, it is important
to investigate whether or not self-regulation is partially mediated by the child’s on-task
classroom involvement, where the child is engaged with their peers and involved with
daily activities.
The previous work by Ann Shields and her colleagues (see Shields & Cicchetti, 1997,
1998; Shields et al., 2001; Shields, Ryan & Cicchetti, 2001) suggests that early selfregulatory
abilities predict concurrent and subsequent classroom adjustment. Further,
Coolahan, Fantuzzo, Mendez, and McDermott (2000) found that children who
demonstrated low levels of classroom adjustment problems, namely negative
involvement in the classroom and with peers, also exhibited increased levels of
classroom learning behaviors (attention/persistence and attitude toward learning).
Valiente and colleagues (2008) have advanced this notion, by pointing out that the
present body of research suggests that students’ classroom involvement is associated
with their academic success and their on-task involvement might actually mediate the
connection between facets of emotional competence and learning. As a result, I
hypothesize that on-task involvement will play a partial mediating role through which
self-regulation impacts later classroom learning behaviors (see figure 5).
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