Alex Baron|Maria Evangelou|Lars?Erik Malmberg|G.J. Melendez?Torres
Protocol for a Systematic Review: The Tools of the Mind Curriculum for Improving Self?Regulation in Early Childhood: A Systematic Review
selfregulation defined volitional control attention behavior executive functions purposes goaldirected action blair ursache 2011 associated multiple schoolrelated outcomes calkins howse philippot 2004 diamond lee 2011 mcclelland tominey 2011 example children robust selfregulation shown fisher hirshpasek newcombe golinkoff 2013 ramani 2012 cooperatively participate classroom activities sustain focus tasks bierman nix greenberg 2008 drake belsky fearon 2014 exhibit reduced behavioral issues feng et al 2008 ponitz mcclelland matthews morrison 2009 conversely lower levels selfregulation skills associated externalizing behaviors flouri midouhas joshi 2014 olson lunkenheimer 2009 diminished attention raver et al 2011 tough 2012 lower academic achievement kim nordling yoon kochanska 2014 nota soresi zimmerman 2004 soares vannest harrison 2009 addition academic outcomes children poor selfregulatory competencies likely worse health financial outcomes adulthood moffitt arseneault caspi 2011 schlam wilson shoda mischel 2013 given role selfregulation promoting child adult outcomes early intervention preschool contexts holds considerable promise improving childs development trajectory heckman noted early skill begets skill learning begets learning heckman masterov 2007 p 3 consequently small selfregulatory differences early childhood magnified progressively larger differences time alexander entwisle kabbani 2001 oshaughnessy lane gresham beebefrankenberger 2003 thus early childhood emerges especially critical period intervene previous research current state young childrens selfregulation development underscores need early intervention united states nationally representative survey indicated 46 american kindergarten teachers reported least half students routinely struggling selfcontrol rimmkaufman pianta cox 2000 fact american preschool students three times likely expelled unmanageable behavior primary secondary students gilliam 2005 certain subpopulations children exhibit diminished selfregulation young age example children growing poverty likely experience selfregulatory problems raver blair willoughby 2013 raver 2012 make lowincome children susceptible disciplinary action inside outside school alloway lawrence rodger 2013 miller nevadomontenegro hinshaw 2012 example washington dc report office state superintendent education 2013 revealed students aged three four received 181 suspensions 20122013 school year went students lowincome schools moreover many children united states worldwide chronic regulatory deficits attention deficit hyperactivity disorder adhd conduct disorder cd 2013 11 american children ages 4 17 diagnosed adhd reflects 41 increase single decade center disease control 2013 uk 7 british boys 3 british girls aged 510 meet diagnostic criteria conduct disorder nice 2013 presents challenges educators responsible student learning websterstratton reid stoolmiller 2009 research indicates educators across europe asia benari 1995 kwon 2003 reported rising levels chronic selfregulatory deficits among young children thus current state students selfregulation emerged pressing problem confronting education systems countries around world contrast body evidence curricula interventions significantly improve mainstream students selfregulation sparse example us department educations institute educational sciences ies funded randomized controlled trial rct assessed 14 preschool curricula results indicated none curricula significantly improved childrens selfregulation skills beyond traditional comparator curricula preschool curriculum evaluation research consortium 2008 moreover none 14 programs identified selfregulation development primary curricular focus despite abundant research indicating benefits selfregulation young children best knowledge one early childhood curriculum emphasizes selfregulation cultivation paramount aim tools mind tools since development 1993 tools adopted parts united states canada south america twenty us states least one tools school certain areas washington dc tools implemented majority local preschools tools mind 2015 face programs proliferation important establish evidence tools effectiveness hypothesized outcomes tools enhance childrens selfregulation academic outcomes compared traditional businessasusual program curricula review aims first address question tools derives inspiration work psychologist lev vygotsky book thought language 1962 vygotsky develops concept mental tools extend mental faculties way physical tools extend physical faculties example although young children typically struggle task focus taught use private speech eg selftalk meant guide ones actions opposed communicate others order maintain concentration amid distractions case private speech serves mental tool enables children focus beyond baseline abilities vygotsky 1962 according curricular developers tools informed neuropsychological research development selfregulationexecutive functions children bodrova leong 2015 tools website home page unlike several selfregulation interventions often involve individualized plans specific children gulchak 2008 soares et al 2009 set exercises supplement existing curriculum bierman domitrovich blair nelson gill 2008 domitrovich cortes greenberg 2007 tools intended comprehensive curriculum delivered students mainstream classroom tools operates integrating selfregulation oriented activities within academic instruction bodrova leong akhutina 2011 p 18 tools activity contains target academic skill eg reading book classmate selfregulatory skill eg waiting ones turn read book overall tools includes 61 activities simultaneously target students selfregulation well foundational academic skills two activities buddy reading make believe play emblematic tools approach buddy reading involves two students cooperatively read book one child receives picture mouth designates reader child receives picture ear designates listener reader reads story child actively listens checks decoding errors children switch roles first reader completes story leong bodrova 2011 given proper execution buddy reading simultaneously targets literacy selfregulation since selfregulation defined ability autonomously control attention behavior buddy reading theoretically hone childrens selfregulation children must 1 use working memory remember act roles 2 demonstrate attentional flexibility switching across roles 3 exhibit inhibitory control suppress desires switch roles inappropriate times eg listener attempt become reader turn second activity emblematic tools approach make believe play meant occur every day tools classrooms bodrova leong 2013 tools focus play originated vygotsks assertion pretend play scenarios directly cultivate selfregulation skills every step child faced conflict rule game would could suddenly act spontaneously game acts counter wants achieving maximum display willpower 1933 p 14 pretend play thus requires children focus role eg grocer enact role eg help customer bag groceries inhibit impulse switch roles eg become grocery store manager instead grocer even child wishes act spontaneously vygotsky 1933 argued effective play scenarios require three elements children must 1 determine imaginary scenario 2 negotiate roles one another 3 act roles fidelity ie switch cease role simply one lost interest order achieve structured play scenarios tools teachers work students create play plans depicted figure 1 sample play plan tools classroom observed figure 1 play plan includes textual pictorial elements according tools manual leong bodrova 2011 play planning involves multiple steps first teacher convenes group students collectively determine play scenario second students negotiate roles child assume throughout play block example figure 1 children decided enact scenario involving princess prince child creates play plan includes name picture child acting role textual description play plan plan figure 1 indicates student pretend sleeping beauty marry prince thus makebelieve play planning simultaneously involves writing practice drawing practice goaloriented thinking guide childs subsequent behavior students forget roles teacher andor students reference play plan leong bodrova 2011 sense play plan constitutes contract commits child specific role playplanning process precedes actual play scenario vygotsky 1933 argues childrens willpower directly taxed sum whether children engaged literacy mathematics play scenarios tools activity aims target selfregulation tools designed implemented fidelity classroom teachers throughout full academic year leong bodrova 2011 immersive component tools differentiates selfregulation programs emerges key mechanism purported efficacy tools theory change contains three stages 1 students regulated teacher 2 students regulate one another 3 students selfregulate bodrova leong 2007 students first arrive classroom vygotsky wrote slaves environment whereas educations aim must transform masters behavior l vygotsky 1962 p 147 bodrova leong tools curricular developers attempted capture vygotskys philosophy teacherregulated otherregulated selfregulated theory change model depicted figure 2 tools mind theory change adapted bodrova leong 2007 quote encapsulates theory change vygotsky wrote inner regulation purposeful activity originates external regulation vygotsky luria 1994 p 164 regulating childs thoughts actions must first regulated someone outside child ie adult competent peer one earlier writings vygotsky explains adults must use superior cognitive control lead children toward constant improvement cognitive control vygotsky 1994 p 366 along similar line reasoning bruner coined term scaffolding wood bruner ross 1976 refers teachers provision minimum support necessary propel children toward learning goals child become competent teacher gradually removes support child work independently tools developers refer vygotskys bruners theories explaining tools theory change bodrova et al 2011 vygotskys research also informs second component tools theory change childrens coregulation one another vygotsky argued childrens higher mental function development originates social interactions becoming internalized later vygotsky 1978 tools developers explain roots selfregulation originate otherregulation implies children act subjects another persons regulatory behaviors actors regulating another persons behaviors leong bodrova 2011 p 73 sum tools theory change specifies childrens selfregulation ultimate goal identifies teacherregulation otherregulation steps toward end given selfregulations role promoting multitude desirable life outcomes critical identify educational practices improve selfregulation skills tools developers claim program effectively promotes childrens selfregulation tools already implemented us canada parts south america although tools proliferation consistent recent years findings tools evaluation studies inconsistent example sampling five randomized tools evaluation studies three found small moderately positive effects students selfregulation barnett et al 2008 blair raver 2014 diamond barnett thomas munro 2007 one found effect lonigan phillips 2012 one found effect prekindergarten negative effects kindergarten first grade followups farran wilson 2014 thus despite relatively similar research designs considerable methodological overlap five studies arrived substantially different conclusions regarding tools effectiveness mixed findings thus far precluded authoritative conclusion regarding curriculums effectiveness literature lacks systematic review assess 1 tools overall effect 2 heterogeneity curricular effectiveness across studylevel childlevel characteristics 3 quality tools research base whole investigating three issues present review aims provide education policymakers practitioners useful information regarding whether implement tools central objective identify appraise synthesize available evidence regarding tools order evaluate tools effectiveness compared curricula including businessasusual programs conduct review accordance campbell collaborations systematic review guidelines found wwwcampbellcollaborationorg included studies experimental quasiexperimental nonexperimental designs adequate statistical mechanisms control potential confounds least studies must pre posttests outcome measures interest although would ideally restrict included studies randomized trials randomization difficult education research given ethical concerns school district policies thus review accept quasiexperimental designs described order include many studies possible review nonetheless present results separately randomized nonrandomized trials students age gender ethnicity special education status language learning status socioeconomic status included review include study analyzes tools effect comparison one businessasusual curricula businessasusual curricula school used intervention study began also include studies tools implemented alongside another program intervention new school include data followup periods included original studies followup data classified three categories shortterm ie data taken end tools intervention year five months following intervention mediumterm ie data taken six 11 months end tools intervention longterm ie data taken 12 months end tools intervention include studies setting tools implemented tools schoolbased curriculum expect search yield schoolbased studies nonetheless priori settingbased exclusion criteria imposed included primary studies likely involve either experimental quasiexperimental research designs studies involve random assignment students either tools businessasusual classrooms however studies may include samples random assignment possible instances district schoollevel policies precluded random assignment primary studies adequate statistical mechanisms eg pre posttest comparisons control potential confounds studies likely involve academic selfregulation assessments beginning end school year academic achievement data may derive schools existing tests alternative standardized instruments provided researchers selfregulation assessments likely provided administered researchers sample either group students schoolclassroom entire classroomschool population finally primary studies may compare tools businessasusual classrooms whereas others may compare tools another intervention group review businessasusual intervention groups considered comparator condition tools serves treatment condition also run sensitivity analyses determine whether different effects observed tools versus businessasusual comparisons tools versus intervention comparisons presume effect sizes study statistically dependent regardless observed intraclass correlation moreover also assume instances multiple reports study yield data dependency issues order address data dependency use robust variance estimation spss macro described tannersmith tipton 2014 also use metafor package viechtbauer 2010 r perform multilevel metaanalysis robustness check two researchers baron melendeztorres independently conduct eligibility screening retrieved studies specifically researchers screen titles abstracts appropriate full texts order determine whether studies suitable inclusion review disagreements inclusion versus exclusion resolved discussion consensus coding developed data extraction form review see appendix baron melendeztorres independently code studies selected inclusion instances missing unclear information contact study authors clarification completing coding forms studies resolve coding disagreements discussion consensus eventual synthesis studys risk bias reported using risk bias table studies high risk bias across multiple categories noted synthesis sensitivity analyses performed determine results change without biased studies use robust variance estimation spss macro described tannersmith tipton 2014 address data dependency issues specifically studies include multiple measures selfregulation andor academic achievement attempt use available data analyze relevant effect sizes study selfregulation academic achievement correcting dependency effect sizes study moreover use metafor package viechtbauer 2010 r perform multilevel metaanalysis random effects effect size robustness check findings effect size metrics use standardized mean difference hedges g continuous outcomes oddsratio binary outcomes calculated effect sizes across studies convert included effect sizes common metric eg hedges g use david wilsons freely available httpwwwcampbellcollaborationorgresourceseffectsizeinputphp effect size effect size calculator handle effect size data continuous nominal scales compute effect sizes variant comparison condition eg businessasusual intervention treatment etc example study compares tools another intervention well businessasusual curriculum two comparison conditions effect size review assess heterogeneity across studies using q statistic i2 statistic former use chisquare test determine whether qstatistic indicates significant heterogeneity among effect sizes latter i2 statistic quantifies ratio betweenstudy variance totalvariance results range 0 100 identify sufficient number studies ie 10 conduct subgroup analyses determine whether intervention effect significantly varies across studylevel participantlevel characteristics execute subgroup analyses comparing confidence intervals subgroup score overlapping signify significant differences across groups sufficient number studies 10 identified publication bias visually inspected using funnel plot plan include qualitative research quantitative information outcomes interests eg means standard deviations tvalues note related outcomes extracted study recorded excel file effect size calculations effect size calculation eg hedges g odd ratio page number related original outcome data located corresponding calculated effect sizes lead review author lead author person develops coordinates review team discusses assigns roles individual members review team liaises editorial base takes responsibility ongoing updates review coauthors coauthors coauthors please give brief description content methodological expertise within review team recommended optimal review team composition includes least one person review team content expertise least one person methodological expertise least one person statistical expertise also recommended one person information retrieval expertise first author alex baron funding united kingdoms economic social research council authors conflicts interest aim submit draft review february 15 2016 alex baron primarily responsible review updates occur every three years following reviews publication campbell completing form accept responsibility preparing maintaining updating review accordance campbell collaboration policy campbell collaboration provide much support possible assist preparation review draft review must submitted relevant coordinating group within two years protocol publication drafts submitted agreed deadlines unable contact extended period relevant coordinating group right deregister title transfer title alternative authors coordinating group also right deregister transfer title meet standards coordinating group andor campbell collaboration accept responsibility maintaining review light new evidence comments criticisms developments updating review least every five years requested transferring responsibility maintaining review others agreed coordinating group support coordinating group preparing review conditional upon agreement publish protocol finished review subsequent updates campbell library campbell collaboration places restrictions publication findings campbell systematic review abbreviated form journal article either publication monograph version campbell systematic reviews journals however restrictions preclude publication findings reported elsewhere authors considering publication journal aware possible conflict publication monograph version campbell systematic reviews publication journal publication press status campbell systematic reviews acknowledge campbell version include citation note systematic reviews published campbell systematic reviews coregistered cochrane collaboration may additional requirements restrictions copublication review authors accept responsibility meeting copublication requirements understand commitment required undertake campbell review agree publish campbell library signed behalf authors form completed date alex baron april 11 2016