The Mediating Effect of Self-Regulatory Skills on the Relationship between Children’s Perception of their Mothers’ Parenting Attitude and School Adjustment

After experiencing school closures and online learning caused by COVID-19, the important role of school education was reinforced. Elementary school is the foundation of life and allows students to develop both social and academic skills . The purpose of this study was to examine the mediational role of Self-Regulatory Skills (SRS) on the relationship between Maternal Parenting Attitude (MPA) and School Adjustment (SA) of elementary school students. A total of 99 students enrolled in an international school in Seoul, Korea from grades 3 to 6 participated in this study. Data were analyzed through Independent Sample T-Test, one way ANOVA, Multiple Regression Analysis, and Hierarchical Regression Analysis using the SPSS 23.0. The findings of the study were as follows. First, there is a difference between genders and among grades. Second, only acceptance was significantly related to school adjustment. Third, acceptance, strict control, and accepted control are significantly related to SRS. Fourth, Self-Regulatory Skills (Sustained Attention) fully mediate the relationship between Maternal Parenting Attitude (Acceptance) and School Adjustment (Academic Attitude/ Rule compliance). Educational implications for understanding the role of parenting attitude and future directions are discussed