Exploring the effects of a musical play intervention on young children’s self-regulation and metacognition

Abstract Self-regulation and metacognition are important for lifelong functioning can be strengthened with intervention at a young age. Research proposes that musical play enables self-regulatory development, but lacks rigorous approaches to investigate whether causal relationship between the two exists. We introduced in real-world classroom, examined its impact on self-regulation metacognition. adopted quasi-experimental, pre-test post-test control-group design, 98 children aged 6. The group ( N = 45) participated 13 sessions, while control 53) had music lessons following usual curriculum. Children’s metacognition, including metacognitive knowledge, regulation emotional/motivational regulation, was assessed before after through three validated instruments: a) an observational assessment of children’s completing task, b) knowledge interview c) teacher-reported results were equivocal: according teacher ratings, group’s improved significantly more than controls intervention, this result not corroborated by task. Despite this, from areas there statistically significant improvement compared controls, indicated interview, which revealed effect strategies. This study further discussions use different methodological when exploring self-regulation, inform policy practice relation schools.